There are numerous issues that arise when dealing with an offshore supplier for your Silicone rubber needs. The main benefit is time. Time is impacted by a few factors when dealing with offshore manufacturers which include communication, lead times, and shipping times.

Communication is one of the largest hurdles when dealing with an offshore supplier. Typically, due to the time zone differences between the US and the offshore competitors, customers can lose days valuable time just waiting for responses to inquiry’s made. The language barrier is also a difficult and frustrating issue that can cause miscommunication. Depending on the severity of the miscommunication, you could be required to have the tooling re-made.

Lead and shipping times can really effect the decision to go offshore. Offshore manufacturers are known for having extremely long lead times, and when adding the time it takes to ship product overseas, it can really add up. There are two options for shipping; air and sea. The overwhelming option is by sea. Shipping by sea takes an average of three weeks, but can take much longer due to weather, customs, etc. Another issue with the extremely slow shipment is if the product is already shipped and a rework is needed or the order is expedited for the customer.

The main reason for companies to buy offshore is low product cost. The big question is: What makes up cost? The time lost, while waiting for correspondence from your offshore supplier. The cost of travel to develop a trusting working relationship with an offshore manufacturer. The time lost when dealing with longer shipping and lead times. The time lost when having to rework tooling or a modification is needed.

There are few reasons companies decide to buy their silicone keypads and products from overseas. Manufacturing and labor costs are generally the reasons companies decide to buy offshore. There are, however, many reasons to consider buying from a reputable US silicone keypad manufacturer. Time being one of the biggest.

Here at SiTECH, we offer our standard 6-8 Week lead times for Tooling with the option to expedite the order. We provide first articles of our tooling along with tooling validation reports to insure the product you order meets your needs. We are available Mon-Friday, and have a vast knowledge and experience dealing with liquid silicone rubber and custom components and keypads. SiTECH is an American-owned and operated company, that manufacturers all of our silicone rubber products within the US. If you need any assistance with your silicone rubber products please contact SiTECH today at 757-887-8488 or CS@SiTech-Corp.com