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Quality Note, 75% Shelf Life
- Many Bonding Source customers have a standard Quality Note on their purchase orders regarding minimum shelf life requirement. Usually the note states that a minimum of 75% of the shelf life shall remain on the purchased material upon receipt by the customer.
Historically epoxies have been manufactured in batches, with substantial minimum order requirements. When a customer orders from the manufacturer, the customer typically does not yet know the expiration date. The intent of the Quality Note is to ensure that the manufacturer is providing fresh material, and to help minimize the scrapping of material in the event that it can’t be consumed before the expiration date.
Buying epoxy from Bonding Source is fundamentally different. The majority of the time, we have the epoxy in stock and can tell the customer the expiration date at the time of inquiry. The customer can then determine what quantity to purchase depending on their manufacturing needs and timing. Bonding Source is like a having a freezer down the hallway.
Please keep in mind that the epoxy manufacturer typically only guarantees a 75% shelf life when they ship to Bonding Source. That means that there may be times that we would only have one day to turn material around and send to our customers that require 75% remaining shelf life from us. It also means there may not be any time to get epoxy film laser cut to make pre-forms.
There’s been many times when a customer’s manufacturing line is shut down because of the 75% Q note. This is unfortunate, because a JIT purchase of epoxy will most likely be consumed well before the expiration date. It’s still our customers’ decision, but most Quality Managers and Purchasing Managers that deal with Bonding Source waive the 75% Q note because they know the expiration date in advance, they get the quantity they want, and avoid the high minimum order charges.
Of course, we will always honor all of the notes on your purchase orders. We just want our customers to know that this Q note doesn’t always have to be used as a standard.
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