Choosing the right supplier for your highest-precision components is a critical decision with a greater impact on your product than almost any other. This applies to mission-critical aerospace components, tight-tolerance medical device parts, and many more. Here are some key factors to consider when choosing a supplier for your most important and most challenging machined parts, and how MPC fits in.
Core Machining Capabilities
The first step is to ensure that your specific machining needs match the core competencies of the supplier. In MPCs case, we offer high-volume Swiss screw machine production, tight-tolerance CNC turning and milling, and multi-spindle CNC work. We are well-suited to producing the tiny precision parts, complex components, and even larger (up to 5” diameters) parts. We also handle many secondary processes (plating, passivation, anodization, etc.).
Precision Machining
Many suppliers can make parts that look like yours, but they may not be able to consistently hold the kinds of tight tolerances often seen in critical components, especially in the medical, automotive, and aerospace industries. MPC can hold tolerances of +/- 0.0001” using proprietary lapping and grinding processes on precision parts, but often can hold similar tolerances direct from the machine, saving money and time.
Quality
Critical, high-precision components need to be made by suppliers with strong quality cultures and track records. This includes certifications like ISO 9001 and ISO 13485: MPC’s facilities are certified to both standards.
Part Material Expertise
Does your potential supplier have experience with the chosen material for your high-precision part? Making a part from brass is much simpler than making the same part in 316 stainless steel. MPC has 25 years of experience making tight-tolerance, complex parts from brass, steel, stainless steel (303, 304, 316, etc.), plastics (like PEEK and Delrin), titanium, aluminum, and more.
Industry Experience
Many industries – particularly the medical, defense, and automotive sectors – have unique technical and quality requirements. MPC’s ISO 13485 certifications show our experience with medical part production; we are ITAR-registered to handle defense work; and we have decades of experience providing small precision components to the automotive industry.
Engineering Support
You want your critical component supplier to understand and help improve your final product, particularly with design-for-manufacturability feedback. MPC offers these services to our customers, helping to optimize high-volume production of your most important components for price, quality, and production speed.
Technology and Equipment
Especially relevant in the inspection and control room, having access to the best machines and technology gives a supplier all the tools to satisfy customer requirements. At MPC we use the latest in 5- and 3-axis CNC technology, multi-spindle machines, and Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) inspection machines.
Surface Finish Capabilities
Surface finish is often one element of mission-critical components, particularly when appearance is important. At MPC, we routinely achieve mirror finish on components, i.e. down to 4 microinches.
Lead Time and Production Capacity
It’s one thing to make a single critical component, and yet another to produce thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions in a timely manner. At MPC we specialize in production runs from 1,000 to 1,000,000 pcs and have hundreds of machines at our disposal, able to accommodate everything from a 0.01” diameter precision pin to a 5” diameter complex medical part, all in low and high volumes.
Compliance
Many industries require suppliers to comply with rules and regulations. At MPC, we use RoHS/REACH-compliant materials, are ITAR registered, and can provide DFARS/conflict mineral reporting.
Traceability and Documentation
Critical high-precision component manufacturers must be able to control every step of the production process. MPC’s offers full lot traceability, statistical process control (SPC), full material and secondary process certifications, inspection reports, and more.
Precision Part Supplier Reputation
A supplier with a history of providing great service to its customers is ideal for the procurement of the most important high-precision parts. MPC is a preferred supplier for many S&P 500 companies throughout the global supply chain in the medical, scientific, automotive, electronic, and aerospace industries.
Customer Service
When dealing with the most important components in your product, clear communication and timeliness of your supplier is critical. MPC pride ourselves in our focus on customer service. Every inquiry is personally managed from your first email, to purchase order, to shipping by people dedicated to our culture of quality, traceability, and transparency.
Choosing suppliers for the highest-precision, tightest-tolerance, most mission-critical components is one of the most difficult procurement tasks in the medical, electronic, aerospace, defense, automotive, and scientific industries. Price is only one consideration: trust, technical expertise, consistency, and long-term value are all important. At MPC, we are committed to upholding the best in all 13 of these factors every time. Contact us or submit and RFQ today to get started on your next high-precision project.
