Plan the sequence from molded part to finished part
Include finishing requirements in the tooling brief before appearance, assembly, and inspection decisions are fixed.
A finished-part requirement can involve several stages after molding, such as preparation, decoration, coating, marking, or assembly. The enquiry should explain the desired result and identify the sequence being considered. This helps separate requirements for the molded substrate from requirements for later operations, with responsibilities and acceptance criteria assigned to each stage.
Discuss Your ProjectIdentify the base material and the surfaces that will be treated. Mark visible areas, edges, holes, and recesses that may need special attention. Include restrictions on release agents, cleaning, or handling when specified by the finishing process owner.
Describe the proposed finishing steps and who will perform them. Clarify any masking, fixturing, marking, or protected contact areas. Account for the effect of the specified finish on mating features and dimensions rather than evaluating only the untreated part.
Define the condition in which samples must be reviewed: molded, prepared, treated, or fully assembled. Supply appearance references and any required functional checks. Agree how defects, finish variation, damage from handling, and dimensional results will be documented before release.
Finishing methods and their suitability must be confirmed for the specific substrate and application. The project proposal should state which operations are included, who performs them, and what evidence will be provided; this category does not establish an in-house process list.
