About Client
Industry: Domestic Water Heat Equipment
Product: Progressive die for Hat
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Why Xu Feng
Customer challenges: 1-meter press table for 9 steps progressive die. Seeking a supplier with the capability to transform a simple hand sketch into a fully functional progressive die
Xu Feng features: Facilitation with overseas supplier communications to translate design intent
Result: A progressive die with auto feeder and stripping was built through Xu Feng’s Agile Manufacturing Solution.
Unexpected manufacturing challenges
CABO is a household appliances technology company based in Argentina, whose aim is to develop heating and water heating equipment for domestic use.
Oscar Gutierrez, the engineer of CABO who once worked for an old client of Xu Feng, sent us an email for the two matrices of housing for water heating, after comparing the price and the service we work for the old client, Oscar sent us the hand drawing of hat and said “In Argentina, we are experiencing national elections and that has always produced a very important decrease in sales, CABO is forced to be more cautious with investments, this is the reason why we will now hire only Xu Feng for the matrices. As always, it’s a pleasure to deal with you.”
“I have a lot of trust in Xu Feng from the previous cooperation… That’s why I’m eager to bring Xu Feng into more of our processes in my new job.”
When the team at CABO began scaling up production of the new stylish water heating product, they faced a lot of manufacturing challenges. For example, key components of the product, such as the gas cap, are too thin and prone to tearing that following the normal steps would require at least nine steps to complete the perfect molding. There were also challenges in achieving a smooth exterior and meeting the tolerances required to ensure the parts fit correctly.
“Initially, the gas cap parts technology went wrong where they could have gone wrong before we started working with Xu Feng,” said Ezequiel Grandio, COO of CABO. “Different parts had different thicknesses, and some had problems with deformation. In addition, some parts were not in specification and there were other issues with the production process.
Like many long-established companies, CABO’s equipment was old, which meant that Oscar was faced with many gruelling hours, emails, and drawings trying to deal with these issues on his own.
The Solution from Xu Feng
Proactive Consulting Xu Feng’s Flexible Manufacturing solution
” This new company is in the same category,” said Oscar, “this cabinet matrix is from the same family as the previous one that you made for EL “
During the development of new designs, CABO’s engineer, Oscar, discovered that Xu Feng had previously designed and manufactured several similar molds for EL. This provided him with an opportunity to leverage Xu Feng’s manufacturing solutions experience to improve the current production supply chain.
Additionally, Xu Feng’s efficient communication channels facilitated swift feedback on design concepts, ensuring that design adjustments could be implemented promptly and effectively.
DFM Provided Before Contract
To start the quoting process, Xu Feng is able to provide a full production design report and quote within 1 business day.
Oscar appreciated Xu Feng’s proactiveness in delivering the DFM feedback and helpful information, in some cases, Xu Feng anticipated CABO’s needs prior to its specific request.
- Due to the limited size of the press machine, some production steps needed to be combined. This posed a risk of reduced material fluidity, potentially leading to fractures during the drawing process. Our engineers recommended increasing the radius of the part to mitigate this issue.
- Shrinking the matrix by a reduction of the pitch and the width of the tape, the waste is minimally 20% less. In addition, the matrix would be smaller and it would not overflow the press table, it would also be lighter.
Regarding burrs, our engineers noted that if the drawing process starts from the top, burrs would form on the product’s exterior. However, the hole burrs would remain inside, which aligned with CABO’s specified preferences
“What I really liked was the sense of proactivity on Xu Feng’s side,” said Oscar. “A very concrete example is the DFM. Xu Feng studied the designs to pre-identify issues, even before we signed the contract. Xu Feng was able to identify some issues on the drawing we submitted and we had very good technical discussions to resolve issues ahead of time. That was one of the important factors that made me decide to go with Xu Feng again.”
“The support provided by Xu Feng’s team was fantastic …… They are very honest with their clients. Their straightforward advice ensures we choose the best solutions for our project needs”
A Trusted Partner for Seamless Communication
“I know it’s a challenging task because English is not my first language, and I often rely on hand-drawn sketches to convey my design concepts,” Oscar shared.
One of Xu Feng’s standout services is its ability to bridge communication gaps. Their experienced sales team excels at translating complex design concepts into actionable insights for engineers.
“Xu Feng’s sales team brings a wealth of engineering knowledge and is a pleasure to work with,” said Oscar. “They are pragmatic, excellent problem-solvers, and play a crucial role in effectively conveying our design intent to their engineering team.”
From his previous experiences, Oscar understands the difficulties of overcoming specialized knowledge and language barriers when communicating design ideas. With Xu Feng, however, he found the process refreshingly straightforward.
“Clear communication is essential,” Oscar explained. “Working with a former supplier was frustrating—they struggled to accurately interpret our concerns, which led to lengthy written explanations and further complications. With Xu Feng, the entire communication process was smooth and efficient.”
Evaluating T1 samples
T1 samples were sent to CABO and proved by the testing of Oscar in 4 days.
“In regards to the hat sample. We have already received it and I have made your metrology according to the plan and I have no objections.
The sample is approved. Thank you for your responsibility and the seriousness with which you work.”
“I was very impressed at the first sight of the samples,” Oscar said. “Xu Feng built the mold and solved a lot of points in just a few days after we confirmed the design drawings, and that went very smoothly. That also made me consider Xu Feng as a long-term cooperator.”
Trust is a critical component for choosing a manufacturing partner, and CABO watched closely to see how Xu Feng handled problems, noting that Xu Feng divided problems into specific tasks that could be handled one at a time.
“We interacted quite a lot during the mold design,” said Oscar, “We built a first version, the second version…… and we saw how Xu Feng considered the design. If I had some idea and said, ‘This or that could be improved,’ Xu Feng would always try and consider every aspect and take everything seriously.”
Collaborating with Xu Feng to scale up
To meet the demands of expanding production through automation, CABO turned to Xu Feng’s extensive expertise in this field. After thorough consultation, CABO ordered an automatic feeder, perfectly tailored to their production needs.
The results have been outstanding. With the automatic feeder and molds supplied by Xu Feng, CABO’s production is running seamlessly, and CABO is enthusiastic about the company’s future cooperation with Xu Feng.
“I trust Xu Feng very much,” says Oscar. “I appreciate Xu Feng’s proactivity and the openness of their team, as well as their interaction and dialogue with us. That’s why I’m eager to bring Xu Feng into our supply chain for more projects in the future.”
