The cost of precision machining materials has spiked over the past few years, and some materials have been extremely difficult to source. Understandably, these challenges leave customers everywhere frustrated and concerned about getting their manufacturing orders filled.

Here at Accurate CNC Services, your parts are our purpose. We are committed to fulfilling your requirements, from quick-turn prototyping to full-scale production—and that means we go above and beyond to procure the materials you need and lock in a price so you can advance your project with confidence.

Supply Shortages: More than a Pandemic Problem

While the impact of 2020’s global pandemic is still being felt throughout the manufacturing industry, supply shortages are more than a pandemic problem. Natural disasters also contribute to procurement issues.

Hurricane Ian tragically destabilized Florida’s economy and interrupted our PVC supply chain in the fall of 2022. And in February of 2021, the ice storm that hit Texas introduced bottlenecks to the material supply chain, rendering some last-minute procurement impossible.

Because supply chain challenges are an ever-present threat, we’re always considering solutions for getting the materials our customers need at prices that won’t break the bank.

4 Ways Our Precision Machine Shop Manages Material Shortages 

Accurate CNC Services takes a creative approach to solving supply chain problems. Here are four ways our precision machining shop navigates material shortages and associated price increases.

1. Bulk buying

Buying in bulk is one of the most effective ways to ensure material availability. Bulk pricing is cheaper, too! On average, we save 7% per sheet by buying bulk quantities and paying for the materials up front. We pass these savings along to our customers to help ease the cost burden. 

And because our 14,000-square-foot facility has plenty of space to store our bulk-bought materials, customers benefit from minimal lead times. 

2. Recycled materials

Most people hear “recycled” and think of old cardboard and glass bottles. Recycled materials, however, are a practical solution for many material needs. Reprocessed UHMW, for example, is easier to source and less expensive than “new” sheets of plastic. And reprocessed polycarbonate costs nearly $30 less per sheet than non-recycled material. 

If you’re worried about quality, don’t be. Unused and trimmed scrap materials are efficiently reprocessed and returned to the supply chain as mechanical-grade materials that are suitable for a wide array of applications—and environmentally friendly to boot. 

3. Material swaps

We’re proudly connected to a wide network of suppliers that can help us identify less expensive material alternatives.

When one customer requested StarBoard, an expensive and hard-to-find marine-grade polymer, we engaged our supplier to help us find an alternative material that was readily available, met our customer’s requirements, and cost less than the StarBoard thermoplastic.

We may also recommend material swaps when you’ve requested multiple materials for a single assembly. It’s a best practice to consolidate materials and reduce the number of variations within an assembly, when it’s practical and possible to do so. This approach not only improves lead times but also helps to reduce production prices.

4. Blanket ordering

When our customers perform regular forecasting to outline their production needs for the coming year, we help them develop a blanket order.

With blanket ordering, you commit to future production orders, and we cover the cost of bulk-buying your material, only billing you for the procurement when each purchase order is fulfilled.

Blanket ordering also protects you from additional freight costs in the event that we have to source your material from a different supplier in the future.

The Parts You Need, When You Need Them 

The Accurate CNC Services team is driven to get you the parts you need when you need them while maintaining reasonable prices. Whether you’re seeking material for CNC router services, prototyping, thermoforming, or any of our other capabilities, our team is here to help you get your parts quickly and cost-effectively.

Request a quote to work with us!