Understanding Custom Spring Pricing
Custom and stock springs offer different advantages. It is necessary to understand that they are both available because different situations call for different options. At TheSpringStore.com you can purchase just one or two springs of different kinds. However, custom springs usually need to be purchased in larger quantity lots. Today we want to further explain why and how this works.
Custom springs are specialty manufactured designs that are made to match the dimensions you call out. This means that, once you create your design to match your unique and specific dimensions, it is then approved for production. The behind-the-scenes process for creating custom springs is more detailed and longer than most realize. That is why, to be more cost effective, the quantities you want to order are usually higher than those of stock springs.
Custom springs are manufactured on-demand, meaning they are created when you design and request them. This calls for a specific process to be followed. First, material needs to be selected and/or purchased, then the machines are scheduled for the set up (keep in mind it is set up specifically for the creation of that specific spring), and then there needs to be a time to run the springs. Afterwards, the springs go through heat-treating, then they need to be verified and passed through quality control, ran through secondaries if necessary, and finally, quality control again to ship them out.
Since custom springs require a longer, more complex process (requiring preparation of material and set up of the machine) it is necessary that at least a small lot be processed for the set up and creation of it to be worth it. That is why the total price for one or 12 is usually the same when it comes to custom springs, but the more springs you order the lower the unit price tends to be. This is what we call a “Max for Min” order. It means you can get the maximum amount of springs for the minimum lot price.
Custom Spring Pricing vs. Stock Spring Pricing
It can be easy to think that you can get a single custom spring at a similar price to those in stock, but it is quite unlikely. You see, stock springs are made in large lots and stored, ready for purchase. They do not need to go through a design, set-up, and manufacturing process when you order them, because they already have and are ready on the shelfs to be obtained. Instead, they are stored and organized for easy retrieval and quality control revisions. However, stock springs come in more standardized sizes. If you need very specific dimensions or specifications that you weren’t able to find on a spring in stock, a custom spring is your go-to solution.
