Custom Mold Manufacturing for Video Conferencing Units

A Fortune 1000 original equipment manufacturer (OEM) faced a tight deadline to ship a new type of interactive terminal for financial transactions.

Every finished terminal had to be in top working order, starting from the first units off the assembly line. Public attention piqued because these new terminals ushered in a new kind of “face to face” transaction via video conferencing.

The roll out entailed field tests in the select markets receiving the first few units. The OEM called on Ferriot to make 28 different plastic parts for the terminals. The added challenge: some of the units would reside in indoor lobbies and others at outdoor drive-through locations.

Ferriot developed molds and manufactured 28 different components for the video­conferencing terminals.

Two completely different resins were used for different functional requirements – one for indoor use and the other for outdoors. Depending on the component, the outer finishes visible to consumers included:

• Paint
• Metallic appearance achieved through vacuum metallization

All of the components had to be tested and qualified prior to production.

Ferriot produced all 28 components for easy plug-in into the finished assemblies. We continue to work with the OEM on next-generation terminals.

At Ferriot, we develop custom molds and we manufacture components from those same molds. Why does this matter? It’s about accountability. Our productivity as a manufacturer and our ability to turn out superior products depends on ideal mold designs.

Yes, mold design is about 3-D technology.  But great designs still depend on experienced engineers and technicians who intuitively know the configurations that will result in both lean manufacturing and quality assemblies. Conversely, these same experts can spot trouble before it happens because fine distinctions can make the difference between excellence and mediocrity in finished products.

Just as importantly, experience matters in choosing the right mix of engineered materials to meet widely different usage requirements.

Whether it’s a softer-textured finish for easy handling, or perhaps the rigidity to withstand 200 miles-per-hour winds, Ferriot’s engineers help create the “what if” products that change consumer experiences.

Call us with your innovative ideas for transforming – and economizing – the products and equipment of tomorrow.