154425-sep 2013.pdf

SEPTEMBER 2013

VoluME 16 / NuMBER 9

DESigN / Bu ilD / REPaiR

Five Ways to Effciently

Tackle Shop Floor

Management PG 24.

FEATURES

Preventive Maintenance

Makes Good Dollars and

Sense PG 30.CASE STUDY

Moving Moldmaking Forward

with Dynamic Toolpaths PG 20.

TIP

How to Tackle

Sophisticated Molds PG 56.

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PublisherClaude J. Mas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Metalworking Group PublisherTravis J Egan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Editorial DirectorChristina M. Fuges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Senior WriterSherry L. Baranek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Economics EditorBill Wood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Contributing Writer, Special Projects Jan Bottiglieri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Art DirectorCarla M. Turner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Advertising Production ManagerBecky Helton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

MoldMaking Technology magazine (ISSN #1098-3198) is published monthly by Gardner Business Media, Inc., 6915 Valley Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244. 800-950-8020, 513-527-8800, Fax: 513-527-8801, gardnerweb.com. Canadian Agreement #40012278.Nonqualifed subscription rates per year are $89.00 in the United States, $99.00 in Canada and

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Media, Inc., 6915 Valley Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244.Entire contents copyright 2013. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form

without written permission from the publisher.Views expressed by the bylined contributors should not be construed as a reflection of the opinion

of this publication. Publication of product/service information should not be deemed as a recommen-dation by the publisher. Editorial contributions are accepted from the moldmaking industry. Contact the editor for details. Product/service information should be submitted in accordance with guidelines available from the editor.Change of address: Send old label as well as new address to Circulation, MoldMaking Technology

magazine, Gardner Business Media, Inc., 6915 Valley Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244.Periodicals postage at Cincinnati, Ohio and at additional mailing offices.

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2 MoldMaking Technology September 2013

6915 Valley Avenue Cincinnati OH 45244-3029P 513-527-8800Fax 513-527-8801 gardnerweb.com moldmakingtechnology.com

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Kate Hand | Senior Managing Editor

Jeff Norgord | Creative Director

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Great Tips from This Issue5TRICKS OF THE TRADE

Contents


Features

24 SoftwareFive Ways to Effciently Tackle Shop Floor Management An integrated shop floor management system helps ensure efficiency.

30 MachiningPreventive Maintenance Makes Good Dollars and SenseReduce the chances of catastrophic breakdowns with a PM schedule.

32 Software/Rapid PrototypingEnhancing Product Quality via Conformal Cooling DesignTwo cases showing the value of CAE software at the pre-tooling stage.

36 Mold Maintenance/Repair In the Trenches: Thinking Outside the Box

Continue to train and nurture to see a toolmaker emerge.

38 Supply Chain ManagementAdvantages of the Moldmaker/Molder Relationship EvolutionSpecialized roles are a winning opportunity for the mold supply chain.

42 2013 Leadtime Leader Awards Education and Training Triumphs The 2013 Leadtime Leaders detail their apprenticeship training and educational programsand the rewards

Departments

6 From the Editor: Road Trips

6 Whats New on MMT Online: Machining

8 New Business Opportunities: VistaTek

10 Your Business: Improving Customer Relations

12 MoldMaking Business Index

14 Profile: PTI Engineered Plastics

17 Case Study: Automation

20 Case Study: Software

46 Product Focus: EMO, Machining

53 MoldMaking Marketplace

54 End Market Report: Automotive and Computers

55 Ad Index

56 TIP: Machining

On ThE COvERImage courtesy of Exact Jobboss (Bloomington, MN) and Custom Mold & Design (Minneapolis, MN). For more than 45 years, Custom Mold & Design (CMD; custommold.net) has been designing and building fully interchangeable, fast-cycling, high-precision injection molds, includ-ing multi-cavity, two-shot, metal injection, silicone, micro and ceramic molds. CMD has recently added two five-axis machining centers to its portfolio of capabilities and scheduling software to manage the shop. The CMD Express division provides ultra-precision machined components and assemblies requiring fine detail, and wire/sinker EDM operations. See feature story on page 24.

Images courtesy of (left to right) Mastercam/CNC Software, Dickten Masch Plastics and Fooke

USA, Inc.

1. All Systems Go Systems and technology can help a shop recover the time lost due to inef-fciency or duplicate data entry, so they can devote that time to exploring new market opportunities and new industries that are experiencing growth. PG. 24.

2. Dont Overreact Studies show that reactive maintenance programs on average cost 12 to 18 percent more than preventive maintenance programs. PG. 30.

3. Cool It Down Generally speaking, two types of products are suitable for conformal cooling: cup/box-like products and large curva-ture variation products. Another important concern is product thickness. PG. 32.

4. Molder Musts Make sure the molder has a full-service toolroom and highly skilled, experi-enced employees. These attributes are important in terms of leadtimes when an issue arises with a mold once youve shipped it to the molder. PG. 38.

5. Direct Comparison Using a direct-drive linear motor system allows for increased dynamics when compared to conventional drive systems. PG. 56.

September 2013 Volume 16 / Number 9

563820

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This MonTh on moldmakingtechnology.com

From the Editor


Road TripsHitting the road to experience new things, new places and

new people, and then bringing what we learn back to you.

Christina M. Fuges

Editorial Director

As I write this, we are officially in the dog days of

summer, yet it is an unexpectedly b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l

August summer afternoonabundant sunshine,

77 degrees, not a cloud in the sky or an ounce of

humidity in the air, and a gentle cool breeze to boot.

All I can think is: what a perfect day for a road trip

(or at least a cruise around town with the top down

on our Jeep ... which my nine-year old loves to do, as

long as were playing the right tunes as we go).

Road trips. Now those are times you hit the road

to experience new things, new places and new people. It got me thinking

how thats exactly the way I feel when taking MMT on the road. This year so

far has been full of travel for the magazine stafffrom trade shows and con-

ferences to press events and shop tours to sales meetings and conventions.

As a matter of fact, as you read this our Fall travel season kicks in. Ill be

heading to EMO in Hannover, Germany in a couple weeks, and the MMT

team will be attending several open houses at various technology supplier

facilitiesfrom which well be sure to bring you any interesting application

stories through MMT, its enewsletter and our daily blog.

These road trips are all in an effort to see the technology that helps create

the magic and mastery of moldmaking, but oftentimes the more interesting

aspect of these trips is meeting the people behind the magic and mastery.

And people seem to be what this industry is all about. I hear it over and

over again from those we visit to those we interview for stories: You can

have all the technology, equipment and strategies in place, but if you dont

have the peoplethe right peopleit is all for naught.

This thinking ties in directly with our immense need to find, train and

retain a future skilled workforce in moldmaking. We hope in some way

through MMTs content and eventsthat weve connected you and your

shops with organizations that can help to grow that next generation of eager

and skilled workers. We do need to work together.

In this months issue alone, you can read about several shops that are

doing just that. Page 24 features a moldmaker who sees its highly skilled

and qualified shop employees as its greatest asset and reviews ways to main-

tain an engaged workforce; page 36 talks about focusing on the intangibles

when hiring new employees; and our 2013 Leadtime Leaders share details on

their specific educational programs and apprenticeship training on page 42.

These storiesyour storiesare the kind that help to connect the mold-

making community, so as to make things happen for the betterment of this

industrys future. So, if you have a story to share, reach out to me so we can

help you tell it. Hey, maybe itll entail a road trip!

Follow MMT on: Follow @MMTMag

MMT Zone: Machiningmoldmakingtechnology.com/zones/machiningMachining (via the machine tool and cutting tool) shapes metal workpieces. Understanding both traditional and advanced machining techniques is critical to overcoming the various dimensional and finish challenges associated with mold machining. Processes include milling, drilling, grinding, high-speed machining, five-axis, hard milling, micro machin-ing, large mold machining, multi-tasking, waterjet and laser. Workholding is also important.

Browse Machining Zone by Type: Article | Columns | Case Study | Videos | Blog

enhance Mold Precision by Going Five-Axis Okuma shares how to manufacture large or high-preci-sion, complex molds while maintaining efficiency.

Moldmakers Deserve a Total Production solution Hwacheon explains that stability, spindle speed and soft-ware are essential consideration for your moldmaking machine tool.

Planned workholding Increases Mold shop Productivity Single Source Technologies reviews how planned work-holding using a modular clamping system is a part of the lean approach to world-class mold manufacturing.

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New Business Opportunities

One Door Closes, Two More Open

By Sherry L. Baranek

Last fall, VistaTek (Stillwater, MN)a custom manufacturer

who provides moldmaking and injection molding services in

addition to secondary operations like decorating, packaging

and assemblymade a strategic decision to sell the addi-

tive manufacturing (AM) portion of its business in order to

focus on its moldmaking and molding divisions. This move

also allowed the company to purchase new equipment, add

employees, and move into a larger facility.

VistaTek is a second-generation, family-owned com-

pany that is run by three siblings: Dan Mishek (Co-owner,

Managing Director), Jennifer Sutherland (Co-owner, Director

of Finance) and Allen Mishek (Co-owner, Sales/Marketing). It

was Dan who approached Jennifer and Allen with a proposal

to sell the AM portion of the division. I laid out the pros and

cons to them, he recalls. We were growing in all three divi-

sions, but I saw faster growth and more opportunity in tool

building and injection molding. We believed continuing to

grow the AM division would be more of a distraction for our

other divisions. We had to narrow down our expertise.

Still, the decision was a difficult one, since AM was the

foundation of the business when it was started back in 1996.

To give that up was difficult, Dan acknowledges. The tech-

nology had become more mainstream and remains quite sexy.

But, we all knew it made sense. Looking back, it has been

very rewarding.

The trio approached companies that they believed would

be a good fit with their business. We had three companies

in mind, Dan says. They all

had interest. Since VistaTek

planned on continuing to call on

its former AM customers for the

other two portions of its busi-

ness, VistaTek needed a company

that would treat its customers

with respect and share the same

level of customer service that had

already been established. We

were also looking for a home for

our employeessomeone local

that could take on our six employees from this division, he

says. Ramsey, MN-based InTech Industries, Inc. acquired

VistaTeks AM business, and Dan happily reports all six

employees moved with the AM portion of the business.

The money from the sale of the AM portion of VistaTeks

business allowed the company to add equipmentand

employees. We have added two injection molding presses,

CNC mills and an EDM, Dan notes. VistaTek has also added

four employees and are looking bring on three to five more

by advertising online and in local newspapers as well as using

headhunters.

Additionally, the company was able to purchase a 56,000

square foot facilitynearly triple the size of its previous facil-

ityto house this new equipment. Not only will this allow

the company to practice lean manufacturing principles like

Kanban because it can inventory more parts in-house, it will

also allow VistaTek to enter the liquid silicone molding (LSR)

market. We are adding an LSR machine and have actually

built a special room in the new facility for this technology.

We are hoping to have that operational by end of Q3.

Dan is excited about the opportunities that the sale of the

AM business has afforded VistaTek. I believe that people that

are preparing for long-term success will win the battle, he

states. Companies are going away from true long-term plan-

ning. They feel that three years is an eternity. Those that plan

to offset energy costs, shipping costs, educational gaps and

strategize for 10, 20 and 30 years out will hold a dominant

position in this market.

FOr MOre inFOrMaTiOn:

VistaTek, LLC

(651) 653-0400 / [email protected] / vistatek.com

The money from the

sale of the AM portion

of VistaTeks business

allowed the company

to add equipment and

employees.

VistaTek is a second-generation, family-owned company that is

run by three siblings (l to r): Allen Mishek (Co-owner, Sales/Marketing),

Dan Mishek (Co-owner, Managing Director) and Jennifer Sutherland

(Co-owner, Director of Finance).

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f V

ista

Tek.

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Your Business


By Mark Wilson

Asking customers to pay invoices can be an uncomfortable

process for any manufacturer. Its simply a necessary evil of

any industry. What many manufacturing executives may not

realize is that while the end goal of these interactions is to

increase cash flow, the calls or emails are also valuable oppor-

tunities to improve your customer relationships.

These opportunities are wasted; however, if you dont

implement proper processes to encourage positive accounts

receivable interactions. The reality is that most manufacturers

track customer interactions throughout the sales and account

management processes, but not within the invoicing and col-

lection departments. In order to make sure customers are sat-

isfied throughout the entire payment process, here are three

issues to consider:

1. Your Customer Has Other Vendors

The fact is that your customers work with vendors other

than yourself. With that in mind, refrain from sending paper

account statements or email reminders with long, marketing

messages.

Seek out software platforms that allow vendors to work

together for the benefit of the customer by providing one

bundled payment

reminder. This gives

the customer the abil-

ity to view all of their

open vendor invoices

in one location, as well

as a quick link to pay

each one or ask any

vendor a question. If

the customer does

need to ask a question

or dispute a charge, the vendor is immediately notified and

can provide a response.

2. Track Customer Service Metrics within

Accounts Receivable

Manufacturers often cannot afford to have a huge team

working on collections, and they definitely cannot afford to

lose customers due to poor interactions during the accounts

receivable process. So in order to make sure customers are not

just paying, but also happy with their service, you should track

additional metrics, such as: (1) customer response timelet

your customers know you track this to show them you care

about addressing their concerns; (2) invoice accuracysend

accurate, easy-to-understand invoices and measure how you

are doing this by tracking the number of times a customer has

to question or dispute an invoice compared to the total invoic-

es sent over a given period; and (3), customer satisfactionthe

collection and payment process is often the last interaction

with the customer, so make sure they leave looking forward to

doing business with your company again.

3. Value Every Customer Interaction

Every time you send a payment request, you should assume

the person paying or approving your invoice has more power

than you might think. You want your customers to feel so

good about the business experience that they wouldnt even

think of using someone else the next time they have a manu-

facturing need.

Managing your receivables intelligently from a customer-

centric perspective will improve customer relations, which can

lead to future sales. In todays competitive business environ-

ment with many vendors offering similar products or services,

these positive interactions factor into a customers future pur-

chasing decisions.

contriButor

Mark Wilson is the Chief Executive Offcer of TermSync Inc, a cloud-based

accounts receivable platform. Mark has a strong accounting and fnance

background. Over his career, he has always focused on process improve-

ments as a way of not only reducing costs, but also increasing effciency, and

improving internal and external relationships.

FOR MORE InFORMATIOn:

termSync / 608-316-8380

[email protected] / http://ww2.termsync.com

Managing your receivables

intelligently from a customer-

centric perspective will improve

customer relations, which can

lead to future sales.

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MoldMaking Business Index


increased for the seventh consecu-

tive month. With new orders flat and

production levels modestly higher we

should expect a small decline in backlogs.

And thats what we gotthe Backlogs

sub-index slipped to 43.2 in July. The

Employment component was 53.0, which

means that moldmakers added new hires

to their payrolls for the seventh straight

month, and the rate of expansion is hold-

ing steady.

The prices received in the moldmak-

ing sector strengthened again in July, as

the Prices Received sub-index was 52.3.

Unfortunately, the upward momentum

in materials prices also clicked up a

notch, as the Materials Prices sub-index

came in at 64.6. Supplier Delivery Times

continued their recent trend of gradual expansion. This com-

ponent posted a 53.1 in July. Offshore orders remain weak

with the Exports sub-index coming in at 45.2.

Total MoldMaking Business Index for July 2013: 49.6

Our latest survey of the North American moldmaking indus-

try indicates that overall activity levels held mostly steady

again in July when compared with the previous month. The

MoldMaking Business Index for July 2013 is 49.6 (a value

less than 50.0 indicates a decrease in business levels for the

month). The latest index value is a 0.5-point decrease from the

June value of 50.1, and it is a 3.7-point decrease from the 53.3

value posted in July 2012.

Our total Index dipped below the breakeven level in July

when compared with the previous month, but some of the

underlying indicators suggest that conditions were best

described as flat-to-better. And we remain encouraged that the

overall index has hovered around the 50-line through the first

seven months of 2013. Many of the major indicators (i.e. the

ISM Manufacturing Index) that measure overall manufacturing

levels in the U.S. were gathering strength as the third quarter

began. Demand for autos surged upward in June and July, and

the recovery in the residential construction data is still robust.

As we progress through the third and fourth quarters of

2013, the momentum created by a steadily improving economy

will become more obvious. Both consumers and businesses are

becoming more confident. And the really good news is that

the hijinks of policymakers in Washington are much less of a

drag on the economy than they have been in the recent past.

Taking a closer look at the categories that comprise our

Index, the New Orders component was exactly 50.0 in the lat-

est month, which means that the level of new business was

stable. New orders increased for six straight months prior to

this, so a flat reading does not dampen the mood too much.

The Production sub-index of 53.0 indicates that work levels

Our MBI continues to hug the 50-line, indicating that business conditions in the mold-

making industry remain steady. The growth rate in the overall U.S. GDP data through

the frst half of 2013 was 1.4%, but it is steadily getting stronger. So the moldmaking

sector remains in good position to experience an increase in activity levels as the

overall economy builds momentum over the next few quarters. The overall trend in

the U.S. employment data has been surprisingly strong this year, and this has pushed

consumer confdence to its highest levels in four years. Private payrolls are expand-

ing by an average of nearly 200,000 new workers per month. Cuts in defense spend-

ing have constrained GDP growth, but employers in other sectors are looking beyond

the current bout of fscal austerity. At some point in the near-future, the Federal

Reserve Board will have to contend with the problem of unwinding its unprecedented

monetary policy (quantitative easing and real interest rates below zero), but so far

there is no evidence to indicate that they will not succeed in crafting a graceful exit.

Sub-Indices July June Change Direction Rate Trend

New Orders 50.0 53.3 -3.3 Flat From Increase 7

Production 53.0 52.9 0.1 Growing Faster 7

Backlog 43.2 43.8 -0.6 Contracting Faster 15

Employment 53.0 53.8 -0.8 Growing Slower 7

Exports 45.2 44.0 1.2 Contracting Slower 13

Supplier Deliveries 53.1 52.5 0.6 Lengthening More 19

Material Prices 64.6 63.7 0.9 Increasing More 19

Prices Received 52.3 51.7 0.6 Increasing More 2

Future Expectations 71.8 65.4 6.4 Improving More 19

MoldMaking Business Index 49.6 50.1 -0.5 Contracting From Growing 1

55

50

45

40

60

1/13

12/12

11/12

10/12

9/12

8/12

7/12

6/12

5/12

4/12

3/12

2/12

1/12

12/11

2/13

MoldMaking Business Index

3/134/135/136/136/13

Profle


PTI Engineered Plastics: One Size Does Not Fit All!


PTI Engineered Plastics (Macomb, MI) has evolved from a

mold manufacturer and molder in the mid-80s to a full-service

provider of services like design for manufacturability (DFM),

engineering, prototype and production tooling; low-volume

and high-volume rapid injection molding; cleanroom injec-

tion molding and a full array of value-added services. And, the

company has carved a niche out for itself with low-volume

runs for its OEM customers that chose not to take their short-

run production needs offshore. This unique approach sepa-

rates PTI from its competitionno two molds are alike.

PTI was founded by Mark Rathbone in 1984, under the

name Proto-Tech Industries as a tool builder and molder

utilizing a 1,100-square foot shop. The tooling division was

established to fill a need that Rathbone believed was missing:

production quality prototypes that are made fast and at the

same quality standards a customer would expect from a pro-

duction tool. PTIs primary focus at that time was prototype

manufacturingservicing the prototype needs of the auto-

motive, medical, aerospace and consumer product industries.

By 1987, PTI had become a builder of multiple-cavity produc-

tion tools. The company then changed its name from Proto-

Tech Industries to PTI Engineered Plastics to better align with

the services and capabilities the company provided, Rathbone

notes. The company offered a wide range of toolsboth low-

and high-volume in nature. By 1990, PTI had become a full-

service supplier. Its business niche and focus was prototype

through production tooling and manufacturing for compo-

nents, assemblies and value-added secondary operations.

Currently, the company has a 150,000-plus square foot

facility, which PTI ergonomically designed to facilitate the

flows and processes of its business (short-run, medium-vol-

ume moldmaking and manufacturing). PTIs toolroom occu-

pies 25,000 square feet and is managed and used by a team of

40 moldmakers and machinistsfrom apprentices to journey-

men moldmakers who have been building plastic injection

molds for more than 40 years. The toolroom is divided into

departments, including a full design staff, moldmakers, EDM,

CNC machinists, detailers and bench hands.

Low-Volume Specialty

The companys decision to specialize in low-volume runs was

driven by OEMs wishing to reshore their projects, according

to Rathbone. He says although this process is offered offshore,

it is difficult for OEMs to manage a product from the United

States. PTI has a unique approach to meeting the low-volume

requirements of our customers, he states. We offer a unique,

proprietary process that allows our customers to bring their

product to market fast. This process, that we call P3, provides

accelerated time-to-market, lower overall development costs,

and creates injection molded products with no compromise to

the product design or material choice. This allows us to tran-

sition without issuefrom prototype to supporting produc-

tionwithout any additional tooling requirements.

P3 is vital to the companys relationships with its customers,

according to PTI Tooling Operations Manager Chris Behring.

This innovative approach to prototyping delivers benefits

most customers are not used to in the product development

process: the speed of a prototype at the quality of production.

When a customer utilizes the P3 process, the same tool

provided for testing and validation can be used for the initial

production run, Behring explains. The tool is designed very

similar to how a production tool would be. We use materials

that allow us to shorten build time without compromise to

quality or longevity. Instead of merely receiving a prototype,

when a PTI customer receives a P3 prototype, the same tool

that provides the prototype for testing and validation can be

used for the initial production run, Behring adds, and in some

low-volume cases, the one tool can be used for the entire pro-

duction run.

Tools made for the P3 process are generally single-cavity

molds, constructed from ferrous and nonferrous metals.

These tools are capable of running tens of thousands of pieces

and can produce the same volume as multiple cavity molds.

Quick time-to-market, while maintaining quality, is an advan-

tage of the P3 process over traditional methods.

PTIs approach to tooling is not a one size fits all process. At

PTI, a typical short-run tool will be made out of the necessary

materials to create quality parts, Behring says. This may be 100

percent aluminum, or may be a combination of aluminum, P-20,

hardened steels, etc. All decisions are based on the complexity

and size of the part being produced. A major factor to consider

is the resin and its influence on the thermal expansion of the

metals, along with the wear factors the chosen plastic may

PTI Engineered Plastics CNC Department.

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PTI Engineered Plastics

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[email protected]

teampti.com

have on metals. We only use the highest grade of aluminum,

QC-10 from Alcoa, allowing us to create high quality parts.

Perfecting the Process

Behring likes to say the mold design process is the heart of PTIs

tooling facility. We assist customers throughout product devel-

opment, he notes. We help to ensure their product is manufac-

turable and meets their specifications. Our team of highly-skilled

mold designers are experts in design for manufacturing and

toolpath programmingusing the latest Cimatron and Mastercam

software. Our main objective is to exceed customers expectations

through mold design and the delivery of quality parts.

PTI provides further design support through design recom-

mendations, viable alternatives and practical assistance to

assure that the customers requested part design or model

meets their specifications. Each customer has their own

unique specifications; therefore, part design is never sacrificed

to fit a one-size-fits-all mold build, Behring adds.

The company trains its employees on all of the software pro-

grams it uses and works directly with the tooling manufacturers

to ensure that PTI is always using the most current cutting-edge

technology. We offer in-house training, taught by the product

manufacturer, designed to optimize the chip loads and cutter

speeds and feeds for cutting, as well as the latest advances in

design software, Behring says.

PTIs tooling facility utilizes a wide range of technology

and equipment, Behring says. Although our primary focus is

short-run and medium-volume, we also employ the practices

and disciplines used in high-volume molding, he elaborates,

from high-speed machining to the latest in wire EDM. EROWA

holding systems and robots have allowed us to better utilize all

equipment through automation. We have found EROWA to be

the most versatile system we have researched.

Additionally, PTI has started to utilize hot sprue in lower-

volume applications to ensure process development and consis-

tencies for part quality. Our staff is dedicated to seek out new

advances in off-the-shelf technologies that will improve the tim-

ing and standardization of our mold builds, Behring comments.

By having an internal product development team of 10 people

and resources such as in-house mold flow and draft analysis, we

have a significant advantage when we begin a project.

a Bright, Busy Future

PTIs future looks brightand busy. The company has expanded

the Southeast wing of its plant with 13,000 additional square

footage. Last year, PTI completed 723 tooling activities,

Rathbone notes. Included in these

numbers were more than 400 new tools

and more than 300 engineering changes.

With the expansion, our toolroom will

be able to provide up to 1,000 tooling

activities.

So far this year, PTI currently has $33

million in sales, and Rathbone notes

the company is on target to reach $40

million by 2014largely due to the cur-

rent facility enabling growth to $50 to

$60 million. Our growth plans and our

unique approach to manufacturing will

offer several opportunities for individu-

als in the engineering and the skilled

trades of machining and manufacturing,

Rathbone maintains. We are excited,

and looking forward to what the future

has to offer.

Case Study / Automation

moldmakingtechnology.com 17

Fixing to Get More Accurate and

Increase Productivity with Automation

Pho

to c

our

tesy

of

Ho

mm

er T

oo

l.


Hommer Tool & Mfg.a custom mold-ready components

manufacturer based in Arlington Heights, ILwas looking to

increase its productivity without adding manpower or sacrific-

ing accuracy. The company began looking at automation as a

way to achieve these goals. After now implementing automation

into its process, the company can run electrodes and workpieces

unattended, which has increased productivity substantially.

Established in 1983, Hommers components are geared

toward plastic injection molds and die casting tools for

industries such as medical, dental, pharmaceutical, consumer

product packaging, and industrial and automotive die casting.

The company prides itself on producing tight tolerance work.

Hommers Production Manager, John Passaro, notes that this

is not easily attained. It takes very skilled workers and con-

stant inspection throughout the entire process to make sure

each partfrom the first to the lastis identical and ready for

our customers production, regardless of quantity, he empha-

sizes We can have roughly 250 jobs in process at any given

time to manage, schedule and make sure they run throughout

every process as smoothly as possible while maintaining our

customers specs. We are not a fit and function shop that can

make our own decisions on any deviations to print. We are

supplied specs and have to duplicate the component exactly.

Stringent requirements such as the ones outlined above had

the company looking at methods to produce its components

in the quickest yet most accurate manner possible. Passaro

notes that much of the work Hommer does requires .0005 to

as little as .0001 total tolerances. We are able to accomplish

this in our finish grinding, hard turning, hard milling, honing,

EDM and wire EDM departments, he states. The finishes we

attain are based on our customers needs, but range from 16 to

30 EDM VDI finishes, 6 to 8 RMS ground finishes, 8 to 12 RMS

hard turn and hard mill finishes.

A Fix on Fixturing

Hommer recently purchased a Roku-Roku HC-658 high speed

mill (HSM). The company immediately realized it was able to

maintain the same .0002 tolerances expected from its jig grind-

ing and ID grinding processes with the new HSM. Based on

the type of work we dowhich is 90 percent round workpieces

in 32 to 64 piece lot sizes, we had to come up with an efficient

way of fixturing our parts that currently was not available from

any manufacturer. This would allow us to run multiple work-

pieces and maintain the accuracies required, Passaro says.

Our team developed a designwe manufactured a few proto-

types to test and came up with a successful fixture.

Passaro elaborates on that process. We manufactured a

multi-V fixture that could hold six workpieces. We ended up

altering the design a few times to improve it. Overall, it took

about six months to develop our final design. The final result

is that Hommer has 15 fixtures that can hold a total of 90

parts. They are in the process of producing a new multi-V

fixture to hold four pieces at a time for larger diameter stock.

The six-position multi-V fixture can hold as small as .062"-

1.150" diameter x 10-inch long parts; and our new four-position

multi-V can hold from 0.500"-1.875" diameter x 12-inch long

part, he states. We also wanted to be able to run our elec-

trodes unattended somehow, as we can have as many as 180

going through production at a time.

Various size electrodes on EROWAs 50 mm holders along with core and

cavity mold components and die-cast parts show the variety Hommer Tool

manufactures for its customers.

Video

Access video

at end of article.


Case Study / Automation

After Hommer grasped the potential it could realize with

fixturing, the company sought a way to automate this process.

Passaro called two automation manufacturers to see what

options were available. He discovered that Arlington Heights,

IL-based EROWA Technology, Inc.s Robot Multi, which has

the capacity for 180 electrodes and 30 workpiece/fixture pallets

was the best fit. We were already using EROWA pallets for

locating our fixtures, Passaro notes. No other offering had

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f ER

OW

A T

echn

olog

y, I

nc.

www.quicktrodes.com

For a better viewing experience - we suggest you play the videos in full screen / high-defnition

the self-contained layout we required without adding multiple

racks and/or magazines.

The EROWA Robot Multis clearly arranged magazine

holds up to 270 pallets and can switch automatically to the

associated pallet type on the same CNC machine. In the grip-

per dock, various grippers required for the automatic change

are stored in a space-saving arrangement. The Roku-Roku

machine, EROWA workholding system and the EROWA

Robot Multi form the production team, notes EROWA

Technology, Inc.s COO Chris Norman. Optimally used, this

team can deliver up to four times higher productivity.

We were very surprised at the ease of implementation,

Passaro continues. EROWA was very helpful and were in

and out in a few days without any issues at all. Training of

two Hommer employees only took a few hours, and Passaro

notes downtime was minimal. The company was able to

machine as the install took place. One other valuable offer-

ing from EROWA is that their tech support is available 24

hours a day/seven days a week and is very helpful over the

phone, he adds. We initially had some issues with our guys

not remembering some of the controlsbut we were able to

be back up and running within an hour.

Piotr Woziwoda, CNC

Specialist at Hommer

Tool running the

Roku-Roku HSM along

with the EROWA Multi

automation cell, which

together occupies

little oor space.


Increased Capacity/Decreased Leadtimes

Passaro notes that the programming is very easy. The user

simply calls up the pallet number he wants loaded and calls

up the G-code program to run the part. We actually had a

40-hour run on the second day after install of 60 electrodes,

he says. We are using EROWAs 50 mm holders for our elec-

trodeswhich is a no brainer for automated runs; and we

mounted 6 x 6 Hermann Schmidt HSM

magnets and our custom multi-V fix-

tures for the workpieces on EROWAs

148 mm pallets. We cant fixture all of

our jobs based on and length of the

parts we make, so if we cant fixture

them in our multi-Vs or on the 6 x 6

magnets then we have the option to

machine one piece at a time without

the robot.

Hommer is extremely satisfied with

the addition of the EROWA Robot

Multi. Having this automated cell

gives us great results and has increased

our capacitywhich consequently

decreased our leadtimes, Passaro

states. We were in dire need of a new

carbon cutting mill, but adding this

robot has eliminated that need. We are

able to cut both steel and carbon in one

machinewithout sacrificing money

or time. We also would have never

been able to have unattended runs by

adding another mill. Our EDM sinker

department now has electrodes well in

advance of the jobdue to the unat-

tended robot runsdirectly resulting in

increased productivity.

VIDeo: Automation Nation http://short.moldmakingtechnology.com/ hommerauto

4930 S. Lapeer Road Orion Twp., MI 48359 U.S.A.

Sales inquiries welcome

Tel: (586) 757-8700 Fax: (586) 757.8701

Email: [email protected]

www.colecarbide.com

Whats so Special about Cole

Engineered Products?

Everything!

Cole goes beyond routine to deliver the

best overall value for diverse cutting and

wear part designs or any application

requiring tungsten carbide and ceramics.

Unique in our commitment to total

process support, engineers team up

with customers to optimize the right

solution in every application. From raw

material selection to nal production,

Cole Engineered Products are produced

to exacting speci cations.

Diverse grades of Tungsten Carbide

Standard or special coatings

Ceramics or Cermets

Ultra-high tolerances

Call for a quote or sales representative

and be a part of all that is special with

Cole Engineered Products.

For more INFormAtIoN:

EROWA Technology, Inc.

(847) 290-0295

[email protected]

EROWAtech.com

Hommer Tool & Mfg., Inc. (847) 394-3355 [email protected] / hommer.com

Hermann Schmidt Co. / hschmidt.com

Roku-Roku / mitsubishi-world.com


Case Study / Software

Moving Moldmaking

Forward with

Dynamic Toolpaths

A small start-up tool & die shop in Crothersville, IN, is

thriving because of its ability to do high quality mold design

and manufacturing while producing more than companies

many times larger. TyMar Tool Works attributes this signifi-

cant boost in productivity to its extensive use of Mastercams

dynamic toolpaths, which operate at high throughputs

while minimizing tool breakage so that machines can run

unattended.

The high reliability of these toolpaths allows shop owner

Mark Emly and his assistant to spend almost all of their time

doing work other than machine operation. This includes quot-

ing, design, tool assembly and product deliveryall things that

keep the business moving forward. This unique style of opera-

tion is the product of the owners long-held conviction that he

would do things differently when he got to be in charge.

Built from Scratch

One evening 20 years ago,

when Emly was a young

machine operator, his boss

told him something that

would stay with him for

the rest of his career: You

are never going to amount

to much more than a guy

who takes parts on and

off machines, on the night

shift. That was when

Emly made up his mind to learn everything he possibly could

about machining and toolingno matter how long it took, so

he could prove his boss wrong and open his own shop.

So I would work in one place, learn as much as I could

and then move on, he says. I remember sitting in a job

interview and telling a guy yeah I can do that. Then it was

sink or swim. He gravitated towards small shops where

you learn how to do everything, which for Emly eventually

included machine setup, part inspection, CAD/CAM pro-

gramming, manufacturing process engineering, and part and

mold design.

In 2010, after nearly two decades of hard work and self edu-

cation, he was ready to start his own business. He supplement-

ed his income to support his family by working a part-time

job, while he worked full-time in a shop near his home. This

made it possible for him to gradually build up a base of steady

customers doing work he enjoyed and was good at.

He notes, In February of 2012, my own work got too busy,

so that seemed like a good time to focus on my own business

Imag

es cou

rtes

y of M

astercam

/CNC So

ftware.

The exceptional reliability of the toolpaths created with Mastercam X6

allows owner Mark Emly to load up the four vises on his Hurco machining

center before he leaves for home at night and be confdent that the work

will be completed in the morning.

Mark Emly makes a point of spending time conferring with

tool suppliers to see what new technology might give him a

competitive edge. Choosing the right tool and using them with

advanced dynamic toolpaths allows him to run at high cycles so

that he can compete effectively with larger shops.

Because these toolpaths

are so reliable, Emly is fully

confdent that he can run

his parts at high throughputs

on a lights-out basis, and

that his work will be waiting

for him in the morning.

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Case Study / Software

cessful and Emly finds himself frequently firing

off design modifications to his customer and

then manufacturing the final mold configura-

tions on short notice.

One thing that helps him immensely is his

ability to visualize manufacturing processes in

3D. Instead of building up molds from 2D

components, he designs the mold in 3D using

Solids in Mastercam and then spins out the

2D work as needed from the 3D model. Emly

believes that process to be much faster, more

accurate and less prone to error.

Dynamic Productivity

Although the Hurco machine is in almost con-

tinuous operation, neither Emly nor his assistant

spend much time operating it. This is because

Mastercams dynamic toolpaths (such as 2D

Dynamic Milling and 3D OptiRough) use mate-

rial awareness algorithms to automatically alter

feeds, speeds and entry paths whenever there is

a possibility of over-engaging a tool and caus-

ing chatter, undue stresses on the part or tool

breakage. Because these toolpaths are so reliable, Emly is fully

confident that he can run his parts at high throughputs on a

lights-out basis, and that his work will be waiting for him in the

morning.

There are four vises on the table at TyMar Tool Works Hurco

machining center. During the day, Emly and his assistant load

up and work on components that require shorter machine

cycles15 minutes to several hours. They typically load up the

equipment for a last run on the day shift at around 4pm. Emly

goes home to spend family time with his wife and children.

Early in the evening, sometime around 7pm, he comes back and

loads the machine one last time, but this time with workpieces

that could take 2 to 8 hours each to machine. He returns home

and the equipment runs all night.

Emly shares many other benefits he gets from using

Mastercams dynamic toolpaths:

Full flute engagement so that more area can be machined,

but with less lateral force on the tool.

Lateral force reduction: The material condition aware tool-

paths self-adjust to eliminate excessive force on thin walls

that might bend and push them in the path of the cutter on

the other side.

No broken cutters because the program wont bury the tool.

More secure holding of parts with difficult shapes because

the tool wont apply excessive force and snap the part out of

the vise.

Optimizing advanced cutter performance by dynamically

controlling feeds, speeds and rules of engagement in confor-

mance with the cutters unique characteristics.

full time. By early 2013, he had acquired 16 customers (all by

word of mouth), a full-time helper, and enough cash flow to

invest in a new Hurco VM20i vertical machining center with a

10,000-rpm spindle.

Different by Design

When Emly started his shop, TyMar Tool Works, his decisions

were mostly conservativethe shop was on his own prop-

erty, he did all the work himself and he bought a used Hurco

machining center. There was one exception: he purchased

Mastercam Mill Level 3 with Solids CAD/CAM software (from

CNC Software, Inc., Tolland, CT).

This was a full-blown maintenance license that entitled him

to free upgrades and as-needed technical support from his

reseller, CAD/CAM Technologies, Inc. (Pendleton, IN).

I wanted my shop to be different from others I had worked

at, he states. I want to be a small shop with a big presence.

That means taking advantage of my design skills, producing

high quality parts, and using advanced technology as much

as possible so I can compete effectively. The only way I could

do that was to have a good CAM system from day one. I chose

Mastercam because that was what Id used at every shop I

worked at and was proficient in it.

Emly has also purchased a seat of SolidWorks because that is

what most of his customers use. A big part of his job to date is

designing molds for the RIM (Reaction Injection Molding) pro-

cess. TyMar Tool Works also has a major customer that makes

disposable injection molded guards that protect automotive

components during assembly. This business has been very suc-

Optirough is just one of several of Mastercams dynamic toolpaths that

Mark Emly uses frequently to improve milling effciency and reduce tool wear.

To avoid chatter and minimize tool breakage, Optirough employs material

awareness algorithms to alter feeds, speeds and entry paths whenever there

is the possibility of over engaging the tool.


Emly is a proponent of choosing the best cutter for the

job. I know some guys who would not spend $45 on a

5/32" carbide drill, but would spend the same amount on a

10-pack of cobalt drills instead. Recently I had to drill 125,

5/32" holes in 5/8" plate. This took me 14 minutes with my

carbide drill. It would take the other guys five hours run-

ning at 5 inches a minute to drill the same number of holes

while breaking all 10 of their drills. My single drill is still in

good shape.

He spends a great deal of time talking with his tool sup-

pliers because he knows advanced cutter geometries and

materials can dramatically improve his throughput, if the cor-

rect toolpaths are chosen. Because these suppliers know that

he is looking to push the envelope, they sometimes provide

him with new cutter designs so that he can test them on his

applications.

Big Jobs for a Small Company

Early in 2013, one of TyMar Tool Works RIM mold custom-

ers came in with a very big job for the small companya

family of 20 molds, 10 left hand and 10 right hand. Each

mold had 10 details that had to be machined before the

mold could be assembled. At one point, the Hurco ran for 17

straight days on a 24/7 basis, only stopping occasionally for 15

minutes to have parts taken off and others reloaded. TyMar

delivered the molds on schedule in less than seven weeks. In

spite of this tight schedule, Emly managed to complete six

other projects, some of these also on a short turn basis.

Emly says, Another customer told me he couldnt believe

I made all those molds in seven weeks. A much larger shop

did a similar job for him and it took them 10 weeks. They had

15 guys and much more equipment. But its not a matter of

how much equipment or manpower you have. What is more

important is how well you use what youve got.

Video: dynamic Milling http://short.moldmakingtechnology.com/ dynamicmmt

MTSThe workpiece palletizing system

for economical production.

For single and multiple palletizing,

monitored status checks.

www.erowa.com

For More inForMation:

Mastercam/CNC Software, Inc.

(800) 228-2877 / mastercam.com

Hurco Machine Companies

(800) 634-2416 / hurco.com

TyMar Tool Works

(812) 528-2237 / [email protected]

tymartoolworks.com

Software


Five Ways to Efficiently Tackle Shop Floor Management

By Dave Lechleitner

Owning and managing a mold shop may never have

been particularly easy, but the current manufacturing

environment in the U.S. makes it extremely challeng-

ing. Mold shops continue to face a unique set of challenges that

may even be causing some shop owners to question whether

they can remain in business, much less thrive.

Since the early 2000s, North American manufacturing has

taken a huge hit as more and more manufacturing moved

offshore. Mold and tool and die shops were one of the first

affected by this offshoring trend and while some of the work

has returned, it is likely that business will never be the same.

This offshoring caused many shops to experience double

digit decline in revenues and profits, if it did not

put them out of business completely. The Great

Recession of 2009 only worsened the situation. The

combination of these events resulted in a loss of

more than 5 million manufacturing jobs in the U.S.

from May 1999 through May 2009.

As challenging as the situation may have been

and continues to be, it is possible to survive, and

even thrive, in todays economic environment.

However, for many shop owners, it has required

a shift in thinking. No longer is it enough to be

a good toolmakerowners must become savvy

businesspeople as well. To succeed in todays manu-

facturing climate, shop owners have to run their

businesses like a business. This means thinking

strategically and moving beyond the tactical think-

inggetting out of the firefighting mode.

To continue to be world-class manufacturing

companies, moldmakers especially must strive to

avoid common mistakes made by many shops. Here

you can learn how one mold shop in Minnesota

learned the keys to running a successful business.

Custom Mold & Design (New Hope, MN) is entering its fifth

decade of business, and is an example of how avoiding the

common mistakes of many shops pays huge dividends. This

shop has a proven track record of manufacturing more than

5,000 molds since the company was founded in 1965, and these

molds have run tens of millions of cycles. In addition, their

engineering and manufacturing staff has a combined experi-

ence of more than 1,000 years in manufacturing high quality

Even the smallest mold shop can afford an integrated

shop floor management system that allows for the management

of every business transactionfrom quote to cashand is an

invaluable tool for ensuring efficiency.

Phot

os c

ourt

esy

of C

usto

m M

old

& D

esig

n.

(Left to right) Ray Newkirk, President of Custom Mold & Design and

Bruce Cerepak, Plant Manager.


molds. For this shop, its all about pursuing innovation and

excellence in everything that they do. Following are five tips to

get your shop moving in this direction.

1. Understand the Real Cost of Doing Business

Many mold shops assume they know how much it costs to

manufacture a tool or mold, but this is often not the case.

Simply looking at an income statement at the end of the month

to measure the success of the business is not enough. Shops

need to know all the specifics of the work that earned them

money, and the work

that didnt. Owners and

managers can only do

this by understanding

the true cost per hour by

individual department or

work center, and appro-

priately costing the work

that goes through those

areas of their shops.

Generating a truly

accurate picture of all the

variables that go into the

true cost of a part or job

can be difficult and time consuming without discipline and

the right systems and technology. Consider all the factors that

must be calculated to see the true cost of a job:

Labor costed to the job based on the actual employee

hourly rate;

Labor overhead (fringe benefits, vacation, employer paid ben-

efits and taxes) applied to the job based on direct labor hours;

Manufacturing overhead applied (by work center) based on

the cost of running machines in that work center;

Selling, General and Administrative overhead (all the other

costs of doing business) applied proportionally to each job,

either based on direct labor hour or another appropriate

allocation method;

Material and outside service costs such as heat treating, plat-

ing, anodizing, etc. applied to the job based on actual cost

(rather than standard or average) to correctly analyze the

effect of the rising cost of material or the actual cost of the

service performed.

For Ray Newkirk, President of Custom Mold & Design, the

importance of knowing the true cost of doing business started

when he was 14 years old and was showing cattle for 4-H. You

need to know all the costs that go into raising cattle, and I

applied this principle when I started the shop in 1965. At first,

Newkirk created a manual system so he could track what he

was doing. This manual approach has given him appreciation

of the importance of automating the process today.

He now understands and has tremendous discipline in

tracking costs. For a shop owner to ensure this type of accu-

racy and efficiency, only automating the collection of this data

allows for regular analysis of these costs and the ability to see

what types of work truly are profitable.

There is incredible value in understanding true job cost.

With this understanding, shop owners can easily eliminate jobs

that consistently lose them money. If eliminating those jobs

is not an option, shop owners will still at least understand the

opportunity cost of running these unprofitable jobs.

2. Acknowledge the Customer Component

Good customers are the lifeblood of a business. Relationships

with customers become even more important during a weak

economy. However, when the economy is doing well, sometimes

business owners become complacent towards their customers,

and miss out on important opportunities to form quality

relationships.

It is not enough to assume that no complaints from a customer

mean the customer is happy. Good customer relations require

that shops be proactive and contact their customers frequently to

understand what is happening in their business.

Regular contact will allow shop owners to gain information

that is key to managing their business such as:

Is the customer experiencing any significant business issues?

Is there an opportunity to gain more business or a new project?

Is the customer planning on downsizing or expanding their

supply chain?

Fully utilizing the capabilities of their visual scheduling solution is key to

effectively managing the complexities of a shop schedule at Custom Mold &

Design. With real-time visibility to scheduling issues, they consistently exceed

their customer requirements for on-time performance.

With the right systems,

technologies and people

in place to manage

current customers,

shops can then focus

their efforts in driving

new business.

Software


Does the customer have a preferred supplier program that

can be leveraged?

Customer relationships can also be improved by increasing

the information available about them and the information

that can be shared with them. With the right systems and

technology to support and manage customer relationships

shops can systemize the routine, so that they can human-

ize the exception.

Newkirk is passionate about instilling a customer service

mentality at Custom Mold & Design. We have a philosophy

that starts and ends with people all working together and

dedicated to providing each customer with the level of service

and a quality product they demand. Our people use state-of-

the-art systems and procedures that provide results superior to

our competition. For Custom Mold & Design, keeping track

of every customer interaction is critical to their business. It

allows them to address issues as quickly as possible, before

they even escalate to problems.

With the right systems, technologies and people in place to

manage current customers, shops can then focus their efforts

in driving new business. Specifically, systems and technology

can help a shop recover the time lost due to inefficiency or

duplicate data entry, so they can devote that time to exploring

new market opportunities and new industries that are experi-

encing growth.

3. Recognize that Quality Is Not a Differentiator

It is not uncommon for most small and mid-sized shop owners

to believe that quality is what sets them apartthat it is their

key differentiator. Unfortunately, today quality is no longer a

differentiatorit is an expectation.

Most shops have implemented quality management systems

to monitor quality, including non-conformances and correc-

tive actions. To stay competitive, it is an expectation that the

shop has a formal quality management system in place that is

integrated with their shop floor management solution.

Newkirk recognized early on that quality was becoming an

expectation. He implemented a quality program at Custom

Design and became ISO9001 and AS9100 certified. He did

this because he saw it as a way to build the company culture

he wanted to build, not because it was required. In the end it

defined the way he wanted to do business and interact with

his employees and his customers.

4. Value the Companys Greatest Assets

Highly skilled and qualified shop employees have become

hard to find and even harder to keep. The current shortage

of skilled machinists and toolmakers is evidence of this. The

gap between the skills required for a toolmaker today and

the available pool of skilled workers continues to widen. This

reality demonstrates how important it is for shop owners to

become involved in their community to find future employees,

and to invest and develop the employees they do have from

within the company.

These goals can be accomplished in a variety of ways,

including:

Developing apprenticeship programs within the company,

thus improving the skills of the employees you do have

and keeping them engaged in the business;

Working in cooperation with local technical colleges

and universities, including developing appropriate

school/work programs;

Participating in mentoring or internship programs; and,

Regularly visiting local high school vocational

departments or technical schools, and participating on their

available boards.

Proactively reviewing the projected costs of jobs still in process

allows Bruce Cerepak, Plant Manager of Custom Mold & Design, to

isolate issues before the jobs actually exceed their estimates.

To maintain an engaged workforce, it is important to par-

ticipate in regularly scheduled employee reviews. This allows

managers to understand their employees from direct and per-

sonal communication, including understanding their future

goals and aspirations. This dialog can also facilitate ways to

understand any issue they may be having with their jobs.

Regular reviews also provide management the opportunity to

develop and deploy individual employee training plans, so they

can keep the best of the best.

Custom Mold & Design has taken on the challenge of attract-

ing and retaining the most skilled employees to heart. For many

years, Newkirk has served on the board of Dunwoody College

Moldmaking companies, like Synergetic Engineering, have discovered ways to be more competitive by using Direct CAD tools. Join us to hear a frsthand ac-count of how mold makers can cut cycle time by streamlining the use of CAD data. Synergetic Engineering will share with you 10 ways (at least) they use Direct CAD tools to reduce the time it takes to make a mold.

With continued pressure to decrease time to market, improve workforce produc-tivity, or handle a larger volume of work with a shortage of labor, adding Direct CAD tools will help you overcome these challenges and be more successful.

Primary topics (what the registrant will learn): Learn how Direct CAD software tools can improve your ability to view, compare, and validate CAD data

Discover how to clearly communicate value-added changes to your customersregardless of CAD fle types

More easily collaborate with OEMs

Top 10 Ways Direct CAD Cuts Cycle TimePresenTeD by:

www.kubotek.com

Sign up for MoldMaking Technology webinars. You will get one-on-

one product information, process insight and direct contact with

suppliers offering the most current moldmaking technology.

HOsTeD by

Register at moldmakingtechnology.com/webinars

DATe AnD TIMe OF WebInAr

Wednesday, September 25th, 2 PM EST/11 AM PST 1 hour duration

WEBINARSIts free. Its remote. Its informative. Its convenient. Sign up today.

sean Demers

Synergetic Engineering,

Engineering Manager

and

Process Consultant

PresenTer:

Software


contributorS

Dave Lechleitner is Sr. Solution Engineer Exact JobBOSS.


Exact JobboSS / (800) 777-4334

[email protected] / jobboss.exactamerica.com

custom Mold & Design

(763) 535-2334 / [email protected] / custommold.net

of Technology in Minneapolis. He has also developed a program

at Custom Mold & Design where students who have enrolled

and registered at Dunwoody are offered a position with the

company to put their knowledge and skills to work in a position

directly related to their coursework.

Custom Mold &

Design also diligently

strives to create the

best working environ-

ment and purchase

the best equipment

they can afford to

help retain their

employees. According

to Newkirk, You dont get a second chance to make a first

impressionwhether its a new customer or a new employee

who walks in the door.

5. manage with a Single Business Solution

There is no longer any excuse for relying on outdated shop

floor management systems. Even the smallest mold shop

today can afford an integrated shop floor management sys-

tem. Such a system allows for the management of every busi-

ness transaction, from quote to cash, and is an invaluable

tool for ensuring efficiency.

Relying only on accounting systems and spreadsheets, with

no connection to what is actually going on out on the floor,

is a recipe for disaster. When such systems are not integrated,

the data lacks the timeliness required to make important busi-

ness decisions, shops cannot operate efficiently and it slows

the business down leaving it to trail behind the competition.

A disjointed system only allows for so much growth before

it actually starts to hinder growth. With an integrated shop

floor management system, a shop can integrate all business

information from quote to cash; avoid hiring additional staff

to manage an unruly and disjointed system; allow current

staff to become more efficient so they can focus on the busi-

ness issues most important to running the shop; and, provide

timely information required to accurately analyze the busi-

ness and make decisions accordingly.

Several scalable business solutions are available even if

a shop is very small. Being scalable, the systems should be

able to grow with the business. Today the solutions are often

bundled with an existing accounting solution or integrated

seamlessly with common accounting solutions. For more than

a decade, Custom Mold & Design has managed their entire

business with a single manufacturing software solution.

The benefits of this single solution are primarily two-fold,

according to Newkirk:

(1) Information is more accurate and timely and can be used

to make critical decisions.

Specifically, estimators can review the job for a like tool that

was built several years ago to produce a much more accurate

quote today.

(2) Using a visual scheduling board, they have a clearer

picture of bottlenecks and can make better commitments on

delivery times to customers.

Summary

Running a successful small or mid-sized business will never be

easy. Mold shops will continue to face challenges ranging from

the economy to attracting and retaining the right employees

to foreign competition. However, mold shops such as Custom

Mold & Design will continue to stand out with their unique

ability to embrace the right combination of management with

a vision, utilization of the right technology and systems to get

the job done, and their unrelenting passion to pursue excel-

lence in everything they do.

Brian Lokken, Quality Manager, and Cathy Tolin, wire EDM operator, review

work instructions and quality requirements for a new customer order. A

detailed shop traveler complete with drawings and detailed quality information

is released to the shop foor for every mold component that is machined and

ensures the highest quality molds are produced correctly the frst time.

LEarn moreVisit our CAD/CAM and Other Software

Zone for more information CAD, CAM,

CAE and data management software.

Go to moldmakingtechnology.com/

zones for a complete list.


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Machining


Preventive maintenance is about more

than just protecting your CNC machine

investment. By having a proactive preventive

maintenance plan in place, youre ensuring

you can maximize your productivity too.

By Robbie Williams

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f O

kum

a A

mer

ica

Cor

pora

tion

.

Imagine youre a mold manufacturer that was one of many

hit hard by the Great Recession. (You may be thinking

whos pretending?) For the past few years, jobs have been

scarce, and it was all you could do to keep your shop afloat.

Youve even considered laying off your highest paid machin-

ists, who of course happen to be your best and most efficient.

Words like bankruptcy and foreclosure swirl around in your

mind. You start to lose faith that the economic state of our

country will ever improve.

Then, out of the blue, youre contracted for the largest job

youve had in years. This big budget job is a big break for your

shop. As with many contract jobs, this one comes with a tight

deadline. Even though youre now working under lean opera-

tions conditions, youre in no financial position to negotiate

more time and risk losing this opportunity, so you get to

work right away. You set up the workholding and program

the machine. Suddenly, the dreaded flow alarm can be heard

across your shop. You run over to see

whats going on, and you find that you

have a clogged filtera break you did

not anticipate.

Immediately you call your local ser-

vice provider, but since they too are

working under lean operations they

dont have a service technician available

to come out until the next business

day. Theres nothing you can do but

wait. Every passing minute is costing

Preventive Maintenance Makes Good Dollars and Sense

you money. Youre now paying your operator to do nothing,

and perhaps more importantly, youre losing time.

This hypothetical scenario can end in two ways: (1) either

you lose the contract, or (2) your service provider comes to the

rescue and saves the day. Whether its the contract youve com-

promised or the stress youve endured, these challenges could

have been avoided. By keeping up with your recommended

preventive maintenance (PM) schedule, you can reduce your

chances of having a catastrophic breakdown.

Reactive Maintenance Costs

The idea of stopping production on your machine for the

small amount of time it takes to perform regularly scheduled

maintenanceand the costs involvedmight make you cringe.

However, studies show that reactive maintenance programs

on average cost 12 to 18 percent more than preventive mainte-

nance programs.

By keeping up with your recommended preventive

maintenance (PM) schedule, you can reduce your chances

of having a catastrophic breakdown.


contributor

Robbie Williams is Junior Applications Engineer at Okuma America Corpora-

tion. He has more than 18 years of experience in manufacturing within vari-

ous departments, including service and engineering.


okuma America corporation / (704) 588-7000

[email protected] / okuma.com

handy-checklist-for-preventive-maintenance

Preventive maintenance also gives you the flexibility to

choose when your machine will be shut down, perhaps during

holiday breaks when productivity is already reduced.

Preventive maintenance Controls Potential Costs

When you look at the overall cost of maintenance in your

business, youll soon realize this can be a sizable bud

154425-sep 2013.pdf

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moldmaking industry

progressive components

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