When you want a completely unique, custom-made plastic component for your playground, there’s no better option than rotational molding. Affordable, fast, and versatile, rotational molding produces sturdy pieces that are lightweight and easily emblazoned with any kind of design you wish. Once you realize the option exists, it can be hard to wait until the final product is in your hands.
At SPI Plastics, we’ve been producing high-quality rotational molding pieces for almost 50 years. In that time, we’ve handled a wide variety of products, ranging from our own in-house playground equipment to specialized client requests. Our team is always available to answer any questions you might have, but sometimes, it’s helpful to have some tips already in mind before you begin your project.
Today, we’re going to share with you our three most important tips for success with your custom rotational molding project. Read on!
1. Factor in the time required to build & test the mold.
In the excitement of designing and developing your rotational molding project, it’s easy to forget that some time is required to actually create the mold we’ll be using for your piece. Unfortunately, when this fact is forgotten, some clients can put themselves under pressure to adhere to an impossible timeline. Before you go excitedly promising the finished product by a specific date, call our team and (if you haven’t already been provided one) ask for an estimate as to project completion.
The benefit of doing what we do for as long as we’ve done it is that we’ve pretty well got rotational molding down to a science. That means that we’ll be able to provide you with an accurate estimate as to when you can expect a finalized product, and that’s knowledge you can use to save money and time on your end.
2. Finalize your design before committing to a production run.
We have our own team of in-house designers for custom rotational molding projects, but if you’re bringing your own designs to the table, make sure that they’re exactly right before you submit them for tooling and production. You’ve likely heard of the adage, “Measure twice, cut once,” right? Well, when it comes to rotational molding, we advise as many reviews as you can stand before you sign off on the design. Here’s what to look for:
- Are all the connections the right size?
- If there are any words or branding, is it spelled correctly?
- Are the proportions of the finished product correctly sized?
- Does the logo, wording, or image on the product need to be mirror-reversed for the rotational molding process?
3. Quality is important, so ask questions before you begin.
Most importantly, we want you to be happy with your custom rotational molding project, but not all companies operate the same way. Before you sign a contract or commit to design development, do some research about the company you’ll be working with. How long have they been in business? Are their customer reviews generally glowing, or are there enough dissatisfied clients that your project may be better off elsewhere? What kind of materials do they use during the production process?
You should also be able to have frank and honest conversations with your rotational molding provider about the project timeline, the design process, prototyping, and the production run. This means that when you ask a question, you should receive a straight answer. If conversations with your rotational molding provider leave you with more questions than you came in with, it’s worth your time to search around for an alternative company.
SPI’s Custom Rotational Molding Service
At SPI Plastics, everything we do is tied to our commitment to excellent customer service and unparalleled product production. From tours of our facility to galleries of our work around the world, we make no secret of our process and our dedication to high-quality rotational molding products. When you partner with SPI for your custom rotational molding project, you can do so with complete confidence that we’ll get it done quickly, affordably, and correctly. If you don’t have a finalized design, our team will work with you, one-on-one, until you’re satisfied with the design mockup.
For more information on SPI’s custom rotational molding service, give us a call at 1-800-269-6533 or contact us online.