Q. You're based in Lancashire, the industrial heartland of England. Are you easy to get to and do you have accessible motorway links?
A. Yes, we have great access to the motorway network via the M62 just off Junction 21 at Milnrow.

Q. Do you make the injection mould tooling and also do the moulding yourself?
A. At Alliance we are designers, consultants, toolmakers and injection moulders. We are an integrated 'one-stop-shop' for tool making and all plastic injection moulding.

Q. Can you maintain the confidentiality of my design or enquiry?
A. Yes, we work on a large number of confidential high-end development projects and would recommend that you send us Non-Disclosure Agreement prior to sending any data. Please contact us if you would like advice on this. Our services are UK based, and in house, we do not have tooling made by cheap foreign suppliers or act as an agent for the services of any other Company.

Q. What information do you need in order to be able to quote?
A. If you have 2D or 3D CAD (computer aided design) data simply email it to us along with details of the quantity of parts required, timescales and materials if known (we can advise on product design, process suitability, and choice of plastics), and we can then contact you to talk the project through. We accept all commercial CAD file formats.

Q. Can you quote if I do not have CAD data?
If you do not have CAD data, we would need a sample part or a drawing of the part, detailing the sizes and shape of the component along details of the quantity of parts required, timescales and materials. We advise on product design and polymer selection and can provide consultancy services if needed. To start manufacture of most tooling you would first require a 3D CAD data file of the part to enable a computer program to be created for the machining process. We can create this 3D CAD data for you.

Q. What are minimum and maximum sizes of the parts that you can produce in house?
A. Minimum sizes are 1.9mm (approx 0.2gm), maximum sizes are 1mtr x 1mtr (approx 1.2kg). We are happy to discuss various options if you need mouldings that are greater in size or weight.

Q. Do I need a mould tool to be made first in order to receive my plastic parts?
A. Yes, we supply plastic parts manufactured using the injection moulding process - using a mould tool to form the part. We do not fabricate or machine plastics.

Q. I only need a handful of parts for very simple appraisal of 'look', 'fit' or 'form'?
A. We can help by utilising other prototyping techniques, and can normally have models made in a day or so that are used specifically for this purpose - please ask.

Q. Why don't you advertise 3 day leadtimes and flashy prices?
A. We believe it reflects badly on any Company which potentially misguides Clients by advertising delivery times and costs based on extremely simple, part finished components. These 'claims' normally have rules attached such as supplying your own polymers, compromising design, low tool life, strict deadlines, subcontracted manufacture in Asia or elsewhere, and payment up-front.

Q. Another tool making company supplied a quote with a shorter lead time?
A. It is likely that they are not quoting on a like-for like basis. Similarly, check that you are being quoted for a complete tool rather than just for tooling inserts, and that they have not compromised any important aspects of your original specification such as the tool life and quality. It is worth checking the Toolmakers credit rating and current references as some may happily offer (and miss) shorter leadtimes. If the supplier is outside the UK, beware the pitfalls regarding legal accountability and confidentiality.

Q. When I order a tool, am I buying a complete tool or just the core/cavity insert plates?
A. We quote for exactly what the Client requires - we do not later claim ownership of any parts of the tooling (the bolster plates or fittings, for example, in order to make transfer of tooling to another supplier as difficult as possible), neither do we charge for 'tooling' and then only manufacture modular inserts which fit inside our own standard 'master' tools.

Q. Do I own the mould tool once it is made?
A. Yes, once you have approved the samples and paid the final balance the tooling becomes your property to do with as you wish.

Q. Do you stock any standard plastic items 'on the shelf'?
A. We manufacture mould tools specifically to our Clients own designs and then provide mouldings from their tooling. We do not have our own product range or stock plastic items.

Q. Can you mould Rubber or silicone?
A. The moulding of natural rubber is a different process to plastic injection moulding. However as an alternative we can mould equivalent plastics that closely simulate the various types of rubber very closely.