How Nested Parts Help You Save on Foam, Insulation & Tape Parts
It's almost impossible to avoid material waste in manufacturing, but there are things that can be done to minimize it. Using nested parts, for one, helps manufacturers keep material waste and production costs as low as possible. At Engineered Materials, we fabricate custom gaskets and pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tapes for manufacturers to use during the assembly process. One of the ways we help keep costs low is by combining multiple pre-cut parts on a single sheet or roll of material. These nested parts make it easier and more affordable for you to get the parts you need, among many other benefits.
What are nested parts and how can they benefit your manufacturing process? Find out more about the process.
What Are Nested Parts?
Nesting is the process of laying out and organizing cutting patterns out of the same raw material. This allows manufacturers to maximize the number of custom parts created per sheet of material, reducing waste in the process. Simply rotating the cutting patterns, combining multiple parts in the same run, or nesting them inside the weed (or waste) of another allows for a significant reduction in the materials used.
Nested Parts Reduce Costs
What are the benefits of using nested parts? Cost is one of the largest factors. Typically, the material can be one of the largest cost components. Less material waste when creating custom parts means that the costs of creating them are reduced, savings that are then passed on to you. Depending on the size and shape of the custom cut parts, it’s possible to fit twice as many (or more) parts per sheet of material.
Nesting parts can also lower the shipping costs of the parts. Since most shipping rates are dependent on the amount of space taken up on a trailer, shipments that take up less space cost less to move. Nested parts reduce the space your order takes up as well as its weight.
Nested Parts Result in Faster Assembly
With the right planning, getting nested tape parts in the form of an assembly kit can result in much faster assembly of products because many of the parts you need are located on a single sheet of material. The parts may be on the same PSA tape liner, compression fit, or perforated so that they are easier to remove and place during assembly, and they require little skill and no special tools to apply. Cleanup is also simplified because you are working with fewer materials and no liquid adhesives.
Custom Parts and Materials
From waterjet to laser or knife cutting and die cutting, we can fabricate a series of nested parts that fit your specific products or application. Our team works with you to choose the right material for your gasket or the right PSA and carrier material for your products.
Our engineers can work with you to optimally nest your parts in order to be more efficiently used and effectively implemented into your manufacturing process.
We also have a wide range of fabrication capabilities that include:
Laminating
Slitting
Rotary and flatbed die cutting
Knife, waterjet, and laser cutting
Spooling
For more detailed information on these capabilities, and how they can get you the parts you need, see this detailed guide.
From product design to fabrication and assembly, we work with you to improve your gasketing and bonding solutions and your assembly process.