GUEST BLOG: IPF Ltd are celebrating their 50th year of manufacturing bespoke plastic parts

As we enter our 50th year since being founded by Bill Bloomfield SNR in 1969, we thought we would reflect on a bit of our History;

In 1969 IPF started to machine and fabricate bespoke plastic components for a wide range of industries. Bill SNR was approached by Eon productions to machine A `Perspex Aquarium bed`, to feature in the James bond film `Diamonds are forever`. Sean Connery and Jill St. John feature in the image lying on the beautifully made Perspex bed below.

One of Bills biggest achievements at the time came in 1976 where IPF were the only company in the UK able to produce an extremely high quality part used for the world’s first brain scanner. IPF went from strength to strength gaining high profile customers ranging from Aston Martin, Monarch aircraft, to The National Heart and Chest Hospital, and The Institute of Child Health… to name a few! He even made a Perspex `Full English` for the largest UK Perspex distributer at the time!

Due to the business’s constant progression, IPF continued to invest to be at the forefront of new technology, and when the 3D Printing industry emerged, IPF invested in the latest high end equipment to start up a 3D Printing bureau, to run alongside its well established machining business, offering the best of cutting edge and traditional technologies.

In 2014 IPF were among the first to own a Polyjet Connex 500 multi-material and colour 3D printer in the UK. IPF have since been involved with a multitude of industries, 3D Printing props for movies, such as the Starlord mask for `Guardians of the Galaxy`, as well as assisting in medical developments with our HP MJF, collaborating with `Prosfit` and their life changing custom made prosthetic sockets, regulated for weight bearing up to 125 kg!

We have since gained even more high-profile customers in the Automotive, Defence, Aerospace, Medical and Movie industries. Due to the sensitive industries that we work with, and the NDA’s in place we cannot specify who, but products that have been professionally and carefully prototyped by us, have featured in some of the latest blockbuster movies, TV advertising, and products that are likely to be being used daily by yourselves; such as smart phones or even wearable technology!

In our 50th year of innovation, we have had breakthroughs in Laser Welding applications for medical manifolds and micro-fluidics, as well as investments into 5-Axis machining for complex shapes and high speed production. Continued developments in CNC Machining, Diffusion Bonding and Fabrication along with extensive high-volume production capabilities now available with our Additive Manufacturing for prototypes and production parts.

The 3D printing and plastic machining industry is forever evolving, and IPF assure its new and long-standing clients, that we will remain devoted to constantly move forward with these exciting advancing technologies, as well as nurture and perfect our 50 years of experience.

Visit Industrial Plastic Fabrications Ltd on stand A31 at Subcon 4-6 June 2019 - register now for free at www.subconshow.co.uk/register

GUEST BLOG: Three things you need to know about outsourcing to China

There are many benefits to outsourcing your high-quality metal or plastics manufacturing to another country such as China or Vietnam but there are many potential pitfalls too.

There isn’t space here to go into all the details but here are three essential things you need to think about before considering outsourcing to a foreign nation.

1.    Make sure you understand the country

Every country has its own ways of doing business and you really need to go into any commercial relationship with as great a familiarity as possible with specific beliefs, cultures and modus operandi of the people you will be working with. Understanding the country can also involve getting to grips with the financial side of things – do you understand China’s VAT system, for example, or its export tax and delivery terms? Do you even know the current exchange rate? Do you know whether the country is undergoing a period of economic growth or is it in stagnation… or even decline? And precisely what is happening on the ground?

2.    What is the country’s relationship with the UK like?

Obviously, it doesn’t make business sense to be working closely with a country if there is a fractious relationship with the UK. Even though relations with China and Vietnam are perfectly cordial, you still need to be communicating with the UK Foreign Office and UK Trade & Investment as well as the British Chamber of Commerce. You also need to be able to speak the local language – or at least have someone representing you who can.

3.    What kind of sourcing do you want or need?

Outsourcing is outsourcing, right? No. You can have non-contact sourcing, which is fairly self-explanatory, or semi-contact sourcing or you can deal with the country through a separate sourcing company such as ChinaSavvy or VietSavvy. You can also connect via a sub-contract manufacturer or set up your own representative office. Do you want to be involved in the final quality checks and inspections, who is going to carry out all quality audits, and who is going to draw up the contracts and manage purchase orders, invoices and payments?

Of course – just as there would be if you were selecting a sub-contractor in the UK – there are plenty more key issues that you must take into consideration, not least the quality and skills of the engineers who will be working on your customers’ products. Is it possible to make the parts in places where costs are even lower than in China – such as Vietnam – without compromising on quality and while still taking advantage of China’s incredible engineering supply chain? Are you in a position to make an informed decision?

Lots of things to ponder, then, before you take the plunge!

This post was written by Christopher Devereux, managing director of ChinaSavvy HK and vice chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce, Guangdong, China. Find out more at www.chinasavvy.com, Twitter @Chinasavvy1, Facebook @Chinasavvy or LinkedIn.

China Savvy is exhibiting at Subcon next week - register now for free at www.subconshow.co,ukregister