PODCAST: Mold Maintenance-No Longer an Afterthought

MoldMaking Technology launched with the tagline: Engineer-Build-Repair. Then years later we changed it to Engineer-Build-Maintain at the request of Glenn Starkey of Progressive Components to keep the tagline “positive”.

This tagline change also reflected the change in mindset about mold maintenance. It was not an afterthought anymore.

In our mold manufacturing community, much of this shift in mindset has been due to the passion of Steve Johnson of Mold Trax and ToolingDocs as well as all the partnering companies (Gesswein, Cold Jet, Blue Wave Ultrasonics, Alliance Specialties and Laser Sales, PCT, Fast Heat, Die Sep) that have shared their individual expertise through his training workshops (one of which MMT attended). The latest training effort was Tool Shop Live! at Amerimold.

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Tony Demakis of The Manufacturing Alliance Podcast and the two “Steves” of mold maintenance: Steve Johnson and Steve Wilson of Cold Jet to chat about mold maintenance, as well as their passions and hobbies.

Here are a few tidbits to whet your appetite for our 45-minute conversation.

Mold maintenance does not involve a three-pound hammer and a chisel … well, sometimes it does. You just need to know when.
We play with dry ice. It’s a very hands-on application, but not complicated.
Getting dirty with molds.
The mold maintenance job is 50% hand skills and 50% gray matter ..what you know about what you are working on.
We run ‘em too fast and too hard, don’t take care of them enough and when we do are rough when we take ‘em apart … with the wrong tools and training.
We stress the connection between the hand and the head.
Regardless of what tool you have in your hand, your ability to control that tool relies on how well you can read the resistance from the tool because you can overpower it.
Hobbies help you handle tools.
Learn better how molds function and the critical aspects of each one.
A messy sticky note mold maintenance binder inspired Mold Trax software.
People are not looking to be sold to; they want solutions.
I’m not trying to convince them to drink Coke or Pepsi, I’m trying to convince them they’re thirsty.