A Commodity Chain for a Fountain Pen - Essay Example

A commodity chain for a fountain pen The fountain pen is one of the most sophisticated writing instruments in the globe. Even though designs of fountain pen proved to be cumbersome decades ago as it differed from the usual pens, it marked a historical landmark in writing accessories. Today, fountain pens are considered as luxury commodities and often as status symbols. In many countries, the utilization of these pens is widely spread including, France, England, China, Australia, US among other developed countries. Moreover, these commodities are retailing at various prices. With operations extending beyond borders, the production of fountain pens incorporates numerous processes and complexities. Companies source raw materials required in the production process from various stockholders and international suppliers. Before distribution to various target markets, assembling of the components occurs at specific sites (Anklesaria 211). Design The design of fountain pens is in various ways and styles. A fountain pen may be custom made or produced in bulk. In designing custom fountain pens, an individual generally decides the elements and style that he wants to be incorporated in the product, thus may include specifications like, color, laminating strips, the engraving of particular patterns on the surface, or inlaying materials like gemstones into surface. A custom pen usually has a different and unique look from the design of other fountain pens produced in bulk. Mass produced pens usually resemble in design and shape but may differ in color. This is because custom pens are generally expensive to produce than the mass-produced pens. Raw materials A fountain pen incorporates various materials in its production process. The pen’s barrels are made from a series of materials including gold, silver or copper; however, these materials are utilized for custom pens. Consequently, mass produced pens are produced out of inexpensive materials including Lucite also referred as acrylic resin, cellulose acetate among other moldable polymers. Consequently, hand-made fountain pens use stable and solid materials including plywood, leather, antlers, and crushed velvet. These affordable materials utilize simple tools in production. Moreover, the nib is also a vital component of the fountain pen, which is usually made out of stainless steel, gold, or sterling silver as the former is the widely utilized material. On the other hand, the pen fittings and clips are made out of electroplated gold alloys while custom pens may make use of gold (Anklesaria 211). The ink is also an important component of the fountain pen. This type of ink is unique as it is designed to automatically dry right away. To ensure efficacy, producers must ensure that the mixture of the liquid has perfect viscosity. To enable this process a precise mixture of the right pigments, solvents and resins is essential. Failure to maintaining this level of viscosity will lead to an ineffective component of the pen. The ink utilized in fountain pens is usually water-based. Currently, inks are usually packaged in bottles or cartridges in a wide assortment of properties and colors. There are various differences between other regular pens and the fountain pen, the refilling mechanism is one the differing characteristics. There are various ways of refilling the pen and they include materials like buttons, levers, squeeze bulbs and pistons. These components work in different ways depending on the type of mechanism designed for a given pen. For the lever-filler mechanism, a small lever is incorporated on the side of the pen and lifting the lever condenses the ink sac. Closing this lever results in an inflammation of the sac. Button fillers also work similarly to the levers as a button is fixed on the pen’s end, pressing and releasing the button, forces the ink sac to deflate and inflate. The Squeeze bulb mechanism usually refills the pen by continuously squeezing the bulb (Anklesaria 211). Consequently, piston-fillers utilize a screw component, which is adjusted to move a piston in the fountain pen’s barrel and results in sucking in and expelling ink. Generally, these components are incorporated into the pen on the last phase of the assembly process. Manufacturing process Hand-made fountain pens incorporate a series of procedures in the manufacturing process. This method utilizes handcrafting tools in the process. In the first step, a blank is prepared from any type of material from wood to gold. The rectangular blank is the material that will be shaped into the barrels. In this stage, the wood should be dry and are usually polished and colored to make the pen more attractive. The wood is cut into the shape of a rectangle, 0.75in2 by 5 in, in length. Then the rectangular bloke is marked with a match mark of about 2.5 cm. this line marks the point that the two-barrel halves will be cut. The crosscut is usually done with a band saw, which is outfitted with a supporting slip fence and miter gage. The supporting slip fence is adjustable and can cut different lengths of the blanks. To finish the preparation of the blank, the bloke is held using a jaw clamp and a hole is pierced at the center of the different halves, the upper and lower half. The second stage is the inclusion of brass tube into the two barrels holes. In this stage polyurethane glue as an adhesive is applied inside each hole and the outside of the brass tube, which will be inserted into the holes. With a rotating motion, the tube is inserted into the blank. The tube secures its place in the holes after about ten minutes as the adhesive has dried. Trimming of the tube follows to fit in the blank by using a barrel trimmer and an adaptive sleeve until a brass spiral is generated. After the insertion of the brass tube, a split mandrel tool is utilized to mount the blanks separately. After mounting the blokes along with appropriate bushings, the blanks are turned and span slowly. The extra wood bloke, which is not required to make the barrels, are carefully cut away with the use of a gouge while finishing cuts are essential, the process is completed by using a skew chisel (Bair 35). The sanding and finishing follows as the finely trimmed barrels are rubbed down with a sand paper with various levels of grits. The barrels are polished while still in the spinning process. After this stage, the barrels are ready for assembling. In the final assembly, metal trimmings, rings and the clip are attached to produce a completed pen. A press jig and drill jig are utilized to press the various parts together. The upper barrel is usually screwed in place with a screwdriver and then the barrels are screwed together as its fit is adjusted with a screwdriver or a cap adjuster. A figure indicating a series of steps utilized in the making of a handmade fountain pen from wood Alternative way of manufacturing fountain pens Many large companies often utilize automated manufacturing processes. These companies use automated tool machines to shape the barrels of the fountain pens. The materials utilized in this process are molten plastic. In the production and assembling stage, machines do the crimping and stamping of the various parts and also assemble, clean and polish the final commodity (Bair 35). Quality control The industry lacks official laws that are used in the production of fountain pens; however, many companies utilize a series of procedures to guarantee product quality. These companies look at defects in the components and design of the pen including the ink flow, opens surface among other steps. Moreover, many products are purchased with a copy of certifications to ensure consumers the quality of the fountain pen (Bair 35). Distribution and retail The manufacturing process of pens occurs in many regions of the globe including China, Tokyo, Indonesia among other countries in the Asian continent. This is due to the availability of raw materials and cheap labor. These factors ensure cheap investment and huge profits. After production, the products are inspected and packaged before distribution to the various target markets. The products are often stored in a warehouse to await shipment. To serve various target markets, the use of independent distributors and retailers is essential in the industry (Bair 35). The distributors outsource the consignments from the warehouses to various retail shops in specific countries including the US, UK, France, Australia, Asian regions and most countries in Africa. Ultimately, the retail shops sell the products to the end user at a consumer-sensitive price. Work Cited Anklesaria, Jimmy. Supply Chain Cost Management: The Aim & Drive Process for Achieving Extraordinary Results. New York: AMACOM, American Management Association, 2008. Print. Bair, Jennifer. Frontiers of Commodity Chain Research. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 2009. Print. Read More