4 Ways To Reduce Brazing Costs

In today’s tough economy, you may be looking for ways to reduce brazing costs. Brazing is a more affordable process than welding. Yet, there are ways to bring down costs even further. We have 4 suggestions:

1. Nearshore To Mexico

We would say “outsource to China”, but it’s not a good idea for 2 big reasons:

1. Outsourcing to China is more expensive than you think. The piece rates can be low. Yet, you’ll end up paying a lot more money than expected due to:
   1. High shipping costs
   2. Supply chain delays
   3. Large minimum orders
2. Many Chinese manufacturers don’t offer good brazing services. Often times, the labor pool isn’t skilled enough, and they don’t have quality equipment. That’s a big reason why their brazing services are cheap. In this case, you get what you pay for. If your parts are poorly brazed, they’ll run into problems sooner or later. Your company would likely end up paying more money to fix these mistakes. Your brand’s reputation could take a hit, as well.

You would get so much more value for your money if you nearshore to Mexico. This article explains why Mexico is a great option for manufacturing. To sum it up:

• Mexico has skilled and affordable labor. It’s actually more skilled and affordable than the labor in China. In fact, Mexico produces more manufacturing, engineering, and construction degrees per capita than the US and many other countries. When it comes to brazing, you want a manufacturer with a high quality labor pool that’s able to provide high quality brazing services.
• The supply chain in Mexico is quite short. That mean lower shipping costs and fewer costly disruptions in the supply chain.
• You can save big money on tariffs, thanks to the new trade deal between Mexico, USA, and Canada. As a part of the deal, the USA promised to exempt Mexican and Canadian auto part manufacturers from some future tariffs.

Intran is a leading auto parts manufacturer in Mexico. Learn more about our services today!

2. Opt For Larger Production Runs

It may seem counterproductive to spend more money on a larger production run to save money. But you may end up paying less in the long run. Some auto parts manufacturers offer tiered pricing. That way, you’ll save more money per piece if you make a bigger order.

3. Opt For Controlled Atmosphere Brazing

Controlled atmosphere brazing (CAB) is a modernized version of regular brazing. Believe it or not, it’s usually cheaper than regular brazing. It’s because CAB is a fluxless process. That means CAB doesn’t need a post-brazing cleaning process. This cuts down on costs.

4. Use More Affordable Filler Materials If Possible

You can talk to your brazing manufacturer about this. See if they’re willing to work with you. Ask them if they have any materials that are:

• More economical than the standard material(s) used for your part(s)
• Just as strong and effective as the standard material(s) used for your part(s)

The right manufacturer will be willing to help you reduce costs while maintaining the integrity of your parts. At Intran, we ensure that all our clients get the best value out of our services. Want to see how Intran completes brazing projects? Check out this video:

Contact us to learn more about our services and to find out how you can save money on our brazing services.