Taica North America, located in Winchester, Kentucky, provides painting and three-dimensional part decoration technology called CUBIC printing (a hydrographic decoration process). Its clientele includes automotive, heavy truck, sporting goods, and electronic product industries. Taica has set itself apart as a premier supplier of decorated auto interior parts, including luxury auto nameplates.
Situation
Taica supplies luxury automotive assemblies requiring complex injection molded parts. These parts were visible to the consumer, so they needed to be flawless. Four of the parts were painted, which highlights any flaws in the molding. Four other parts had to be perfectly clear. Its previous molding supplier struggled with clarity issues, often manufacturing cloudy and unacceptable parts. Because of this, Taica was performing 100 percent inspection, which was time-consuming and took resources away from other activities. The scrap rate was high, and Taica knew they needed to find a new vendor. Taica had tried three injection molders before they came to GreenLeaf, but none could mold the parts to Taica’s critical standards.
Solution
GreenLeaf is experienced in tool transfers and understands the extensive planning that goes into making a smooth transition. Once they received the molds, they executed their plan to repair them and get manufacturing started quickly. Because of its thorough program management, stringent processes and standards, scientific molding expertise, and strong technical staff, GreenLeaf quickly delivered flawless parts to Taica and continues to do so.
Results
Taica has been impressed by the company’s technical capabilities and its culture. “GreenLeaf has been the best supplier I have used. It has a family atmosphere, and they treat all customers the same. They have great customer service,” said Charles Morrison, molding specialist, Taica. “Their knowledge of injection molding is beneficial due to the very critical standards Taica requires. They have assisted in mold repair studies, filled emergency production orders, and the quality of work has been second to none, with no missed or late shipments.”
Since engaging with Taica, GreenLeaf has significantly reduced Taica’s cost of quality, given that they are no longer scrapping so many parts. They have saved time as well by vastly reducing customer and internal sorts. In six months, Taica has transferred five molds with two different programs to GreenLeaf.