OUTSOURCING YOUR METAL (PLASMA OR LASER) CUTTING – HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THIS RISK?

by Andy Faiers
Posted on 19/01/2018

Are you outsourcing your Plasma (or laser) Cutting?

Many manufacturers have their metal components cut by a 3rd party. This arrangement can allow fabricators to focus on other areas of the manufacturing process.

But… There is one potential risk that many fabricators overlook.

Here’s a story we have heard more than once;

Let’s say you have designed a unique product.

After many hours and money spent in developing, testing and preparing the product for market – you go into production.

Getting the components cut by a 3rd party appears to be the most logical option – it seems cost effective and saves you time.

A few months go by, your product is selling well and you start to realise that the market potential is perhaps even bigger than what you first hoped…. But then you’re hit with a major problem;

Unknown to you, the 3rd party company that you have outsourced your plasma cutting to has observed that your product is going well and they want a piece of the action. They copy your designs and drawings and take their own version of your product to market. Overnight you now have a competitor stealing your sales & profits … and what’s worse is that they have not paid a cent for all the hard work and time you put into developing the product.

(Disclaimer: We are certainly not suggesting that all contract metal cutting providers will behave unscrupulously like this. But it’s a fact that this does occur, so it’s a risk that has to be considered).

So how do you prevent your designs getting stolen like this?

You could register your designs or have your cutting provider sign a legal agreement. But this costs money in legal fees and takes time. And even then, competitors may ignore any legal safeguards, and you will then have to spend more money in taking defensive legal action.

Here’s a better solution: Bring your metal parts cutting in-house.

Benefits of cutting your own metal parts in-house:

  • Your product designs can be kept confidential.
  • You don’t risk exposing your product & design ideas to other companies & potential competitors.
  • Cut what you want, when you want it: No waiting.

A CNC Plasma Cutter could be more affordable than you think!

At SUREFIRE CNC, we have sold hundreds of packages to companies who are first-time CNC Plasma owners.

From as little as $22 per day, we can supply a state-of-the-art, industrial CNC Plasma that is easy to use and will give you years of reliable cutting.

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