The ODM Group Visits Stainless Steel Merchandize Factory

The staff of the sourcing company ODM group recently visited one of their preferred suppliers in China that specializes in stainless steel merchandize.

ODM usually gets the team members to visit partner factories with whom they have developed long-term cooperative relationships. It is crucial to make sure that the production goes smoothly - but also ensure premium quality standards for the products before shipping out to their clients.

It is all the more a great opportunity to have a better understanding of the premises of the products, its components, and production process steps.

This highly experienced factory specializes in stainless steel products, mostly kitchenware and barware.

An ODM client wanted to source 1000 stainless bar spoons, customized with their desired shape and engraved logo on the disk of the spoon.

Firstly, ODM sent client specifications and the design of the bar spoon to the supplier. Once all the specifications were agreed to, the factory started with sampling. After approving the sample, factory moved to mass production.

To start the manufacturing of the bar spoons, they made all the components at the same time. Here are the processes of making each component:

STEP 1: Cutting out and forming the bowl of the spoon.
The bowl of the bar spoon is cut out from a rectangular shaped sheet of stainless steel, as showed in the picture.

Then comes the forming process to shape the head of the spoon using the system of hammer-blows. The spoon is hammered by clipping presses to repeat the desired depth shape identically.

STEP 2: Twisting the handle of the spoon.
The twist handle of the bar spoon helps rotate/stir the drinks smoothly.
To get this esthetic look of the bar spoon, the workers twist straight handle from left to right in an automation-processing machine.

STEP 3: Assembling.
Once the factory collects all the components: the handle, the bowl and the disc, then comes the assembling process where the components are assembled using heat treatment.

STEP 4: Polishing and Finishing.
Each part of the bar spoon is hand-made, polished by the workers using hot rolling process. This step is crucial as it gives to the surface and the edges a smooth appearance.

Depending on the desired appearance of the client, finishing the application can give a bright, mirror-like, brushed, soft, or satiny glow look to the spoon.

STEP 5: Cleaning:
Right after the polishing process, the bar spoons move to the cleaning room. They are passed through boiling water with chemical solutions for a perfect look.

STEP 6: Drying and Packing:
After 3-4 hours of drying in an ambient atmosphere, the spoons are ready to be packed individually in plastic bags for efficient protection – and then shipped to the client's final destination.

Zineb Gourram explained, "I was delighted to get a deep understanding of the overall production process of bar spoons – and glad to see that everything proceeded accordingly to the plan – meeting our client requirements."

ODM creates high quality promotional gifts for global markets. ODM regularly gets to visit partner factories to make sure their product requirements are aligned with what is happening on the factory floor. It is part of The ODM Group and is partnered with MindSparkz which specializes in elements of design, sketching, and modelling.