How to Find a Qualified Bus Bar Supplier for Custom OEM Manufacturing

With any custom busbars supplier, it is important to choose a reliable supplier that can significantly impact the quality of the product, manufacturing timelines and project cost. As opposed to the ready-made busbars, custom busbars are typically subject to tight tolerances, have special properties and require a good amount of engineering involvement during development. A good supplier is concerned with so much more than just stamping out metals. They are to be a collaborative partner with you in the design and production process. There are lots of companies out there that justify they're able to do it, but what can you say about the ones that can do it? Within this guide there are 4 main criteria to assess a potential supplier for custom OEM production of busbars.

Verify Certifications and Quality Management Systems

The first and possibly the most objective is the certification. Typically, suppliers to the auto industry, energy storage and/or industrial market need to possess internationally recognised quality certifications. Check the minimum ISQ9001 that requires they be able to consistently meet standards and continuously improve. IATF 16949 is applicable for products in the automotive industry and high reliability products. Through this particular certification it is emphasised that risk management, error proofing and traceability aspects are to be actively considered in addition to the ISO requirements. In addition, there are other certifications, such as ISO 14001: Environment Management and ISO 45001: Health Safety and Environment Management that can give added confidence to the customer that the business is quality managed. Frequently, do not take anything for granted from the supplier. Request for copies of their certificates and check the scope. A reputable supplier such as Kinto will easily be able to supply these documents and assure you that they have been audited in the past, won various customer quality awards and continue to monitor the situation. Certain quality certifications are a sign that your supplier is trained to consistently make batches that meet your product demanding.

Assess In House Precision Manufacturing Capabilities

Busbars can be quite complex in their geometry, bend, tight radius of curves and locations/spacing of holes required. If a firm doesn't have the equipment, it might pass the job to another firm: poor quality, miscommunication issues and longer lead times. Exclusively inquire of fabrication centers, as well as machining centers for prospective partners. They possess stamping presses, CNC machinery and any bending or forming equipment? Do they have the ability to achieve tolerances of a couple hundredths of a millimetre and with unique geometry? Kinto has invested in the centers' machines, selecting those to deal with complex busbar designs. This in house ability provides flexibility for customers to realize exactly what they are looking for, without having to ask the supplier whether they can actually manufacture it. A competent supplier will also advise you on how the material is treated and how it is coated/hung on the items to be washed as insulating materials. If possible, check them out and if not, ask for equipment lists and capability statements.

Evaluate Engineering Support for Design for Manufacturing

A typical mistake made by a lot of people is considering suppliers as a production house. Indeed, the best busbar suppliers are able to help their customer by supplying them with technical engineering support during the design, before it is finished. It is usually also known as Design for Manufacturing (DFM). This is when the smart engineering team can review your drawing and/or 3D model, and determine where there is additional room that can reduce your costs, increase your reliability, or decrease your lead time. They can supply a new radius bend without a special tooling or a one with different thickness of a material whilst maintaining the same electrical performance offering a simpler bending process. Otherwise, you might find yourself with an expensive to make, hard to put together design, even if it is written right. Ask appropriate questions when verifying suppliers. Would our engineers look at your concept and incorporate their designs into our tooling? Is there anything that is suggested for improvement? What do you do when you have tolerance conflicts? A partner like Kinto takes pride in providing bespoke options that will enable their client to land the best fit for them when choosing their design.

Confirm Supply Chain Strength and Delivery Track Record

The best engineered busbar forever is of no good if it is late. However, for custom OEM making there are synchronized value chains, consistent material sourcing and production planning. Common copper and aluminum, common insulation and also, laminated materials, should be in sufficient stock level in a competent supplier. They should also be well qualified in the delivery of products to customers and various parts of the country on time with fulfilling the expectations. Ask for a list of references or case studies on projects that they've worked on which had greater volume, rushed orders, or materials or components unavailable. Check out where their customers are within the market. It's important to have a supplier who has experience dealing with other countries and businesses as you'll need someone who has been successful in managing and controlling their logistics, customs and demand. In constant performance, Kinto has already obtained 100 clients in the primary distribution area North America and Europe. The qualified supplier also actively shares information on status of orders and lead times in order to foster the trust generated by transparency on situation changes that could arise.

Doing just that – checking a quote – is not enough when ordering custom busbars for an OEM. Evaluate their credentials, check precision manufacturing and in house capabilities, ascertain engineering support, and check their supply chain. By applying those four criteria you will be searching for partners who help you to "wins" and don't cause a problem! Here at Kinto we meet all these requirements and we'd like to speak to you about your next custom busbar requirement.