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MMT Chats: 5 in 5 with X-Cell Tool and Mold

MoldMaking Technology Editorial Director Christina Fuges has a quick 5-minute chat with Brian Dippel, the Operations Manager for X-Cell Tool and Mold in Fairview, Pennsylvania and MMT’s 2019 Leadtime Leader Winner. This episode is brought to you by ISCAR with New Ideas for Machining Intelligently.

Christina Fuges
Christina Fuges
Editorial Director, MoldMaking Technology

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This episode is brought to you by ISCAR with New Ideas for Machining Intelligently.

This special MMT Chat series delivers five great tips and ideas from leading mold builders on ways to improve efficiencies regarding technology, workforce development, and business management in a fast-paced chat.

My guest today is with Brian Dippel, the Operations Manager for X-Cell Tool and Mold. Brian is also one of MMT's newer Editorial Advisory Board members.

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  1. How do you create and maintain an employee-centered culture?

It's essential to think of your team as individuals.  I think it's important to listen to their ideas. When their ideas are used in modifying a mold design or modifying the manufacturing process, I think you need to give them recognition for their contributions so that they contribute again.
 

  1. What are your top 3 best technology investments & why?

The most recent ones would be the Yasda hard mills. We are getting another one (so that makes three). It is their accuracy and repeatability. We can automatically set them up, which brings me to number two, which is the robot to improve utilization. The third is our CMM. It is a definite timesaver and an added insurance policy to make sure things are exactly the way they should be.
 

  1. What is your latest process improvement?

We do it with on-time delivery and customer satisfaction. We send out surveys to our customers and have received feedback from which we've made changes.

  1. How do you measure success/metrics?

We use data more—quotes, estimated hours, etc.—to give us a more accurate picture of how we will do with a particular job. We are looking into our numbers a lot more now.
 

  1. How do you stay competitive/take advantage of new business opportunities?

Allow a customer or project to challenge your capabilities. For example, we recently picked up a mine safety project, which is a bit outside of our wheelhouse. The size of the models challenged our design software, so we needed to upgrade our computers.

For the full quick chat, watch above, and for more MMT Chats, click here.

This episode is brought to you by ISCAR with New Ideas for Machining Intelligently.

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