How many questions should a Case Factory Tour cover?

Twelve, in three groups of four; more cannot be remembered.

What if the host cannot answer?

Note it and ask someone else later. The gap between two answers is itself information.

Should I bring a technical colleague?

One mold person. On a Case Factory Tour, capacity can be heard but mold condition has to be seen.

Does asking about output sound distrustful?

Numbers are not accusations; a stated purpose gets a straighter answer.

What is worth asking after the visit?

Lead time and responsibility. A 35-day quote needs a clear starting date.

Case Factory Tour: 12 Questions on Capacity, Molds, Inspection

Quick answer: A Case Factory Tour needs twelve questions in three groups, four each on capacity, molds and inspection. Rehearse the strong and the weak answer first: minutes, shot counts and sample sizes are strong, adjectives are not. Write the exact words down and judge after you leave.

Three Rules for Asking
Capacity: Four Questions
Molds: Four Questions
Inspection: Four Questions
Telling Truth from Rehearsal
FAQ

1. Three Rules for Asking

On a Case Factory Tour, order matters more than wording. Ask for numbers, then records, then exceptions. Ask how quality is, and you will hear one word.

Pair every question with two possible answers before you speak. A changeover question is worth twenty-five minutes, two people and a cart, or it is worth a shrug: it depends.

Ask one layer at a time, since three questions in one sentence get the easiest answer only. Then write the exact words down: tone fades on the drive back, numbers do not.

2. Capacity: Four Questions

Daily output comes first. A strong answer multiplies single-shift count by shifts and subtracts changeover: one 1200 t press runs 130 bodies in eight hours, 260 in two shifts, roughly 6,700 a month over 26 days. A round figure that turns theoretical on follow-up is weak.

Changeover takes second place: 25 minutes including first-off is strong, past 60 minutes means no quick-change setup. Utilisation third: 78 percent with a stated basis is strong, while near full load usually means no room for your order. Breakdown cover last: a spare-parts list and a named backup press are strong; a shrug about rare stoppages is weak.

Question	Strong answer	Weak answer	Follow-up
Daily output	130 per shift, 260 per day	A round figure	What survives changeover
Changeover time	25 minutes with first-off	Depends on the mold	Is there a cart
Utilisation	78 percent, basis stated	Nearly full	Monthly or per press
Breakdown cover	Spares plus a backup press	We rarely stop	Last stoppage length

3. Molds: Four Questions

On a Case Factory Tour, mold answers separate a real plant from a trading office. Count and ownership first: eighteen own molds is mid-size, while a vague many often hides customer-owned tools that cannot be scheduled.

Life second: 300,000 shots with a stated polishing interval is strong. A tool past its cycle without service brings flash and scoring at the same time. Trials third: T1 to T3 with dimensional reports is strong, one round is not. Repairs last: in-house in three to five days is strong, outsourcing adds two weeks to every date.

Question	Strong answer	Weak answer	Follow-up
Mold count	18 own tools	Many	How many are customer-owned
Shot life	300,000 shots, polished on schedule	Lasts a long time	Show the service log
Trials	T1 to T3 plus reports	First try passes	Where is the T1 report
Repairs	In-house, three to five days	Sent out	How many toolmakers

4. Inspection: Four Questions

First-off approval: quality signs off and three parts stay held until the order closes, which is strong; an operator glance is weak.

Shipment sampling: AQL 1.0, fifty pieces from a five-hundred lot, with full-inspection items listed separately. Checking everything means no sampling standard exists.

Leak and drop: 0.3 bar held for 30 seconds, then 1.2 m onto six faces. Hosing a body down proves only that it was dry that minute. Defects last: isolation, tagging, lot traceability, plus 0.6 percent monthly with a trend line, which a Case Factory Tour host has or does not.

Question	Strong answer	Weak answer	Follow-up
First-off	Quality signs, three held	Operator glanced	How long records stay
Sampling	AQL 1.0, 50 of 500	We check all	Which items are full
Leak and drop	0.3 bar, 30 s, 1.2 m six faces	It stays dry	Where is the drop log
Defects	Isolated, traced, 0.6 percent trend	Very few	Last month's reject sheet

5. Telling Truth from Rehearsal

Three cross-checks work. Repeat one number half an hour later, because a figure that changes was invented. Ask for the record behind it, since an unrecorded number is a spoken number. Ask for a recent bad case with a date, a lot and a disposition.

Pace gives it away too: steady speech with decimals means familiarity, adjectives mean the numbers are someone else's.

Write the key figures on the back of a card, dated. Before the Case Factory Tour ends, lay that card beside your notes; the gaps are the questions to send by mail.

Conclusion

Twelve questions in three groups all test one thing: whether the numbers match the records, and the records match the floor. Sharper questions are harder to answer vaguely. Run all twelve across two plants and a Case Factory Tour becomes a screening you can repeat.

This article discusses only the container (case body) side of specifications and design intent, and does not cover any handling, loading or use of the contents.