Custom Tools from Alibaba

[MrWhoopee]

The current version of my auto-retract threader requires significant modification of an OTS threading tool. This includes welding a piece on top of the shank to make it flush from front to back. It took a lot of work and a lot of argon. I decided to see if I could just order them made the way I need. I looked up a manufacturer of threading tools on Alibaba and contacted them. My contact's name was "Helen Pan" and she was very responsive and helpful. It took a while to clearly convey what I wanted. In the end, she sent me a copy of the drawing for a standard threading tool and I modified and returned it. I received a quote for 150 pcs and then asked about a sample before placing the order. She told me the minimum would be 10 pcs and quoted that quantity. The price for 10 pieces worked out to ~$18 ea. including shipping. I placed the order on 8/19 and received the parts on 9/20.


Standard threader on left, custom threader on right.

For a quantity of 150 pieces, the price, including shipping, worked out to ~$10.50 ea. I've been paying $6-$8.50 for the standard threaders. Given the amount of labor saved, I've placed the order.
I'm considering having them quote another piece.

 

[toprecyler]

Nice time and cost savings!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RJSakowski]

And therein lies the problem....and the solution.

We had a situation with the startup that I was part of where we needed to find an injection molding job shop for a complex polypropylene part. We contacted a company called Quick Parts who, after reviewing out design and requirements, offered us two options; have the molds made in the USA or in China. The Chinese option was about 1/3rd the cost and molded parts would be about 20% the USA parts. We received the first parts in around three weeks. They weren't perfect but with a some feedback from us, the next lot was vastly improved and we eventually ended up with usable parts.

Fast forward five years and the Fortune 500 company that acquired us decided that we needed to move production back to the states. We developed a short list of injection molders based on the specifications and projected volume. The molder that the company decided to go with wasn't my choice but they had a good track record. They were supposed to have the molds made and first articles for our evaluation in six months. This was in 2012. I retired in 2013 and two years after I left,they still hadn't submitted a first article. By that time, the company had well over $50K invested and all of our engineers were gone.

I don't know what the status of the project is. Presumably, parts are still being made in China. To be fair, this was a very complex part to make with tight dimensional tolerances along with a tight spec for flatness. But sometimes, not knowing that a task can't be done allows one to forge ahead and get 'er done.

 

[ChazzC]

Innovation, flexibility and most importantly the ability & interest in meeting customer requirements have become harder to find within the U.S. I even experienced this in building design.

 

[vecair]

China is doing what we used to do.

 

[borges1]

Innovation, flexibility and most importantly the ability & interest in meeting customer requirements have become harder to find within the U.S. I even experienced this in building design.

*smack forehead moment* You just articulated something so obvious and present in my daily experience. yet i hadn't ever thought it through enough to spell it out. yeah, i experience both sides of this all the time. when i need something this is the wall i'm constantly fighting. i treasure supplies who solve problems. i started and run a successful small business based - largely on my willingness to jump to a customers expectations and do all i can to exceed them. yes its in my nature, but its stunning how few places will even try to be baseline minimum. to say nothing of costs.

it used to be a joke i said, but its (sadly) pretty true. to be a successful business you need to
1. be mostly on time usually
2. do what you said kinda, most of the time
3. not be the messiest person involved
4. achieve one of the above with some degree of occasional consistency

 

[MrWhoopee]

I placed my order Sept. 28, with a 50 day promise to ship. I received notification that they shipped via Fedex November 4, 37 days from order to shipment. Along with pictures of the order, shipped in 3 boxes, here's the message I received.

"Hello, hope you are doing well. I wanted to update you that your order was shipped to the UPS courier agent yesterday, and we will share the tracking code as soon as it is available. Sorry it takes longer than your previous order due to the 7-day national holiday in early October. To apologize for this inconvenience, we have included a box of inserts with your shipment. We truly appreciate your patience and understanding. Wish you a great success in your business."

Shipped ahead of schedule with an apology and bonus gift!

If Fedex tracking is correct, they are already in Sacramento.



I like the name "Iron Root", the Chinese may be learning how to name things for the western market, or it may just be a fortunate translation.

I need ideas for reusing/recycling the plastic tubes, I already have far too many of them.

 

[ChazzC]

I placed my order Sept. 28, with a 50 day promise to ship. I received notification that they shipped via Fedex November 4, 37 days from order to shipment. Along with pictures of the order, shipped in 3 boxes, here's the message I received.

"Hello, hope you are doing well. I wanted to update you that your order was shipped to the UPS courier agent yesterday, and we will share the tracking code as soon as it is available. Sorry it takes longer than your previous order due to the 7-day national holiday in early October. To apologize for this inconvenience, we have included a box of inserts with your shipment. We truly appreciate your patience and understanding. Wish you a great success in your business."

Shipped ahead of schedule with an apology and bonus gift!

If Fedex tracking is correct, they are already in Sacramento.

When was the last time you got anything extra from a supplier, much less than when they shipped something early?

I like the name "Iron Root", the Chinese may be learning how to name things for the western market, or it may just be a fortunate translation.

Not only a great name, but it’s registered!

I need ideas for reusing/recycling the plastic tubes, I already have far too many of them.

If they were clear/translucent I’d take some off your hands (even though I label everything, it’s nice to be able to see what’s inside).

Even blue and with labels, someone will buy them from you: these things sell for crazy prices in small quantities.

https://a.co/d/awowCqF

 

[NegativeK]

What's the import/shipping situation?

I was looking at Alibaba for some plastic containers recently; dealing with customs and the different ways it's handled (no, I don't want or know how to pick things up from a port) put me off.

 

[MrWhoopee]

What's the import/shipping situation?

I was looking at Alibaba for some plastic containers recently; dealing with customs and the different ways it's handled (no, I don't want or know how to pick things up from a port) put me off.

I just placed the order, everything was handled from their end. From what I can tell their were no customs duties nor even inspections. Invoice only listed product, shipping and U.S. sales tax. Fedex delivers to my door with no additonal charges. On my orders from Aliexpress, I get notified when it has cleared customs on this end (along with far too many progress notifications), but there has been no evidence the package has been opened.