The Evolution of Today’s Mold Builder

Submitted by:
Rod Groleau, Chairman & CEO
Patricia Hirst, Marketing Coordinator
RJG Inc, Traverse City, MI

As the injection molding industry continues to evolve in the face of issues such as globalization, downsizing and short run quotas, customer demands are increasing for both the mold builder and molder. More and more companies are going off shore for the production of molded components and assemblies. Mold builders and molders alike are looking for ways to streamline their processes and decrease turn around time in order to meet the demands of their customers.

Molders are facing increased demands for shorter lead times and more stringent quality requirements from their customers. For the sake of survival, they need to find progressive mold builders that have invested in technologies and strategies to help them meet today’s challenges. They are looking for ways to reduce or eliminate costly start-up runs that are time consuming and eat into the profits of the job. Optimally they are looking for mold builders that can supply Ready-To-Go-Molds that have already been put through rigorous paces and arrive at the molders door complete with a template that the molder can easily match on the production floor. What is a Ready-To-Go mold? It starts with a good mold design, which is cut properly, assembled properly, with balanced cavities, and checks must be made to ensure that all items function as designed, clearances are proper and water lines are correct based on flow. Last but not least the mold must be challenged with a rigorous mold tryout, leaving no stone unturned. The mold builder must validate mold performance requirements prior to delivery of the mold. Today, molds need to arrive at the molders door with a guarantee that the first part produced will be good, not 2, 3 or 10 shots down the line.

Molders can no longer afford to spend the better part of a day setting up a job and developing a process. They are looking for ways to streamline the initial process set-up, as well as the time it takes to repeat the set-up process when a mold is moved to another machine. In addition, many molders are required to provide data or proof that the parts they are supplying are of the highest quality. If a molding job is transferred to a new machine they are being asked to provide documentation proving that the process has not been compromised by the move. Anyone that runs a molding facility knows that moving molds from one machine to another or one facility to another as scheduling allows, is inevitable. The ability to quickly move molds from one machine to another or from one facility to another, without an abundance of downtime, is an invaluable advantage.

All of this is happening at a time when mold builders are looking for new ways to add value to the customer in order to remain competitive. Gone are the days when tooling shops could rely on return business from their customers based on the fact that they could provide a mold that was cut to the customer’s specifications and had adequate surface finishes. Times have changed and so have the expectations of the customer. There are new technologies available to help mold builders meet these increasing demands. Just as many of today’s molders use cavity pressure control systems to manage their processes, mold builders are finding there are advantages to these systems for them as well. Many mold builders are adding mold tryout areas to their facilities so that they can test their molds for flaws or inconsistencies before they leave their shop. With the proper technology and tools in place, once the mold builder is confident that a process is producing parts that meet the required specifications, they can create a template of the process that can be shipped to the customer with the mold. The molder can then set-up the job to match the template and they are off and running in a minimal amount of time.
Many of the more progressive mold builders are realizing the value in having an in depth understanding of the molding process. Companies are sending their staff through training courses to better understand how plastic reacts to mold conditions, and what variables affect the final output of the product. Progressive mold designers and builders are taking the initiative to get to know the injection process and they are working with their customers to formulate strategies to help streamline the time from part design to production.

Mold builders are good at what they do, they know how to cut steel to meet specifications of the mold build, but most are not aware of the demands being placed on their customers. By doing their homework up front and by challenging molds early in the development stages of the design and build, tool makers are able to create molds that provide more value to the customer. Progressive tooling shops are becoming more and more in demand as molders learn of the value added services they offer. In order to compete, mold builders should ask themselves this question: "How can I make a more valuable tool, with less cost and less risk for the customer?"

To remain a key player, companies must realistically assess the strengths and weaknesses of their business and adapt in a way that capitalizes on their current core competencies. Those who do this will survive and prosper, but those who only hope for the past will not. As Albert Einstein said “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”.
Companies must realize the U.S. government is not going to protect the manufacturing industry from the obstacles that are surfacing in the manufacturing marketplace. Mold makers and molders must reevaluate their businesses to provide increased value to their customers if they expect to survive in this new economy.

In summary, to remain a key competitor, companies must adapt to the new demands of the market and restructure their way of doing business to become more efficient at what they do. The best way to accomplish this may be for them to walk a mile in their customer’s shoes. Remember that technology never comes looking for you, but it sure can pass you by.
RJG, Inc. is a supplier of in-mold cavity pressure sensors, cavity pressure control equipment and systematic processing training. In addition they offer a certification program for mold builders and tooling engineers. For more information visit their web site at www.rjginc.com.