MMT Blog

Leadtime Leader 28 Jun 2012

Leadtime Leaders Kick off amerimold Networking Party!

2012 Leadtime Leader Award Winners Industrial Mold with Don (left) and Glenn (right) Starkey, co-owners of sponsor Progressive Components. M&M Tool and Mold received the 2012 Leadtime Leader Honorable Mention Award with the help of Don and Glenn Starkey of Progressive Components. Party time at amerimold!MoldMaking Technology honored its 10th annual Leadtime Leader Award winners at the end of the first day of amerimold, right before the annual Networking Party.

Case Study 27 Jun 2012

Industrial Molds Makes a Splash at amerimold 2012

Industrial Molds Group—the 2012 MoldMaking Technology magazine Leadtime Leader 2012 winner—reaped the benefits of exhibiting at amerimold.

26 Jun 2012

Raising Awareness

We have all kinds of Awareness Weeks and Months ranging from cancer to autism, and just last month Governor Scott Walker proclaimed the week of May 6th as “Manufacturing Awareness Week”. So it got me thinking, why not a "Moldmaking Awareness Week"?

21 Jun 2012

Total Mold Business Index for May 2012: 51.5

For the thirteenth consecutive month, overall activity levels for North American moldmakers increased in May. The Mold Business Index (MBI) for May 2012 is 51.5 (a monthly value over 50.0 indicates growth for the month). The latest MBI value is a 2.8-point decrease from the April value of 54.3, and it is a 2.0-point decrease from the 53.5 posted in May of 2011.

20 Jun 2012

amerimold 2012: A Satisfying Experience

There are really only two reasons to have a show like amerimold: 1) so that buyers and sellers all up and down the plastics injection mold supply chain can meet face-to-face and conduct business; and 2) to facilitate this market’s never-ending quest for more education. Both of these objectives were accomplished last week in Novi.

Supply Chain 19 Jun 2012

Reshoring, For Sure

The Opening Keynote at the amerimold expo in Novi, MI, last week provided an update on the Reshoring Initiative founded by Harry Moser as well as some supporting data from Steve DeHoff of Stress Engineering Services. As a follow-up from the interest generated on this topic MMT and Harry Moser will be working on an article that involves readers customizing the TCO Estimator for molds. What we are looking for is a list of known factors that are not yet costed.

Case Study 18 Jun 2012

Pre-Engineered, Modular Tooling Helps Mold Shop Cost Effectively develop Caps and Closures

B&D Machine, Inc. (Tolland, CT) shares how Roehr Tool's ProtoBridge Tool provided a faster and more economical solution for prototyping a new product.

18 Jun 2012

amerimold 2012 Ends and Sends Attendee to NASCAR Sprint Cup

Tom Hickey of Honda won NASCAR Sprint Cup Race tickets at the amerimold expo this week in Novi, MI after keynote speaker Gary Jurick, VP and General Manager of Roush Performance Products presented "Vertical Integration. Designing and Manufacturing the 2013 ROUSH Mustang". This was only one highlight of another successful event.

Regulations 14 Jun 2012

Three Stories to Watch This Summer

For the past few years, North American moldmakers have been vigorously engaged in trying to cope with three industry-wide problems. These are: low-cost competition from China; a shortage of qualified workers entering the trade; and the rising costs of materials (i.e. tool steel) and labor (i.e. healthcare costs). These problems are far from solved. The future is far from certain. And moldmakers will continue to struggle with these issues for the foreseeable future. But just in case you are getting bored or uninspired with the challenges posed by these issues, here are three more storylines that will unfold this summer and which merit your attention.