FAQ
Plastic material moulds production
Can China produce quality moulds?
China is no longer synonymous with low quality, on the contrary, it’s leading the way in advanced technology, innovation and cutting-edge techniques. Deciding on what to import and at what level of manufacturing quality is now a decision purely in the hands of the customer, who, once inside the Chinese market has various levels of quality at their disposition. As with anywhere in the world, different requirements correlate to different price margins. These results are due to a commitment to all aspects of production pledged by the Chinese government: training qualified personnel, acquiring skills, investing in technological machinery and last but not least, the development of sustainable infrastructures with low environmental impact (contrary to what is commonly believed and written about China and pollution).
All these points form part of the Chinese initiative called “MADE IN CHINA 2025”, a vision to shift the image of China from being the factory of the world (low quality large quantity) to products of value and services” by 2025 including eco-sense and quality, worker’s rights and salary etc. In short, China has never been so close to Western concepts.
If you’re still not convinced that China is a big player in avant-garde technology, just think of all the luxury items or top brands used daily (including Apple) produced in China The manufacturing industry as a whole has made enormous progress in recent decades. Of course, having a top quality mould also means solid communication with the Chinese counterpart, which is why at Easy China provide our technicians and a team of bilingual staff (Italian and Chinese) who collaborated closely with the Chinese production.
We personally make regular trips to visit Chinese factories to ensure that everything is working according to our customer’s requests and required standards of quality, Obviously, quality standards correlate to a certain price so the final decision remains in the hands of the customer.
What benefits would my company have by producing in China?
China still proves to be more convenient compared to Italy in terms of costs and timescale. A mould can be produced in less than 30 days and can cost a third of the price than it would to produce in Italy.
Many companies are wary of having their mould produced in China as there are still many preconceptions and prejudices concerning the quality of products produced in China. On the other hand, many companies are concerned about the logistical aspects and management of having a mould produced in China.
Please do read the following FAQ’s that hopefully clarify any doubts you may have. For further information or questions, we are always available to answer you so don’ hesitate to contact us.
Who will oversee the technical-functional requests of my mould?
Our Italian Technical Director (based in Italy) will support through every step of the project. Together, you’ll be able to define and design the technical-functional of the piece right up to the conclusion of the 3D project of the product and the mould.
The Technical Director has been working in the mould production sector for over 30 years. He has worked and collaborated with major brands over various product sectors and today, in addition to collaborating with Easy China, he’s the technical manager for and important stock company.
Communication with the Chinese Team.
Once the 3D project is completed, the communication phase, including all your requests, with the factory in China begins.
Having an injection mould produced in China means, first of all, knowing how to communicate with the Chinese people and to comprehend the culture. Just like in Italy, a lack of communication leads to poor results.
Easy China provides a team of bilingual staff (Italian and Chinese) located between Italy and China who transfer and handle customer requests on a daily basis, following the progress of the production and reporting back to the customer.
Who oversees the mould production also ensures the work is being done according to all the required standards?
The Chinese technicians are assisted by and in close contact with our Italia technicians at all times. Our team, together with our technical director, regularly visit tour collaborators in China to make sure that the production is proceeding according to the customers’ requests and required quality standards.
Easy China’s experience is based on years of collaboration with certified, qualified and consolidated Chinese suppliers, leading companies in technical design and production of moulds for plastic materials and injection moulding.
Do you have moulding machines? Can I have my pieces manufactured in Italy?
When producing a mould in China, what are my GUARANTEES for any eventual problems post-sale?
It’s essential to verify that an injection mould is functional before shipping. The supplier doesn’t just visually inspect the mould, it is placed in the press and tested via a few production cycles to ensure that there are no functional problems. This way the production line is able to intervene on site, if necessary, before departure.
If, however, once in Italy the injection mould should present any problems, we guarantee complete after-sales assistance. We have mechanical workshops and all the tools necessary for your mould if needed. Just as if you were producing your mould in Italy.
Once the mould is produced, who handles the shipment?
Customized Import assistance from China
Chinese products are all low quality?
For years now, China is no longer synonymous with low quality, on the contrary, it’s leading the way in advanced technology, innovation and cutting-edge techniques.
Deciding on what to import and at what level of manufacturing quality is now a decision purely in the hands of the customer, who, once inside the Chinese market has various levels of quality at their disposition. As with anywhere in the world, different requirements correlate to different price margins. These results are due to a commitment to all aspects of production pledged by the Chinese government: training qualified personnel, acquiring skills, investing in technological machinery and last but not least, the development of sustainable infrastructures with low environmental impact (contrary to what is commonly believed and written about China and pollution).
All these points form part of the Chinese initiative called “MADE IN CHINA 2025”, a vision to shift the image of China from being the factory of the world (low quality large quantity) to products of value and services” by 2025. In short, China has never been so close to Western concepts of echo-sense and quality, worker’s rights and salary etc. If you’re still not convinced that China is a big player in vanguard technology, just think of all the top brands used daily (including Apple) strictly produced in China The manufacturing industry as a whole has made tremendous progress in recent decades.
Of course, a final product of high quality also relies on adequate communication with Chinese suppliers which is where EasyChina, with a bilingual team (Italian and Chinese) of experts in the field, Chinese culture and economy come in. We help you select the right supplier and convey all the correct information of the articles to be produced to avoid any errors literally “lost in translation” resulting in a product that is either below standard or requirement.
Importing from China: what do I have to consider?
FINDING A SUPPLIER
Although it’s understandable that many companies feel confident enough to source a supplier effortlessly via the countless accessible platforms, not all of them succeed in following through after this initial step in a secure and profitable way. Finding the right supplier isn’t just about finding the best price available but rather knowing how to communicate with a culture that is completely different.
One must be able to clearly convey requests, expectations and characteristics of the product but above all one must be able to recognize the supplier’s reliability, work ethic and compliance with al, the necessary certifications required for custom clearance of the goods to be imported, without them the goods are detained definitively causing considerable ECONOMIC DAMAGES: To avoid this, we strongly recommend relying on a company that, like EasyChina, boasts a deep knowledge of the economic and bureaucratic system in China.
Using a third party company therefore, isn’t a waste of money, on the contrary, it’s a good investment. We like to think of it as like having an internal purchasing office to turn to (and invest in) only when necessary.
SUPPLIER LICENSES AND RELIABILITY
As already mentioned, companies like ours not only help you find the supplier that offers the right product and the best market value, but thanks to the profound understanding of the Chinese market they also help you to evaluate the reliability of the supplier, their actual presence on the territory and most importantly, the verification of all the certifications necessary for the importation of the product to Italy or Europe.
We cannot stress enough that without certifications and compliance with EU standards your goods will be blocked at customs and in some cases, risk criminal prosecution.
TRANSPORT COSTS AND DUTIES
Once the supplier has been chosen and after confirming any sample items, the nest step is show to import your product. Importation of containers or large quantities is not as straight forward as single (or a small number of) goods on Aliexpress.
When importing for business, companies must deal with: DUTY, CUSTOMS CHARGES, BILL OF LADING, TRANSPORTATION INSURANCE, FREIGHT, TRANSPORT, POSSIBLE HOLDING CHARGES etc. Almost every product from non-EU countries are subject to duties; as each product is assigned its own product code which is registered on the Customs and Monopolies Agency website (TARIC INDEX) and indicates the percentage of cost (= duty) that must be calculated based on the Bill of Lading and shipping costs (these duties cannot be discharged as VAT).
For several years now an ANTI-DUMPING law has been introduced on imports considered harmful to the national economy.
Producing your product in China: the right product with the right quality.
As already mentioned previously, manufacturing your product in China doesn’t stop at finding a supplier who offers the best deal. Once the right supplier has been sourced, the real work begins. A job that involves constant communication, dialogue and verifications that are far from simple considering the language barrier, cultural differences and time zone.
This is why we always advise customers to turn to companies in the sector such as Easy China who can guide you and act on your behalf. Companies like ours can support/replace you in:
Sourcing a reliable Chinese supplier
Communicate the products specifications
Verify licenses and certifications/help you get the right certifications
Personal on-site inspection of the Chinese factory, verification of its existence, work ethics and productivity.
Monitor the entire production cycle: from receiving samples to production, to shipping until arrival of the final product in your warehouse.
Why should I pay someone if I can just use Alibaba?
For the exact same problems reported so far. The process of manufacturing and importing products doesn’t stop at finding a supplier. Easy China works on a solid foundation of years of experience and collaborates with certified, qualified and consolidated Chinese suppliers.
An investment that may seem unnecessary at first, could prove profitable once your goods are received after a smooth transition at customs with no problems relating to quality problems or missed deliveries.
Can Easy China just take care of my shipping?
In light of what has been highlighted so far, it’s quite difficult to just take care of the shipping service alone. Transporting and importing goods is the final stage of a long process that involves solid groundwork. If the initial research and construction work isn’t carried out properly it could all prove to be a real problem when it comes to transportation.
For example: if the right certifications are lacking the goods would be blocked at customs and Easy China wouldn’t be able to answer for them as they hadn’t been part of any previous chain of communication.
Does Easy China handle any type of product?
I don’t have a company; can I use Easy China?
Can Easy China help me buy a product on Aliexpress?
Import Machinery and Production Plants from China
Spare parts and warranty
Generally, warranties and spare parts are discussed during the initial buying phase according to the customer’s needs.
Installation, assistance and maintenance
If the brand in question doesn’t have a support office in Europe, the parent company offers the possibility to send over a specialized technician from China.
Functional testing and quality control
Checks are not limited to a visual inspection of components but generally the machine (or plant) is engaged and activated for several production cycles to establish that there are no operational issues.
If any malfunctions arise, the supplier can intervene promptly on site, adjusting where necessary before the shipment departs.
Who is in charge of communication with the Chinese supplier?
Our company provides a team of bilingual staff (Italian-Chinese) located in both Italy and China who act on our customer’s behalf: transferring customer requests and questions on daily basis and following the progress of the work step by step.
Once the machinery is ready, who takes care of the shipment?
Once everything is ready for departure in China, we handle all the logistics, transport, duties and customs so you can rest at ease.