Rapid Application Group (RAG), and Gavco Plastics announced a manufacturing partnership that combines additive manufacturing expertise with injection molding expertise to enable aerospace, automotive and industrial manufacturers to protect their supply chains, reduce costs and deliver the parts they need when they need them.

The two companies are closely located and will offer a centralized project group that can seamlessly take parts from prototype and iteration, into Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP), and then into mass production using injection molding.

“2020 has demonstrated that additive manufacturing is suitable for production-grade parts, at a low volume,” said Jason Dickman, COO, Rapid Application Group. “It can fill the need for parts while mold tooling is being created, giving customers the time and flexibility to figure out just how many parts will be needed.”

Additive manufacturing technologies in use at RAG use the same materials as injection molding, and can handle short runs of parts without penalties for minimum order quantities. While the initial parts are being produced, tooling can be ordered to take the parts into mass production processes at Gavco Plastics. With RAG’s high standards for quality measurement, all 3D printed parts maintain traceability and are fully assured for use.

“This year has shown how fragile supply chains can be and it is time for new innovation in how parts are produced,” said Randall Gavlik, Gavco Plastics. “This partnership with RAG means we can help customers regain balance in their supply chains while maintaining agility and responsiveness to economic conditions.”

The combined offering from RAG and Gavco Plastics delivers the following services to aerospace manufacturers looking for a new approach to their parts value chains:

–Rapid prototyping and iteration of new part designs in the same materials that will be used in mass production, reducing product development cycles.
–Low Rate Initial Production of parts using additive while tooling is produced, saving time and money
–Production of short runs of parts without tooling and needing to hold excess inventory
–Seamless and responsive transition into mass production using injection molding to meet growing demand

This combined offering helps manufacturers reduce unnecessary cost by reducing the need for initial tooling, reducing inventory costs, and yet maintain the flexibility that today’s economy is demanding.

“Gavco Plastics, like RAG, is part of the Oklahoma State effort to become one of the US’ top 10 states in GDP. This kind of partnership will help make the state one of the most responsive hubs for manufacturing OEMs,” said Terry Hill, CEO, Rapid Application Group. “The flexibility this brings to our hundreds of customers is important to our customers who need to rethink how parts are produced, when they are produced and how to protect their supply chains.”

Gavco Plastics
www.gavcoplastics.com

Rapid Application Group
www.rapidapplicationgroup.com