Fishing Reels: We Got A Handle On That

As an injection molder, Nortic is engaged in a form of “mass production.” The goal is often to mold nearly identical parts as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Obviously, high volume production takes advantage of process efficiencies, multiple cavities producing several parts with each cycle of the machine and lower net costs for materials bought in larger quantities.

Most of Nortic’s molds are designed to produce 1 to 4 pieces in within each cycle. Changing a color or a material to match a customer’s specific requirement is a frequent and relatively simple procedure, sometimes requiring some additional cost and lead times but no modification of the actual tooling.

Occasionally a standard product can be modified as well. One example is a customer who was using Nortic spools as part of an ice fishing rig, a tip up. This customer was taking a stock styrene spool and drilling a hole in each one to accommodate a handle, such that the spool could be used to reel in the line. At a relatively small expense Nortic was able to modify the tooling to mold just such a handle into the part as it is produced. In this case, and with other ice fishing applications Nortic has also recommended the use of materials which may be more appropriate to cold temperatures. These kinds of “special orders” are examples of the ways in which the company is able to respond to specific needs.