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Brighter Days this Summer for Moldmakers
The American Mold Builders Association just released its Summer Business Forecast whose participants are executives from 90 mold building companies, representing nearly 3,000 shop floor and design employees. And the survey says ... Mold Building Industry Continues to Stabilize.
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CAD Challenged?
For years we have been covering the CAD interoperability challenge facing mold shops, and today shops of all sizes are still looking for solutions despite the use of industry standards and translator tools because the costs associated with this challenge are affecting the bottom line. A new paper advising CAD users on the importance of tools that allow them to design in a multi-CAD environment might shed some encouraging light on the subject.
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Communication Breakdown?
We all know communication is the key to every relationship--at home, with friends and at work. Bad communication is the cause of most problems and good communication is the solution to most. However, proper communication is easier said than done. I found an interesting piece on how to boost team communication within the work environment that I wanted to share.
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Step Up and Be Counted!
Mold manufacturers start recruiting today! I just learned about an organization dedicated to getting veterans hired; and, from what I remember from a workforce development roundtable at the AMBA Convention in May, the qualities of military personnel are the qualities today's moldmakers are looking for in employees. Check out Milicruit and the virtual career fair happening next week.
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We're Not Alone ...
... In our skilled worker shortage here in North America, but that's not a good thing ... unless maybe we try to learn what others are doing to meet this challenge head on.
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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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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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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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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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amerimold Expo 2012 Post-Show Highlights Slideshow
Bringing mold builders, mold buyers and molders together; connections and conversations aplenty.
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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.
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