MMT Chats: Making Moves and Making Progress

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

I’ve known Rick Finnie, owner of M.R. Mold & Engineering since the launch of MoldMaking Technology in the late 1990s and his company remains to be one of the top LSR mold builders in the country, and actually celebrated 35 years this year.

The last time I saw Rick was when I attended the MD&M West show in February 2020 right before COVID hit. I was able to see his new facility, but the team was not quite completely moved in at the time.  A little over a year later and I got him to “sit down” with me to share an update on the facility, equipment and workforce, as well as the company’s diversification into aerospace/defense work, its progress with ISO 9001-2015 and AS9001 certifications and investment in a used metal 3D printer to bring the printing of its water jackets in-house.

Here are a few tidbits to whet your appetite:

• The push we needed to move was the fact that our building was sold and going to be demolished.
• Located only 4 miles from the old M.R. Mold location but with a lot more room and technology.
• COVID did not slow us down as a matter of fact one customer is in the respiratory care business.
• Took the opportunity to purchase the assets of a struggling shop to diversify into aerospace/defense work.
• This tooling is large mold work using machines with travels of  163 inches of travel in one axis and 63 inches in the other.
• Tools are simple just a lot bigger.
• Designers are key to learning this market.
• We should have our certifications by June 2021.
• We are rookies at AM, but we are excited.
• 3D printing the water deck on their cold runner systems in-house has saved time and money.
• What used to take 5 or 6 different setups now takes one or two with our Yasda.

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

Watch the full video chat above, and for more of our archived MMT Chat conversations, click here.