Customer onboarding in manufacturing should be more than a haphazard quote tossed at you that can result in revised quotes, issued change orders, or missed delivery dates because of overlooked technical details. At Ensinger, it’s different. It’s the start of deep technical engagement. Before the first part ever comes off a mold, the process is built around information sharing, engineering scrutiny, and detailed conversations. All done to set the necessary groundwork for building high-performance plastic parts that work exactly as intended.

First Step Is Part Evaluation

Our onboarding process doesn’t wait for a signed purchase order. It starts with the first serious discussion about a project. That includes quoting, but not in the traditional sense.

When a customer comes to us with a design, our team doesn’t just price it out. They dive in and do a complete evaluation. Before anything is formalized, several things happen:

  • A mutual two-way non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is signed to protect your intellectual property and the work we put in.
  • A conversation to learn about the part – how it is used, what environment it is used in, what materials it contacts, etc.
  • A design and engineering review, including design for manufacturability (DFM)  and Finite Element Analysis (FEA),  is conducted to evaluate the customer’s design to ensure it can be manufactured efficiently and will perform under real-world conditions. Suggestions for design tweaks are made for feasibility and cost savings.
  • If needed, material experts from our Washington, PA, location are brought in to ensure the right polymer is chosen, especially critical for applications involving high-performance plastics.

While we don’t design the product for the customer, we do tell them if their current design is a problem and why. This includes details on tolerance issues, moldability concerns, and material selection. We suggest alternatives when there is a problem. These suggestions are backed by tooling and production knowledge, not just theory.

Real Engineering To Get You the Best Possible Quote

Pricing out the part is more than just a quick review of the part. There are many departments that will have valuable input:

  • For new injection molding, tooling cost estimation is performed after an engineer has already designed what the mold should look like.
  • Input from quality engineers who examine part drawings and tolerance specs to see if any special tests or fixtures are required.
  • Material cost (resins and inserts) projections from buyers.
  • And often, advice from our automation engineers for high-volume parts.

All of this happens before the customer receives the quote. Unlike some plastics manufacturers that email over a quote without context, our approach is to present and discuss every quote. Questions are encouraged because of all that is involved; we want to ensure nothing is overlooked.

Responsiveness To Meet Your Needs

Once a request comes in, the first contact with a customer happens the same day. Our goal is to get the quote back to you in two weeks after all our necessary teams have had input. Sometimes we may visit a site to further understand their needs, or a potential customer may visit our site to ensure we have the capabilities they need. And because we work with many companies that follow strict quality protocols, a quality audit may be conducted.

Project Management Starts Early

Project management begins at the quoting stage. Whether it’s a new mold or a transferred tool, you will have a single point of contact, the salesperson or account manager. There will also be a technical lead assigned, often the engineering manager.

Our process keeps every quote and every product following a defined path to ensure that the handoffs between design, tooling, and production are handled with accountability and consistency.

Transfer Tooling Done Right

Not every onboarding starts from scratch. Transferring tooling is becoming even more popular.  When a customer brings a mold from another vendor, we can inspect, validate, and begin production in a fraction of the time it takes to build new tooling. This makes sense for companies that are reshoring production or replacing underperforming suppliers.

The incoming tool is evaluated, cleaned, and modified if needed to fit our equipment. First article inspections are performed, and quotes are revised if repairs or mold conditioning are required.

Our eBook, Pitfalls to Avoid When Transferring Tooling, outlines how vital this process is and how often it’s mishandled. Without proper planning, tool transfers can stall production or introduce defects. Through safety stock recommendations, mold evaluations, and engineering oversight, we help you avoid those pitfalls.

Experience the Ensinger Onboarding Difference

What sets Ensinger apart is our methodical engineering-first approach to customer onboarding. Whether the customer is bringing injection molding, transfer tooling, or CNC machining, the process is built around one principle: delivering critical components that match your exact needs every time.

Contact us to experience the thorough onboarding process that ensures your project is managed with precision and care, from initial consultation to final production.