MMT Blog
Take a Stand for Manufacturing!
I was very moved when this email crossed my desk earlier today.
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Linear Five-Axis at Die Tech & Engineering
Video about using linear motor 5-axis machines at Die Tech & Engineering in Wyoming Michigan near Grand Rapids. Simultaneous five axis contour milling of hardened tool steel.
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MoldMaking On Display
In a display case, that is. At Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) in Wisconsin, but not the magazine, our popular "Top 10 Reasons to Be a Moldmaker" T-shirts. But hey, exposure is exposure, right! Selfishly for MMT, but more importantly for mold manufacturing in general, and to some future moldmakers possibly! Bob Novak, a full-time Instructor at WCTC since 1990 who guides the Tool and Die/Moldmaking program, displayed the shirts in the case, which faces the hall of the Plastics Lab.
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The Mold Business Index: A One-Year Retrospective
Starting with July, 2011, here is how the MBI has looked for the past twelve months.
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From the Field: The Right CAD/CAM Makes New Mold Manufacture Easier and the Entire Process More Efficient
Fine, tiny detailing demanded by model railway enthusiasts requires moldmaking tolerances in manufacturing scale models that are often tighter than those in the automotive industry. With the right CAD/CAM system creating the mold around the designed product takes approximately 30% less time than it did with the CAD/CAM system PECO used before switching to VISI.
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Moving from a Trickle to a Trend
I came across an article sharing a simple plan for how to propel the reshoring trend forward ... some very familiar concepts: (1) A more educated workforce to fill skilled labor gaps, and more Americans interested in careers in manufacturing at all levels; (2) More extensive use of automated assembly processes to limit the labor input of production; and (3) Tools to help companies evaluate their true total cost of ownership (TCO) when offshoring to model all costs and risks. It does seem like reshoring is getting a lot of play nowadays ... but I'm not complaining ... it's a good thing!
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Manufacturing Day Set for October
In light of the industry’s efforts to promote manufacturing and attract new talent to the mold manufacturing industry, a group of public and private organizations are launching Manufacturing Day on October 5, 2012.
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Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Analysis Works for Everything
At the recent amerimold 2012 show in Novi, MI, the opening keynote speaker was Harry Moser. For those of you not familiar with Mr. Moser, he is a retired executive from the machinery industry who now devotes his energies to the Reshoring Initiative. In short, Harry is trying to bring mold and die manufacturing back to the U.S. His argument is based on the concept that when you consider ALL of the costs involved in manufacturing a plastic part (not just the price of the mold), America is more competitive than places like China for many types of parts. Harry has developed a nifty little spreadsheet program that assists mold buyers in calculating the wide range of costs that they will incur when they choose to manufacture a part. This analytical process of identifying and evaluating all of the costs—now and in the future--goes by the name of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), and moldmakers should also master this process.
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Mold Business Index: A One-Year Retrospective
Since this is the month of our annual directory issue, we thought it would be interesting to offer a one-year review of our Mold Business Index (MBI).
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