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Notes from the shop floor.

Occasional writing on how we work — process, materials, quality and the practical side of running a moulding plant.

Why FIFO belongs in your documentation, not just your store room

First in, first out is usually explained as a way to keep stock from going stale. That is the smallest part of what it does — handled properly, FIFO is the backbone of traceability.

Also planned

Coming up.

Materials

Drying nylon properly, and what happens when you don’t

Moisture is the most common cause of avoidable defects in engineering polymers. What correct drying practice looks like, and how wet-moulded parts fail later.

Design

Five metal parts that are usually worth converting

The characteristics that make a metal component a good candidate for polymer — and the ones that should make you leave it alone.

Quality

Why we build a gauge for every component

How jointly validated mechanical gauges remove ambiguity from a supply relationship before the first production run.

Process

Reading a short shot

What incomplete fills tell you about gate position, melt temperature and tool venting, and how to work back to the cause.