The Process Of Getting Something Made In China?

[StartupsRFun]

I need a mold and product made in China and was wondering if anyone had any advice? Its a tie clip and needs to be molded in the shape of something specific. Ive never dealt with Chinese manufactures, and Im hoping for something with quick turn around. Any advice on where to start? Thanks

 

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[Get Threaded]

I have a few items that are manufactured in China. I always think of them as my brand partners and treat them with great respect and in turn I have always had wonderful dealings. Communication is key- I like to mock up visual images of what it is I am after so they know exactly before they start their process and I make sure timelines and delivery is always discussed upfront so there are no surprises.

One other tip I do is get them to send photo images of the prototype before they send to me so you can see if there is anything significant that might need changing and this saves lots of time.

It is always exciting to see what you have in mind come to life! Enjoy!

 

[eqttrdr]

so China can manufacture something just from your prototype or pictures? Do they do all the sourcing of materials for you?

 

[jazb]

go on alibaba and find a bunch of manufactures that sell close to what you want. ask them if they will make that. negotiate between them.

 

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[Get Threaded]

Agree with @jazb . That is what I have done. I thought about how I wanted the product I had in mind made, sourced a supplier that made items from the same material and sent them an image of what I had in mind- either hand sketched or dummied up.

 

[StartupsRFun]

I have a few items that are manufactured in China. I always think of them as my brand partners and treat them with great respect and in turn I have always had wonderful dealings. Communication is key- I like to mock up visual images of what it is I am after so they know exactly before they start their process and I make sure timelines and delivery is always discussed upfront so there are no surprises.

One other tip I do is get them to send photo images of the prototype before they send to me so you can see if there is anything significant that might need changing and this saves lots of time.

It is always exciting to see what you have in mind come to life! Enjoy!

Thanks so much for the advice

 

[Walter Hay]

Thanks so much for the advice

I have only just joined this forum so I hope I am not too late to help. In your original post you referred to wanting the product molded, but I think you have got that wrong.

A tie clip should be made by stamping, not molding otherwise it will break after a little use. The manufacturers who make it for you will still call the stamping tool a mold. In fact you will need two tools and they are very low cost when made in China. The first tool is a cutting tool (also referred to as a die or a mold) the second one is a stamping tool (also referred to as a stamping die or mold).

There are a variety of finishes you can use and that will depend on your design and the quality you want. You can have it plated in Gold, Sterling Silver,
Nickle Silver, Brass, Copper etc..... You can have color features added as part of the design and the extra cost will be a few pennies.

The manufacturers will do the artwork for you and will send you full color copies for approval before making any tooling.

I happen to know this industry well because my importing business that I began in 1987 handled a lot of products made by the stamping process. If you need more specific information I will be happy to answer. There are many things you need to learn about this manufacturing process, and also I suspect, about importing.

Finally, I would never recommend Alibaba. For starters, most of the suppliers listed there are traders or wholesalers masquerading as manufacturers. For best prices you must go direct to the real manufacturer.

 

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[Elizabeth Shi]

Hi,

We normally have projects like this under our New Product Development service and we usually manage the entire process right from the idea on the paper to a sample prototype & eventually mass production.

Im hoping for something with quick turn around.

My advice would be to start with a research regarding your product, based on our experience with developing new products with Chinese factories, this requires lots of creative input from both parties as well as patience.

Regards,
Liz

 

[100k]

How is this process going, OP ?