What is our Minimum Order Quantity?
At Viking Extrusions Ltd, we pride ourselves in offering a bespoke service to customers seeking MOQ’s for new prototype orders. We make sure to give the best value and turnaround time at every step of the way. We manufacture everything to order, when required, and offer the best services regardless of whether the order is for a few metres or a few thousand metres. But the number 1 question we get asked when new customers are seeking a prototype partner is, “What’s your MOQ?”
To elaborate on this question, let’s look at the process we follow in each instance:
Every new order requires enough silicone material to fill our extruders and to set and test the new die design. This is usually at least 5kgs, maybe more depending on the complexity of the new profile. We extrude a few metres of material, check the tolerance against the customer’s profile drawing requirements and adjust accordingly- usually needing to remove and machine the profile slightly to help create a more even flow of material through it and, in turn, a more consistent profile for the customer.
This process can take several attempts, often requiring tool machining each time. As silicone has a variety of shore hardnesses from 10 shore A (our softest silicone) up to our hardest 80 shore A, this must be considered when designing and machining our customer’s tool. Each type of silicone material reacts differently when being extruded with the softer material swelling more when extruded compared to harder material which extrudes truer to the tool being used. Simply speaking, if we were to extrude 20 shore A compound through a die that was designed to be used with 80 shore A material, the final product would be larger due to the swell created. To add to this, the speed of extrusion, the temperature of the curing box and, in some extreme cases, the ambient temperature can all affect the end result of the product.
All of these variables must be taken into account when quoting for MOQ’s and as such, if a customer wants 2metres compared to 25metres, the price will most likely remain the same as the setup cost is the main expense involved.
Our most common material used is White VGP60 grade silicone rubber and if you’re only requiring a few metres, we should be able to accommodate you. Otherwise, our MOQ for most orders is 25 Metres which offers the customer the best price/metre and covers our costs.
Give us a call now to find out how best we can assist you or look at our 6000+ current designs to see if we already have what you’re looking for.
