MMT Blog
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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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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Celebrating the USA's Birthday Through Commitment to American-Made!
I can’t think of a timelier topic to talk about as we celebrate Independence Day—and reshoring is gaining in popularity in the industry!
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Embracing Both Additive and Subtractive Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing can complement your subtractive manufacturing processes, establishing you as modern mold shop.
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Top 10 Reasons to Bring Plastic Injection Molding Back to the U.S.
Much like the website of Harry Moser's Reshoring Initiative, the Rodon Group has published a paper explaining 10 benefits of reshoring your injection molding work--including increases production efficiency and product quality; insures your project complies with U.S. laws and regulations; saves on costs and leadtimes; and, offers waste reduction strategies as well as monetary benefits ... to name a few.
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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.
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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.
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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"?
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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.
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