Manufacturing

LONDON MANUFACTURING

The journey from design to product manufacture will determine how well the final product is produced, which is why LUMA never rush this crucial stage of product development. We have a strong history of manufacturing products in London for an array of clients across a broad spectrum of industries. Thanks to our established network of manufacturing partners we can oversee the process from start to end, delivering the finished article just as expected. Regardless of quantity we ensure your project is produced to the highest possible standard, manufactured from designs and prototypes developed by our in-house team.

INJECTION MOULDING

The main drawback of injection moulding in plastic product manufacturing is the investment required to make the mould tool. This can cost anywhere from £1,000 to £50,000 depending on size and complexity and can take weeks to complete. However, the extremely low cost of the finished parts far outweighs the initial outlay. Highly complex components can cost less than 1p each and thousands can be produced every day. This makes injection moulding the go-to manufacturing method for quantities of 1,000-100,000 units per year or more.

SILICON MOULDING

We offer a cost-effective method of producing prototype rubber components. Our plastics engineering and plastic product manufacturing expertise enables us to use the high surface finish of SLA 3D printing to develop high-quality rubber parts that cost far less than relying on 3D printing alone.

LOSS WAX MOULDING

LUMA specialise in lost-wax moulding, also known as investment casting, reproducing accurate components that feature high levels of metal integrity. It’s a service we’ve provided to a variety of sectors including aerospace, marine and defence.

LOW VOLUME MANUFACTURING

A key part of manufacturing products in London includes producing low volume turnarounds for our clients. Thanks to the advanced technology of 3D printing we are able to offer small, cost-effective production runs using SLS printing to ensure high standards are always achieved.

SERIES PRODUCTION

Series production manufacturing does not demand the same level of investment needed for products being mass produced. It requires goods to be produced at a higher rate than low volume turnarounds and we utilise silicone moulding to create anywhere between 30-50 pieces from a single mould. Low pressure moulding is employed for anything between 250-1,000 items. If required, we can also implement advanced 3D printing for series production.

HIGH VOLUME PRODUCTION

Before we can send any product off for mass production our team of engineers create a set of technical drawings for use by the manufacturer. As plastics engineering experts we use inject moulding for most mass-produced projects. While this requires investment upfront, for orders in the thousands this guarantees a much lower part cost.

EASTERN EUROPE MANUFACTURING

Production in Eastern Europe is made easier thanks to its location, and the products can be transported efficiently throughout Europe and Asia. It is also worth bearing in mind that costs for some components may exceed Asian prices.

WHY SHOULD I MANUFACTURE IN EUROPE?

We have trustworthy contacts in Romania and Poland. The costs for manufacturing in Eastern Europe are roughly 20-40% more expensive than China. However costs of transportation can be reduced as these countries are within the EU the exportation process is straight forward. Furthermore the speed of transportation is an advantage, the products can be in the UK within 3 days after production. In comparison products from China by boat will take around 4-5 weeks. By Airplane from China the time can be approximately 5-7 days, yet the costs for air shipment is substantially higher then by boat.

HOW DO I KNOW MY PRODUCT HAS NOT BEEN COPIED?

As our Eastern Europe production facilities are in countries within the EU, the law protects us from anyone copying Intellectual Property. Although in China IP is also protected, in theory. In practise it is more common that people will copy ideas and start producing them in different countries. Having said that, in China it’s all about knowing trustworthy partners. In the 12 years we’ve produced numerous products in China, we have had no cases of IP infringement. Production in Eastern Europe can be a good idea when a product is new and still needs to be altered often. Romania is a lot closer by to discuss a product update than Shenzhen.

FAR-EAST MANUFACTURING

Although we have a long history of manufacturing products in London, we also partner with a number of reputable factories and producers in China. Our long-standing relationships ensures high-quality finishes and efficient turnarounds that meet your timelines.

WHY SHOULD I MANUFACTURE IN CHINA?

Outsourcing manufacture to China often lowers cost, but only when the order is in significant numbers of products. Anything too small makes the logistical overheads too high. Making injection moulds are cheaper too, plus you can save a lot of money by using Asian equivalents of core components such as common electronics parts or bolts.

HOW DO I KNOW MY PRODUCT IS NOT COPIED?

IP protection can be weak in parts of China, but with appropriate precautions, it’s easy to prevent your product being copied. While we have our own trusted partners, we also purchase components from certain vendors and assemble it at another facility so that know less about the overall product. Working like this gets your product out quickly at a low cost, which otherwise could be overtaken by competitors – possibly from China anyway.

ELECTRONICS

We can ensure our product designs are fully compatible with the individual specifications of any electronic manufacturer. Our panel of overseas experts provide detailed input with regards to final assembly and all custom electronic parts such as PCBs, batteries and screens. As a result, we turnaround your product with efficiency, speed and reliability.