MoldMaking Technology's Top-Viewed Content 2021: MMT Chats

MMT Chats, sponsored by Iscar with New Ideas for Machining Intelligently, are a series of industry-focused video conversations led by MoldMaking Technology Editorial Director Christina Fuges. Each episode—which premiers on the MMT website and on our Youtube channel every Tuesday—is a brief, casual but insightful discussion with leading moldmaking professionals about technology solutions, business strategies and industry trends. 

A typical MMT Chat spans from 15-30 minutes, or, in the case of the recently established 5 in 5 content, five minutes. For the year 2021, Christina has continued to keep the mold manufacturing industry—you, our readers—up to date on trending content, tips, tricks and more, whether it was discussing enterprise resource planning (ERP), getting the scoop on this year’s 30 Under 30 honorees, leadership and mentorship, diversifying markets and operations, business management and an amalgamation of other useful content from people in the industry.

One of Christina’s favorite things about putting together the MMT Chats is being able to connect with many more shops and people than before when previously having to rely on trade shows or visiting shops in person—both of which involve more time, resources and money. “Not to say MMT Chats are ‘better’ than connecting in person and seeing technology in action,” she notes, “but MMT Chats enable me to connect with more than I ever could in person.”

Below are the top ten top-viewed MMT Chats of 2021. Based on analytics, these have been considered the most popular posts. However, this is just a small portion of the MMT Chats that are out there—with more than 200 chats, check out our MMT Chat tab. 

 

2. MMT Chats: 30 Under 30 Honoree, Plastics Engineering TA Teaches Value of Learning and Producing Not Perfection

UMass Lowell Plastics Engineering Teaching Assistant Michael Shone, a 2021 30 Under 30 honoree, is brought on as a guest for this MMT Chat to discuss moldmaking through the lens of academia. Here he discusses his journey, passions and job as a teaching assistant.

 

4. MMT Chats: The Need for Broader Additive Manufacturing Education to Understand its True ROI, Part 2

This MMT Chat continues the conversation with Action Mold and Machining, as two members of the Additive Manufacturing team dig a little deeper into AM education, AM’s return on investment and the facility and equipment requirements to implement AM properly. 

(Check out Part 1 here.)

 

6. MMT Chats: 30 Under 30 Honoree, Application Engineer Empowers Innovation

Christina Fuges sits down with another 2021 30 Under 30 honoree, Matsuura USA Application Engineer Nick Mitchell, for this MMT Chat. Mitchell shares his passion for learning, reliance on mentoring, mission to change traditional mindsets when it comes to AM and his desire to put his industrial engineering background to work. 

 

8. MMT Chats: The Need for Broader Additive Manufacturing Education to Understand its True ROI, Part 1

MMT Chats invites the additive manufacturing (AM) team from Action Mold and Machining in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to share their passion for and experience with AM in moldmaking by exploring how education matters to fully grasp AM’s return on investment (Part 2 is mentioned above).

This duo sets the stage by describing the team and technology that make up Action Mold & Machining’s additive capabilities, including their laser powder bed system and new young AM advocate in training, as well as discussing the company’s AM goals and recommendations for getting the entire team to buy into adopting AM. 

10. MMT Chats: The 12 Sins of Non-Disclosure Agreements

This MMT Chats’ guest is Mark Gauvain, a manufacturing and tooling business development executive (and one of MMT’s Editorial Advisory Board members) with some insight to share on a topic I’ve been asked about recently… non-disclosure agreements and manufacturing service agreements.