Blow Molding Industry

Greg Dake

Member
Join Date
Jun 2005
Location
Milwaukee, Wi
Posts
550
A little OT question. Is there any reason to believe that on-site support in the blow molding industry, provided by the OEM, is more expensive than any other industry?

We received the bill for the control engineer's time for startup support from the blow molder OEM, and his rate was literally twice what I've seen in any other industry for a control engineer's rate. (compared to food/beverage, wastewater, chemical industries)

TIA,

Greg
 
It depends. Not everyone can setup a blow molding machine. A good person can reduce the time in half or better. A person that has setup the same machine as what you have probably already has a working program with similar parameters to give a good start. If the expensive control engineer flailed around then you have a right to complain.

Can you setup an injection molding machine by yourself?
 
No, I can't, but that isn't the question. The question was, is there a reason a blow molding startup engineer should be twice the dollar I've seen in any other industry for a control engineer.

Greg
 
It's capitalism, Greg. They charge what they can get. They obviously have a leg up, as Peter said, since they do it for a living. Someone's cost-benefit analysis indicated that money was saved even at the higher rate. But I wouldn't have that guy come in and set up crane for me.

So a direct answer to your question is that they are more expensive because people pay it.

Keith
 
What is the competition like in the blow moulding industry compared to other industries? You should have gotten a cost breakdown for the machine at quote time which would have included startup costs. Did your company shop around? Maybe there is collusion in that industry to keep prices high.
 
Greg isn't very specific.
Did the engineer drive in from 10 minutes away
Or fly from Germany?
Did he work overtime?
Is this custom programming per customer requests
Or a standard machine?
etc..

Not including travel, was it $150 , 200, 250 or more per hour?

I think BigMacs are expensive too, but not
Compared to Ruth Chris hamburgers :)
 
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