Tooling prices - inflation or greed?

[YoDoug]

We have two robot loaded pallet cells here. They have Schunk Vero-s systems for clamping. They are big cells. One has 54 pallets and the other has 190. Some pallets have 4 pull studs, some have 6,  plus the end effector pull studs. In total we have 1358 of the various versions of pull studs. The last cell was built in 2020, when supply shortages were supposedly causing big price increases. We are building a new cell that will need 500 pull studs. I just got a quote today and it is a 35% price increase from 2020, during Covid. I am starting to feel like companies are just in a free for all of "we'll blame our huge price increases on inflation".

Are you seeing the same for your shop/machinery supplies and tooling?

[Jeff]

Are you seeing the same for your shop/machinery supplies and tooling?

Definitely in the prices of steel, aluminum and other materials.
Oils and coolant is up.
I haven't really noticed a big increase in perishables like drills, inserts and end mills.


We just priced out some 13-8 stainless and it came to about $35/lb.
Not sure if it's always been that much but damn, that's a lot.

[Incogneeto]

We have two robot loaded pallet cells here. They have Schunk Vero-s systems for clamping. They are big cells. One has 54 pallets and the other has 190. Some pallets have 4 pull studs, some have 6,  plus the end effector pull studs. In total we have 1358 of the various versions of pull studs. The last cell was built in 2020, when supply shortages were supposedly causing big price increases. We are building a new cell that will need 500 pull studs. I just got a quote today and it is a 35% price increase from 2020, during Covid. I am starting to feel like companies are just in a free for all of "we'll blame our huge price increases on inflation".

Are you seeing the same for your shop/machinery supplies and tooling?

I realize it's not coming out of your Pocket so it may be less noticeable.

But in our small shop. We have noticed it over the last 3-1/2 years.

We've had to revise all our Pricing also.

[Jeff]

We've had to revise all our Pricing also

Same.

[YoDoug]

I realize it's not coming out of your Pocket so it may be less noticeable.

But in our small shop. We have noticed it over the last 3-1/2 years.

We've had to revise all our Pricing also.

We have held our price increases to 5-10% over the last 4 years.

[Incogneeto]

We have held our price increases to 5-10% over the last 4 years.

We run a lot of stock parts. so we can purchase a large quantity of material.

Aluminum , Rubber , stainless etc.

Buying large saved us money.

Now The prices have more than doubled and Our wait times for delivery on some Items is more than two months.

we can track it and it is sitting on the Dock in Cali.

Or In Transit which means it is still on the Boat in Long Beach.

For whatever reason some of our Long term Customers are going lean on ordering.

and now are screaming at delivery dates and Pricing.

well you used to order 40 per month for one year.

Now you are ordering 20 per month.

More machine set -ups , more employee time and you are vulnerable to supply issues. $$$$$

Then all the sudden they had a Breakdown and needed 60 immediately or they were down.

So an added fee for overtime to address their emergency.$$$

Inflation yes from Poor Policy.

Greed ? No. But poor Planning yes.

[Newbeeee™]

Gouging has been happening since after the 2008 "crash".
Shrinkflation, steady so not "that" noticeable, where boxes and tins get smaller but for the same price, or items with a few less contents....now it's way more noticeable.
Covid, Putins War, soon to be MonekyPox etc, all generic excuses for daylight robbery.

[Incogneeto]

We have held our price increases to 5-10% over the last 4 years.

High manufacturing environments have the ability to absorb more than smaller Capacities.

But "The Rubber Band always snaps Back"

If this is your first time noticing???  

[JParis]

Prices across the board have skyrocketed.

Wage pressure, shipping pressure, supply pressure, demand pressure, increased interest rates, increased power rates, increased raw material driven by multiple factors.

Consumers and buyers are price conscious, when you can't increases prices to cover costs, the amount you get for the same dollar goes down.

Across the board pressures are driving the hardest.

[Incogneeto]

Gouging has been happening since after the 2008 "crash".
Shrinkflation, steady so not "that" noticeable, where boxes and tins get smaller but for the same price, or items with a few less contents....now it's way more noticeable.
Covid, Putins War, soon to be MonekyPox etc, all generic excuses for daylight robbery.

No Shit Sherlock

I had my old Tide detergent bottle in my cupboard from two months ago and saved receipt from wally world $19.99

it is well over Gallon and a half size.

Purchased my new bottle $19.99 and it is Half the size.

[Incogneeto]

Prices across the board have skyrocketed.

Wage pressure, shipping pressure, supply pressure, demand pressure, increased interest rates, increased power rates, increased raw material driven by Biden Admin Policies.

Consumers and buyers are price conscious, when you can't increases prices to cover costs, the amount you get for the same dollar goes down.

Across the board pressures are driving the hardest.

Fixed.

[YoDoug]

High manufacturing environments have the ability to absorb more than smaller Capacities.

By that statement, Schunk being a huge corp with high volume MFG should be able to absorb way more than little us.

[Incogneeto]

By that statement, Schunk being a huge corp with high volume MFG should be able to absorb way more than little us.

Not Their Shareholders. That's The Greed.

[beej]

I know this statement is going to make me a capitalist lackey in your eyes, but If a company like Walmart cuts prices they are accused of greed because they are undercutting small business. If they raise prices they are accused of greed because they are money hungry and hurting the little guy. what are they to do?

But just to flip that around though, One of Schunk's competitors could cut their prices to take away business from them if this was solely a greed thing, couldn't they? or in other words. If wages, shipping and raw materials aren't the root cause, wouldn't it stand to reason that someone like HPI-Pioneer who is hungry for market share could undercut them to actually gain market share?

[JParis]

I know this statement is going to make me a capitalist lackey in your eyes, but If a company like Walmart cuts prices they are accused of greed because they are undercutting small business. If they raise prices they are accused of greed because they are money hungry and hurting the little guy. what are they to do?

But just to flip that around though, One of Schunk's competitors could cut their prices to take away business from them if this was solely a greed thing, couldn't they? or in other words. If wages, shipping and raw materials aren't the root cause, wouldn't it stand to reason that someone like HPI-Pioneer who is hungry for market share could undercut them to actually gain market share?

Welcome to bizarro world beej....where no matter what you do someone believes you're greedy and/or selfish.