2013 The American Mold Builder - Summer

Summer 2013
AMBA Charter Members an Inside Look A Glimpse at Strohwig Industries Analyzing Plastic Flow Principles
The Official Publication of the American Mold Builders Association
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Summer 2013
Contents
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ON THE COVER
AMBA members view a highspeed, 5-axis floor bar with nearly 70 feet of travel at the Strohwig Industries plant tour. Photo courtesy of Creative Technology Corporation.
Features

Departments
4 Speak Out 16 Product 24 Association 38 Industry 44 Calendar 46 Ad Index
6 Market Trends How Well is Your Company Performing?
Trends in the US Moldmaking Industry Optimism Still Prevails
10 Focus A Tribute to AMBA's Charter Members (Part 1) 20 Technology Applying Plastic Flow Principles to Reduce Mold Debug & Qualification Time 28 Special Report Health Care Reform: What the Affordable Care Act Means to You 34 Strategies Success through Selectivity How a Sharper Focus Can Make You a Better Partner 42 Inside Track The Real Truth about Safety: Creating a Culture of Buy-In
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Speak Out
I hope this article finds you well and your business thriving. I am more bullish on the mold building industry in the United States than I have been in more than a decade. Everyone I talk to has had strong results for the last couple of years and is optimistic about the future. The conversations have changed from China and just hanging on to How can we attract, retain and train the next generation? It appears that there are not enough skilled moldmakers and CNC machinists to satisfy the demand and solving this issue has become the most pressing need many AMBA members face.
The American Mold Builder Published by the
Todd Finley AMBA President
American Mold Builders Association 3601 Algonquin Rd., Suite 304 Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 p 847.222.9402 f 847.222.9437 info@amba.org www.amba.org
As a responsible trade association, it is our job at the AMBA to provide valuable services to our members that meet their needs. I am proud to say that the AMBA, led by the board of directors, has listened, and we are taking action. In April, the board approved a motion to allocate a substantial investment toward solving this problem. Consequently, there are two DACUM (Develop A CuriculUM) events scheduled for this summer in Grand Rapids that are sponsored and funded by the AMBA. A number of AMBA member companies will be donating the time of their best and brightest skilled workers to establish educational standards specific to the moldmaking industry. Working with Expert Technical Training and Dr. Kitty Manley from Ferris State University, we will perform a DACUM that will establish the knowledge and skills that are required to be an AMBAendorsed journeyman. The DACUM will result in a final exam that will serve to verify that a candidate has the appropriate skills and knowledge. Once the DACUM is complete and certified, we will develop a curriculum that our members can use as a guide to define an apprenticeship program that fits their location and available training resources. Special thanks and great job to the AMBA Education Committee led by Robbie Earnhardt of Superior Tooling, Jeromy Arnett of United Tool & Mold and Andy Baker of Byrne Tool and Die. Also, special recognition goes out to the companies that have leant their best minds to work on the DACUM: Extreme Tool, Superior Tooling, M.R. Mold & Engineering, Delta Technologies Group, United Tool & Mold, Commercial Tool & Die, Do-Rite Die & Engineering and Strohwig Industries. Several companies also joined the effort to support the DACUM by sponsoring dinners for the participants: Progressive Components, Grand Die Engravers, Classic Die and Commercial Tool & Die. There will be another opportunity to get involved in the DACUM as a survey will soon go out to the AMBA membership to gather feedback on the process in progress. Your input is valuable and much needed, so please take the time to respond. I am really looking forward to the day when an AMBA member company can look at the resume of a prospective employee and be assured that the description of journeyman endorsed by the AMBA means that this candidate has achieved a high standard of education and training. I know that this standard of achievement will have been the result of great collaboration, which will make this a truly remarkable accomplishment for this association. Keep on building great American molds! Todd Finley Commercial Tool & Die, Inc.
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the american Mold Builder Summer 2013
Officers and Board of Directors President Todd Finley, Commercial Tool & Die Vice President and Treasurer Michael Bohning, Creative Blow Mold Tooling Secretary and Legal Counsel Alan Rothenbuecher, Ice Miller LLP Board of Directors Mike Armbrust, Mako Mold Corp. David Bowers II, JMMS, Inc. Toby Bral, MSI Mold Builders Robert Earnhardt, Superior Tooling Shawn McGrew, Prodigy Mold & Tool Justin McPhee, Mold Craft Paul Novak, South Coast Mold Tim Peterson, Industrial Molds Group Scott Phipps, United Tool & Mold Jim Sperber, Master Tool & Mold Mike Walter, MET Plastics AMBA Team
Troy Nix, Executive Director Kym Conis, Managing Director Sue Daniels, Web/EMarketing/Member Services
Managing Editor: Kym Conis Assistant Editor: Sue Daniels Art Director: Cara Pederson Advertising/Sales: Kym Conis Circulation: Sue Daniels
Opinions expressed in this publication may or may not reflect the views of the Association and do not necessarily represent official positions or policies of the Association or its members.
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Market Trends
How Well is Your Company Performing?

Every day, this question is on the minds of manufacturing executives across this great country of ours. In fact, many business leaders will go to extremes breaking down all segments of their operation in order to truly understand how the sum of the parts is actually impacting the whole the bottom-line profitability of their business. Yes, good business leaders benchmark all aspects of their operations to make more money! AMBA recently conducted its 2013 Financial Benchmarking Survey in which nearly 25 percent of the membership population anonymously provided their company data. Although the final report statistics may not be of interest to all moldmaking executives, there are many who have actually taken action to improve their operations based on the results of the final study. One industry executive who owns a $2.5M mold manufacturing operation was extremely puzzled by his companys under performance in two distinct areas: 1) Revenue per Employee and 2) Gross Profit per Employee. From a revenue position, a typical moldmaking operation is producing a median value of approximately $163,845 of sales per employee. In this owners case, his operation was running about 10 percent below the norm or about $16,000 less per employee than his counterparts.
By Troy Nix, AMBA Executive Director
To begin correcting this issue, the owner and his executive team brainstormed possible solutions to this problem and came up with an action plan that added a commission sales person focused 100-percent of the time on finding new business opportunities for the company. In addition, the owner reconfigured his own duties in order to free up additional time to develop relationships with the current customers of his company in order to grow the possibility of gaining more repeat business. Although his strategy has only been in place for a few months, the owner reports that he is already seeing how relationships are playing a key role in future revenue sustainability. The second phase of this owners improvement plan involved a focus on gross profit. The 2013 AMBA Financial Benchmarking Report reveals that companies under $2.5M in annual sales recognize a median gross profit of approximately 43.7 percent of their total sales revenue. Because his companys performance benchmarks were lower than this median statistic, the executive team of this mold shop focused on two primary improvement activities, including better use and management of direct labor and the creation of a strategy to improve its procurement habits. Though management of the labor component of the business has yet to yield direct results, several strategic meetings with vendors that supply materials have begun to
the american Mold Builder
Summer 2013
slowly, yet positively impact the company. In fact, those on the management team now wonder why they waited so long to enact such procurement strategies and tactics with their suppliers. The moral of this case study is simple. Executives who proactively use benchmarking data to identify areas of opportunity in their businesses are more prone to identify gaps and deficiencies in performance. Even though the focus on the bottom line is imperative, those who benchmark segments of their operations often find many obvious improvement opportunities upstream of their bottom-line numbers. A second, more generic case study example recently reported by an AMBA survey participant emphasized that the customized results his executive team received from the benchmarking report helped to make some important decisions on the future of the mold building operation. The data included in the report actually aided the leadership team in establishing realistic goals and metrics, as the team realized from the data that the operation was not running as efficiently as it should be. As in the first case study, the results of the report helped the company hone in on areas of weakness, allowing it to implement new ideas and turn its weaknesses into strengths ultimately impacting profits. Since running a business comes down to business strategy, using results of industry studies like the 2013 AMBA Financial Benchmarking report can provide company executives with the simple tools they need to create new tactics and approaches to running their operations. In the case study just described, the one-hour investment of time to provide data during the AMBA survey process will significantly impact this companys bottom line for years to come. AMBAs leadership team encourages its member company executives to involve themselves in the 2014 initiative, which will begin in January of this coming year. Maybe your team will be the next to share a positive case study because of your investment in benchmarking! n
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Market Trends
Trends in the US Moldmaking Industry Optimism Still Prevails
Business leaders who regularly congregate commonly ask the question Hows business? to one another in order to authenticate and benchmark their own gut feeling of the state of their business affairs. During AMBAs recent plant tour workshop event at Strohwig Industries, located just outside of Milwaukee, WI, approximately 75 mold manufacturing executives shared their views on economic and business conditions, which ranged from being extremely optimistic to very cautious. In general, most mold/diemaking operations are running steady with adequate backlog; however, when looking to the end of 2013, many are more uncertain and guarded. Quite interestingly, these discussions closely mirrored the results of AMBAs most recent Economic Conditions report just published. Outcomes of AMBAs latest business conditions report revealed that 77 percent of the survey respondents rated their current operational situations as either excellent or good (see figure 1.0). More importantly, over one half (or 53 percent) of the survey participants are forecasting that their businesses will moderately improve over the next six months, representing a six-point jump over first quarter outcomes. The upper quartile of those participating in providing input, or one in twelve, are anticipating substantial growth over the next six months. By examining the specific elements of the AMBA Economic report, including job quoting, backlog, shipments, employment levels and profitability, it appears that improved margins have impacted the viewpoints of nearly one-third of those participating in this survey, as over 29 percent indicated that profits have improved over the last quarter. (In AMBAs 2013 first quarter business survey, only 14 percent of the survey respondents indicated an improvement in profitability over the previous quarter.) Slightly offsetting this positive trend is the fact that 22 percent of survey respondents indicated that their profits had actually decreased when compared to first quarter performance. As can be seen in figure 2.0, the gap between those realizing margin increases and those realizing margin decreases has slightly widened. However, most notable is the fact that profit stability has changed over the last quarter as those indicating that profitability remained the same dropped by 30 percent.
Summer 2013
Quoting Same Up Down Shipments Same Up Down Backlog Same Up Down Profits Same Up Down
4Q11 52% 27% 20% 4Q11 49% 43% 9% 4Q11 41% 40% 18% 4Q11 54% 30% 16%
1Q12 49% 27% 24% 1Q12 51% 35% 14% 1Q12 36% 37% 27% 1Q12 54% 32% 14%
2Q12 51% 33% 16% 2Q12 55% 34% 11% 2Q12 34% 41% 25% 2Q12 63% 25% 12%
3Q12 46% 34% 20% 3Q12 51% 28% 21% 3Q12 31% 33% 36% 3Q12 54% 22% 24%
4Q12 51% 26% 23% 4Q12 64% 21% 15% 4Q12 37% 34% 29% 4Q12 63% 17% 20%
1Q13 57% 20% 23% 1Q13 48% 32% 20% 1Q13 35% 36% 29% 1Q13 70% 14% 16%
2Q13 37% 35% 28% 2Q13 42% 31% 27% 2Q13 32% 32% 35% 2Q13 49% 29% 22%
Trends in Total Employment and Total Shop Floor Work Hours pointed slightly downward after holding steady for the last two reporting periods. The median reported shop employees work hours decreased by 4 percent to 48 hours, while the average also totaled 48 hours. Work week hours for design and engineering professionals followed suit as the median moved from 48 to 45 hours representing a 6.25-percent decrease. n To read the full survey results, visit http://www. amba.org/Business_Forecast_Survey_Results. php.
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Focus
A Tribute to AMBAs Charter Members (Part 1)
Nearly four decades ago, several mold building companies had the foresight to unite with fellow mold building operations through membership in the American Mold Builders Association (AMBA). Conceived in 1973, the AMBA strived to bring together a talented group of skilled craftsman in an effort to provide them with not only a voice, but also a powerful tool in business management that would help to protect their investment. These companies were first to share the AMBAs vision and together, would work to grow the industry at large. In the first of a two-part series, the American Mold Builders Association pays tribute to four of its eight charter members in a historical overview of the road they traveled to success. Together, these four companies possess nearly two centuries of knowledge and expertise in the mold building industry.
Elba Tool was founded in Maywood, IL, in 1962 by Horst Elendt and Otto Barth in an old butcher shop with wooden floors. There they built plastic injection molds and machined various other items in an effort to keep the new company going. They started the company with only a small lathe, a couple of grinders and some Bridgeports with cross slide turntables. Eventually, they bought a tube type Elox EDM and tru-trace hydraulic duplicating unit on a Bridgeport mill. Those things were considered state-of-the-art equipment at the time. Details that needed to be sharpened out on cavity sets, such as lifters and some part geometries, were sometimes filed, chiseled or broached by hand. Eventually, the company migrated to paper-tape CNC machines and a larger electronic duplicating mill. At the time, we tried to use what we had and upgrade as best we could, said Elba Tool President Erich Elendt. Now we have 5-axis and 3-axis high-speed machining centers and EDMs that are centrally networked, with all our programs created offline. Our history is pretty interesting. When my dad, Horst, first started his apprenticeship in Germany, he was filing blocks square by hand. They had grinders, but were not allowed to use them until they mastered their basic skills, said Elendt. The apprenticeship program he went through over there was very difficult simply because todays technology did not exist and the instructors they had were very hard on the students.
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In the 1980s, the company moved to a 9,000 sq. ft. building in Schaumburg, IL, where it employed approximately 12-15 team members and built both plastic injection and die-cast molds. According to Elendt, In the 80s, we saw an increasing amount of overseas competition from smaller countries in different parts of the world for plastic molds and decided to focus primarily on diecast molds because of that. It was then that Elba started buying larger equipment. Unfortunately, Barth passed away suddenly in 1995. In 1999, the company moved into a new 20,000 sq. ft. facility in Bloomingdale, IL. Since that time, it has continually added equipment and people and now has the capability of building die-cast molds for presses up to and including 1,800 tons. Originally, Elba Tool served the automotive, agricultural, lighting and outdoors markets, doing work for GM, John Deere, Caterpillar, Halo Lighting and Zebco. The company built molds for everything from the popular Snoopy kids fishing reels to Holley carburetors. In the late 80s, it prototyped castings and built tooling for the original Northstar induction housing system for Cadillac, which was cast out of magnesium. Today, Elba Tool primarily serves the automotive market with a small percentage in various other consumer markets.
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t page 10 Currently, Elba uses all technology available to mold shops, including 4-axis wire EDM and simultaneous 5-axis machining. It designs all of its molds in 3D using UG-NX, and programming is done offline using Powermill. The technology we use and our in-process shop floor quality control measures allow us to build tools and components that are 100-percent interchangeable for our customers, said Elendt. That is something we stake our reputation on.
Also, some of our newer customers are requesting more machining capacity. They like our product quality so much they have come to rely on us, Elendt explained. As enticing as it may be to add capacity all at once, we are doing it in a conservative fashion, as we have always done, so as not to lose control of the product quality and delivery.
Looking back over the last half a century, Elendt feels the industry has not changed much except for the technology, as the industry is, and always will be, a highly competitive business. The only difference with overseas competition now is that it has been coming from China and not Japan or Europe like it did back in the day, said Elendt. It is nice to see that those of us that survived the competitive onslaught of China can now start to reap the rewards of re-shoring and a much improved manufacturing industry in general. Elendt concluded by saying, I truly believe manufacturing is on the upswing and is once again being recognized as an important part of the American economy. All I can say is for those economists and politicians that wrote off manufacturing here in the US, you were wrong about us you havent seen anything yet!
In business for 51 years, Elba Tools 20 employees enjoy a family-oriented atmosphere where everyone communicates and gets along well. We all pay attention to details and deliveries and are proud of the work we do, said Elendt. Our crew does what it takes to get the job done. We take a methodical and detailed approach towards every project and focus on each individual customers needs, which is not always easy. It requires us to be flexible. I firmly believe that the high-profile projects we have done are directly related to customers realizing this and trusting us to do the job right the first time around. My father always said, If our customers make money, we will make money, and our customers loyalty has proven this to be true over the years. Currently, Elba Tool is adding equipment and people to serve customer needs. A few of its customers are growing rapidly and the company wants to grow with them.
Ole Bradley and Norbert Hauck at work in the late 1970s.
Ole Bradley and Norbert Hauck celebrate PM Molds 50th Anniversary at Arlington Park Race Track.
PM Mold was founded in 1963 in the garage of Norbert Hauck with a Bridgeport, a surface grinder and some small support equipment. Partner/owners Hauck and Olav Bradley moved the fledgling business to Chicago in 1965 where it remained for three years. The companys first molds were built for the electronics industry. In 1968, the company moved to a larger facility in Franklin Park, IL, where it remained until 1974 when PM Mold moved to Schaumburg, IL. In 1986, PM Mold acquired its first molding press and in 1990, opened an injection molding facility in East Dundee, IL. According to Norbert Haucks son, Larry, customers
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were asking for samples and also to run production from their molds, which led the company to buy some molding presses. This provided PM Mold the opportunity to become more of a full-service supplier to its customers and meet their changing needs. The injection molding facility was moved in 1993 to Schaumburg just a few buildings down from the mold manufacturing facility until it expanded in 2002 into its current location in Schaumburg. Spanning a total of 43,000 sq. ft., the facility houses both the mold manufacturing and injection molding operations. PM Mold General Manager Larry Hauck did not work at PM Mold while in high school. I was going to a local
college and working some odd jobs at the time as well My father encouraged me to try and get into the trade, but did not want to hire me. He wanted me to start in the trade somewhere else, which I did, said Hauck. He started working in a small grinding/specialty shop in Schaumburg and did so for two and a half years while continuing to go to college and TMA trade school. I really enjoyed working at the grinding/specialty shop but did not feel I was progressing enough at that time, nor did I see that I would progress as fast as I would like in the near future, said Hauck. On advice from his father, Hauck interviewed at a few area mold shops that looked to be a good fit for Hauck to learn the trade. But once they recognized my last name, they did not want to hire me because they figured I would end up working at PM Mold anyway, recalled Hauck. This led to an interview with Ole Bradley at PM Mold, and Hauck was hired in 1984. Today, PM Mold employs 60 team members between both operations and runs three shifts in molding and one shift in mold building with flexibility to work off-shifts when necessary. Serving the automotive, electrical, appliance, military, agriculture, aerospace and housewares markets, PM Molds specialty lies in its ability to be a full-service provider to its customers, offering engineering, tooling, molding, assembly/packaging and program management. In recognition of its 50th year in business, PM Mold recently celebrated its milestone accomplishment at Arlington Race Track, Arlington Heights, Il. with employees, family and friends. Over the years, Hauck stated that the greatest challenge the company has had to overcome is the willingness to adapt the business to market changes and fluctuations. We are constantly reinventing ourselves here at PM Mold to adapt to what our customers are demanding, said Hauck. If we dont, someone else will. Internally, the atmosphere at PM Mold is very fast-paced and exciting, requiring constant communication between team members. Being that we are both a molder and mold
builder, constant demands have to be met from both divisions in order to satisfy our customers, said Hauck. We have a great staff that embodies our company philosophies and it shows in our work. We believe very much in teamwork and open communication between everyone, as without that philosophy, we would not be able to meet the needs of our customers. Involved in the Harper College Manufacturing Internship program, PM Mold has held multiple tours for college students, as well as tours for the colleges camps (11-14 year olds) to expose them to the industry. Hauck also sits on the AMBA Chicago Chapter education committee. The future looks bright for PM Mold, with some aggressive plans over the next couple of years to meet customer demands. Our customers are asking for us to do more and more to help them bring their products to market more quickly, so we have taken on additional roles in the manufacturing process that we have not done in the past, said Hauck. Our goal and company philosophy is to help get our customers product to market as quickly and cost effectively as possible. If our customers dont grow, then we dont growthats the bottom line. page 14 u
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B A Die Mold got its start in 1968 when company Founder and CEO Alan Petrucci rented a small part of a plastics processing companys plant in Rolling Meadows, IL. But the company soon outgrew the space, as it did in two more locations in Downers Grove, and in 1975, moved to yet a larger plant in Lisle, IL. For the next 27 years, the company grew in size and in its reputation for building top quality injection molds for plastic. B A peaked at about 29 employees while in Lisle (80 if counting Imperial Plastics, a thermoset molding company Petrucci owned for 11 years.) Then in 2000, Petrucci, along with his daughter, Francine, who joined the company full time in 1994 and is now its president and a majority co-owner, built a 16,000 sq. ft. manufacturing plant in Aurora, IL, where it is currently located. From an early age, Francine Petrucci worked with her father in his thermoset molding operation. When she was only seven, she remembers piling into the car to mold parts at Imperial after her father returned from a days work at B A Die Mold. Well, my brother and I were actually too young to work the presses, but we could degate and run the flash tumblers, Petrucci recalled. After high school, she earned an engineering degree with an emphasis in plastics and statistical process control and joined the B A team thereafter. Today, B A manufactures molds for water filtration, medical, appliance controls, electrical components for automotive and caps and closures. The company is especially known for designing and manufacturing complicated unscrewing molds and multi-action tools for engineered parts.
Alan Petrucci lays down on the job in front of two 48-cavity molds.
B A Mold developed the patented PERC System, a servo motor-driven mold system ideal for molders that utilize electric molding machines to manufacture threaded parts. B A offers engineering services, mold design and mold building, as well as mold trials and short-run molding. In addition, quick turnaround product development also is a very strong customer service offering. In business for 45 years, B A has answered the industrys call for higher accuracy and shorter lead-times. According to B A Die Mold General Manager Michael Duquette, No longer is it adequate to produce parts that fit and function. Globalization requires every part from every manufacturer to be per design, allowing complete interchangeability of product components. To achieve this high level of accuracy and consistency, B A relies on the latest in high-tech equipment, calibrated on a regular basis. Automated tool checking and post-machining inspection ensure that its components match the customer-supplied data every time. During the early days of B A Die Mold, mold build lead-times of 18 to 20 weeks were not uncommon for complex tooling and were generally acceptable to customers. However in todays world, time-to-market is a critical factor for most manufacturers, said Duquette, and customers expect their molds to be completed very quickly. With pride in producing high-quality molds, B As 12 team members are a close-knit group of multi-talented players with tremendous collaborative skills. Cross-training is key, particularly in a small shop. In fact, over the last six years, B A has provided its moldmaking team members an average of 90 hours of cross training annually. In the near future, B A plans to continue development of its employee skill sets and add new equipment.
Alan Petrucci (far right) joins his team for a holiday photo in the early 70s. Petruccis wife, Pat, made the holiday aprons.
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Summer 2013
In 1965, Tony Sikorcin started a mold building company in Franklin Park, IL., at the urging of Bill Sundall, who was in charge of procurement at Mayflower Molded Products.With work sourced from Mayflower (while Sikorcin continue to work on his uncles machines at night), Craftsman Tool & Mold was born. Starting with two to three employees, the company soon moved to Rosemont, IL, in 1968. At this time, Sikorcin teamed with Heinz Karls and a new partnership formed, with Sikorcin in charge of sales while Karls ran the shop. In 1969, Sikorcin made a sales call at Georges Manufacturing Co. and ran into Fred Lauritzen from his TMA bowling league. Lauritzen happened to be a partner at Georges Manufacturing. According to Craftsman President Wayne Sikorcin (Tonys son), The newly developed relationship between Craftsman and Georges was pinnacle, as Georges had many good accounts a company could grow with. Shortly after the business relationship started, Georges bought out Karls shares of Craftsman and the joint venture relocated to Franklin Park, IL. Craftsman proceeded to land a huge order from Eastman Kodak Company for the disc camera program in 1972. The companys acquisition of a Cincinnati Milacron Hydrotel Machining Center with the 40-wide travel in 1975 launched it into the mold base business, and it hasnt looked back since. In 1979, Craftsman bought itself back from Georges and 30-year employee Terry Dinelli acquired Craftsman shares to become a partner. Wayne Sikorcin worked for Georges Manufacturing as a junior moldmaker and in 1986, went to work for Craftsman, running machines in the shop. Dinelli ran the shop until 2003 and in that same year, Wayne Sikorcin took over the company with his father still performing estimating. In 2008, the father and son team developed a succession plan that would take Craftsman into the next generation. Today, Craftsman services the medical, packaging, closures, unscrewing, personal care, PET preforms and automotive markets, with its largest niche market in large, close tolerance mold bases and manifold plate work. With our large gun drills, grinders, boring mills and CNC machines,
we are able to keep everything in-house, stated Sikorcin. We lead the industry in close tolerance packaging molds, stack frames, rotational spin stacks and multi-cavity bases. Looking back over Craftsmans 47 years in operation, Sikorcin sees the biggest changes to the industry, besides automation and advanced technology in CNC machinery, would be that individuals have become specialists in their departments. It used to be where the moldmaker did 80 percent of the job himself. Now, he is the individual who oversees and assembles the molds, said Sikorcin. The most difficult part of any change is employee buy-in. After struggling to make a profit like much of the nation in 2008-2011, Craftsman spent the time and effort to discover what it did best and took action to create a successful business plan. Today, the success of that plan, in part, is evident in Craftsmans 48 employees who operate two shifts from its 40,000 sq. ft. facility with passion and excitement. We have changed from the old mentality of the front office having all of the control and have placed the responsibility with the employees, said Sikorcin. At Craftsman, employee empowerment has proven to be a powerful leadership tool.
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Product
High-Temperature Electric Inert Atmosphere Furnace ROTA NCR Precision 6-Jaw Compensation Chuck
No. 854 is a special high-temperature, 2200F electrically heated, inert atmosphere floor furnace from Grieve, Round Lake, IL, currently used for various heat treating applications at a customers facility. Workspace dimensions measure 24 wide x 48 deep x 24 high. 53KW installed in heavy-gauge, high-temperature Kanthal AF alloy wire, rod overbend design heaters provide maximum operating temperatures to 2200F. This Grieve furnace features 9 insulated walls, consisting of 4 thick 2600F firebrick, 2 thick 2300F firebrick and 2 thick block insulation. A firebrick plate hearth is supported on firebrick piers. An electrically operated vertical lift door is provided, with remote foot pedal control. Special inert atmosphere construction on No. 854 includes a continuously welded outer shell, high-temperature door gasket, sealed heater terminal boxes, inert atmosphere inlet, outlet and flowmeter. Safety and control equipment on-board this Grieve furnace include a digital indicating temperature controller, manual reset excess temperature controller with separate contactors and a four-channel strip chart recorder. For more information, visit www.grievecorp.com. The clamping of thinwalled and easily deformed components is challenging. With the ROTA NCR 6-jaw compensation chuck, SCHUNK, Morrisville, NC, offers a standard solution for this type of workpiece. SCHUNK has standardized the sizes of the ROTA NCR with diameters up to 1200mm, opening up the possibilities for precision workpiece clamping with large lathe chucks. The ROTA NCR consists of a central chuck piston, which has three inner pendulums positioned at 120. Each pendulum works in conjunction with three pairs of base jaws, resulting in 6-point contact. With clamping force points being aligned towards the chuck center of rotation, even pre-machined parts can be centered without deformation of the workpiece. The ROTA NCR is available in sizes of 165, 200, 250, 315, 400, 500, 630, 800, 1000 and 1200 mm diameters. SCHUNKs ROTA NCR chuck offering can be utilized on virtually any turning application. It also offers the possibility for air and coolant feed through. For more information, visit www.schunk.com.
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With a personal touch
Custom Mold Bases

M&M Tooling Inc., is a complete Custom Mold Base manufacturing facility with capacity up to 35 x 80. We employ top journeymen mold-makers, utilizing Mazak CNC machining centers maintaining tight tolerances, to achieve high quality results. M&M Tooling Incs mission is and always will be, to provide follow-through on commitments to our customers, with personal attention that exceeds expectations. Where Your Success is Our Business 395 E. Potter St. Wood Dale, Illinois 60191 Phone: 630-595-8834 Fax: 630-595-6806 Web: www.MMTOOLING.com Email: MMTOOLING@aol.com
Specializing in Mold Shop Overflow Work
Your Source!
New AC Temperature Controller from Oven Industries
Oven Industries, Mechanicsburg, PA, features a new AC Temperature Controller with easy-to-use software and data retrieval capabilities. Oven Industries announces the new 5R1-1400 AC Temperature Controller with the integrated potentiometers or via a PC through the TTL level UART communication port. This compact design measuring two and one half inches square can deliver up to 15 amps of load current from a zero voltage switched, lownoise, solid-state relay. Operator safety is achieved with 1KV of AC line power isolation for the communication port and sensor input. Specifications include input voltage 85 to 265VAC 50/60Hz, temperature resolution 0.1C and ambient temperature operation -20 to 70C.
Member
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Oven Industries supplies custom temperature controllers and sensors that serve an array of clients, including aerospace, automotive, biomedical, defense markets, medical and semiconductor. From industrial temperature controllers to programmable sensors, Oven Industries creates many detailed and customized solutions for clients, designed by an expertly trained staff of engineers. For more information, visit www.ovenind.com.
SoftGate Advanced Sequential Control Performance
I Hydraulic Valve Pin Velocity Control I Superior Surface Quality I Reduced Weld Lines I Retrots to Existing System
3D Scanning and Photogrammetry from Capture 3D
The ATOS Plus from Capture 3D, Costa Mesa, CA, intuitively integrates photogrammetry, 3D scanning and inspection to further advance automation, dimensional analysis, verification and process safety. This dynamic combination enhances measurement accuracy, increases repeatability and eliminates the need for costly precise fixtures. It streamlines the entire measurement process while decreasing the overall project time. With a press of a button, ATOS Plus automatically performs photogrammetry, 3D scanning and inspection delivering accurate and rapid results. The ATOS Plus is available with high-resolution, 12 or 29 million megapixel cameras. For more details, visit www.capture3d.com.
I Conventional Valve Gate System
New Desktop CNC Machine for Prototyping Sets Bar
I With INCOE SoftGate Technology
Advance Control Tech, Granada Hills, CA, announces the latest addition to its line of small desktop CNC router milling machines DCM-III. The state-of-theart DCM-III delivers precision workmanship in detail demanding tasks such as 3D moldmaking, jewelry making, research lab work, engraving, PC board drilling, dental applications, etc. The small desktop/benchtop CNC machine weighs just 260 pounds and can be used for a full range of projects with pinpoint accuracy, topping all other desktop routers on the market. Despite its lightweight and easy portability, the milling machine breezes through heavy-duty applications with ease.
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INCOE Hot Runner Systems

SoftGate Valve Pin Velocity Control systems resolve issues related to conventional hydraulic sequential molding.The key advantage for molders is in the gradual pin actuation, precisely timed as needed for optimized melt ow. The results are signicant reductions in cosmetic blemishes and weld lines with improved part-to-part consistency. That's INCOE Hot Runner Performance.
North America | Europe | Asia | South America
INCOE Corporation
1740 East Maple Road Troy, Michigan 48083 USA T: +1 (248) 616-0220 F: +1 (248) 616-0225 E: info@incoe.com
www.incoe.com
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The DCM-IIIs compact, lightweight construction makes it portable and adds versatility to any shop. ACT also offers an accompanying metal desk for the DCM-III for freestanding, non-desktop usage, as well as a desktop CNC machine for prototyping. The companys CNCenabled milling machines deliver the ability to move the spindle vertically as well as across the axis, making it possible to perform the most precise tasks with ease and unmatched precision. For more information on DCM-III, visit www.actmachines.com.
Flymaker Pro Dot Peen Marking Now Available

Equipment Sales Co., Sioux City, IA, announces the Flymarker Pro mobile dot peen marking system that has high marking speed, weighs only 10 pounds and is small in physical size. Equipped with a strong magnet and a
powerful battery, the portable power package creates deep and durable markings. The markings are even readable after a coating process, which is not always the case with a laser marking system. The control unit is installed in the break-proof housing of the hand-held marking system. The marking files can be programmed via the self-explanatory software of the integrated control unit. Only basic computer knowledge is necessary for the operation. Alternatively, it is possible to create the marking files using the optional PC software and then transferring to the marking device using the USB interface. The linear guides in x- and ydirection give very precise marking head positioning to guarantee repeatable accuracy. Illumination enables the operator to easily see the work piece area to be marked. For more information, visit www.equipmentsalesco.net.
SISE ISTimer Doubles Control Capacity
SISE, Atlanta, GA, has doubled the control capacity of its timebased valve gate controller due to customer demand. The ISTIMER can now control up to 16 valve gates and two openings/closings per cycle. The 24file memory and advanced alarm system allow for more efficient product. The ISTIMERs small footprint and low price point make it an attractive product for almost any operation. Whether controlling temperature with SISEs World Series modular system, programming valve gate sequences with its ISBasic or monitoring production efficiency with Cyclades, SISE has Plastics Technology Under Control. For more information, visit www.sise-plastics.com.
Crafts Technology Launches New Website
Crafts Technology, Chicago, IL, announced that the company has experienced significant growth in demand from US manufacturers throughout 2012 and 2013 for its custom tooling and components made from ultra-hard wear materials. To offer educational information to manufacturers, Crafts Technology recently revamped its website at www.craftstech.net, adding resources on the ultra-hardwear materials it uses, which include tungsten carbide,
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advanced ceramics and polycrystalline diamond. We attribute our growth to our ability to innovate for our customers in ways that help improve their productivity and reduce their overall costs, says Tom Kuhl, president of Crafts Technology. Our engineers and metallurgists work closely with our customers to improve part design, select the right material for the application, cut cycle time and increase the life of the tooling or component. Crafts Technology manufactures tooling and components designed to stand up under harsh conditions, severe abrasion and corrosion and to provide accelerated heat transfer. For more information, visit www.craftstech.net.
while analyzing the micro-segments of the programmed tool path in order to achieve smooth and uniformed machine performance of both linear and rotary axes. The HSSA works by anticipating conflicting areas of the executing program and automatically smoothing the transitions, while always following the machining tool path. At the same time, algorithms are developed for smoothing the profile while cross-confirmation is done with the axes, in respect to jerk control and the multiple acceleration/deceleration curves when the movement of a rotary axis requires a better response than the linear axis while RTCP is active. For more information, visit www.dmscncrouters.com.n
Golden Star Stone Offers Quick Material Removal
BORIDE Engineered Abrasives, Traverse City, MI, the world leader in the manufacturing of polishing stones, proudly introduces its latest star in its moldstone lineup the Golden Star. Made from select premium aluminum oxide grain and a proprietary treatment process, the Golden Star is of medium hardness with a fast breakdown, offering quick material removal while contouring quickly and leaving a silky smooth finish. The Golden Star works on all tool steels and performs exceptionally on EDM surfaces, milling and machining marks. The Golden Star does not require a lengthy pre-lubrication process and is terrific when used during hand stoning as well as with profilers. For more information, visit www.borideabrasives.com.
HSSA Revolutionizes DMS CNC Routers
Diversified Machine Systems, Colorado Springs, CO, a leading manufacturer of 3-axis and 5-axis CNC routers, has been creating high-precision, quality routers for over thirty years. As part of its ongoing effort to improve the speed and accuracy of its machines and through its partnership with Fagor Automation, DMS is introducing the HSSA feature as a standard offering on all of DMS CNC routers going forward, revolutionizing its machining capabilities. The HSSA (High-Speed Surface Accuracy) is the most recent evolution in high-speed cutting. DMS CNC routers work in conjunction with the HSSA by monitoring the execution of the program in real time,
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Technology
Applying Plastic Flow Principles to Reduce Mold Debug & Qualification Time
By David Hoffman, Beaumont Technologies, Inc.
If a mold builder were to review many of the mold startup and debugging problems he has encountered over the years, he might discover a recurring list of problems (flash, non-fills, unable to pack the parts, dimensional variations, warp, broken core pins, poor cosmetics, etc.). And for a specific mold, if that mold builder were to ask someone on the shop floor or in the quality department which cavity or cavities are causing a specific problem, the answer might be something like, Its random. Sometimes the problems are in cavity six, other times in cavity three and other times in cavity seven. But with such a common theme of recurring defects, one has to begin to wonder if those defects are truly random? Why do the same problems keep showing up in nearly every mold this moldmaker builds? How much time and money is spent fixing the same problems over and over? And what can be done to diagnose and fix the root causes? Or better yet, what can be done to prevent the problems from happening in the first place, thus improving delivery and quality while saving the mold builder and his customer time and money? Using plastic flow principles as a root cause analysis tool will allow the mold builder to see through all the noise encountered during the mold debug and troubleshooting phases by separating out the many confusing variables. And when done properly, all of this can be achieved at a lower cost and with a shorter lead-time.
Flow groups
Separating the root causes of mold filling and part quality variations is done using flow groups and regions. Figure 1 is a flow group and region map of a 16-cavity mold.
4A 2A 2B 4B
3A
1A
1B
3B
3D
1D
1C
3C
The missing link
To begin to answer these questions, one must look beyond the mold steel itself. Not all answers to mold debug lie within what can be seen and measured with calipers and gauges. After all, complex plastic materials are being molded inside of the molds. Plastic materials expand in the molding machine barrel and contract inside the mold steel. Their resistance to flow is affected by temperature, how fast they are pushed and the geometry through which they flow. And to make matters worse, these effects are not uniform throughout the mold. But it is this link, fundamental plastic flow principles, that often lie at the root of many of the part quality defects and process issues not only seen during mold debug but continuously throughout the life of the mold. Unfortunately, and ironically, there is a general lack of proper education on understanding plastics and how they flow through a mold. And this is a problem not only in the moldmaking department of a company but also, within the processing and quality control departments as well.
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4D
2D
2C
4C
Figure 1
This methodology is based on the science of plastic flow using the simplified pressure drop equation as its foundation (Figure 2).
Figure 2
To better understand how this works, consider that all filling and part quality variations are a result of a pressure drop difference experienced by the plastic as it flows to and within the molds melt delivery system and part cavities.
2011 Beaumont Technologies, Inc.

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Weight
The pressure drop equation breaks down the possible causes of these differences into mold steel (l = flow length, r = radius of the flow channel) versus rheological (n = material viscosity) variations. Common steel variations include such things as core/cavity steel dimensions, gate size/gate land variations and venting, in addition to outside variables such as molding machine inconsistencies, heater band functionality, cold slugs and so on. These variations are defined as those that exist within a given flow group. The variations that exist between flow groups are a result of different material viscosity characteristics within each of the flow groups. The viscosity variations are caused by non-uninform shear history of the material as it travels through the mold.
100 80 60 40 20 0
Gauge Pin Diameter Gate Area
Figure 3
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Diagnosing molds systematically
When diagnosing mold debug issues using flow groups and regions, the mold builder first must come to grips with the science behind the procedure so he can build trust in what the data is telling him. The second concept to grasp is that small differences in steel amount to large differences in plastic flow. This is shown by the r value in the pressure drop equation being raised exponentially to the fourth power. This is such an important variable that tolerances (yes, standard machining and part print tolerances) have been shown to cause too much variation in plastic flow that it directly affected the quality of the molded parts. And these differences are often masked based on how the steel is measured. As an example, Figure 3 shows the short shot weight taken during mold start-up. As can be seen, there is nearly a 40-percent steel variation within Flow Group 1. The part was gated with a standard tunnel gate with a gate size specification of 0.020 +/- 0.001.
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The gates were measured using pin gauges and all gates were recorded to be within spec; therefore, it was believed that the variation could not possibly be within the gate sizes. However, most tunnel gates result in an oval opening on the part. Thus, the standard practice of measuring tunnel gates results in measuring oval shapes using a round pin. This results in a measurement in the minor axis only, not the major axis of the oval. Figure 3 also shows the short shot data overlaid with the gate size measurements using a pin gauge versus the actual cross-sectional area of the gate. The cross-sectional area measurements correspond directly with the short shot data. In this case, the actual variation in steel was larger than the measured values, mainly due to the measurement method. However, it demonstrates that a tolerance of +/-0.001 on a gate size of 0.020 diameter is enough to create larger variations in plastic flow. Simply stated trust the data.
Figure 4 is an example of a 16-cavity mold showing the conventional way of looking at mold data which resulted in a calculated variation of 51 percent. From here, a great deal of variation can be seen, but no rhyme or reason as to what is causing the variation. Figure 5 is the same data but rearranged according to flow group and regions. By looking at the data in this fashion, steel variations can be calculated within each flow group and viscosity variations between each of the flow groups. In addition, a pattern that existed in the data can be identified easily. Further analysis revealed a trend in which the cavities in the A & D regions were the heaviest cavities in all flow groups. Therefore, root cause analysis efforts could be focused on measuring cavity spacing, runner diameters, runner lengths, etc., which ultimately led to identifying a variation of .006 (.152 mm) in one half of the primary runner. The larger primary runner was on the left side of the sprue (regions A & D), which correlates with the data according to the pressure drop equation. The larger diameter means less of a pressure drop and an easier flow path for the plastic. In contrast, when evaluating the data using conventional methods and through processes, there is little possibility of identifying the trend and ultimately the root cause of the variation.
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Traditional Mold Balance Analysis PART WEIGHT (g)

0.6000 0.5000 0.4000 0.3000 0.2000 0.1000 0.0000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Summary
CAVITY IDENTIFICATION
Figure 4
4A
3A
2A
1A
1B
2B
3B
4B
Many of the recurring defects and mold debug issues can be diagnosed easier and faster using flow groups and regions. In order to do this, it is just as important for a moldmaker to understand plastic flow as well as he understands CNC programming. This understanding and type of diagnostic procedure are critical to the advancement of the moldmaking industry. After all, whether admitted or not, a moldmakers perceived quality of work is directly affected by plastic flow and how it affects the molded part. As such, wouldnt it be advantageous to understand it a little more? n David Hoffman is the senior instructor and training development manager at Beaumont Technologies, Inc. in Erie, PA., where he co-invented the MeltFlipper Multi-Axis rheological control technology. He is a 20-year industry veteran with experience in part design, processing and mold design/manufacturing. For more information, call 814.899.6390; email dhoffman@beaumontinc.com or visit beaumontinc.com.
4D
3D
2D
1D
1C
2C
3C
4C
PART WEIGHT (g)
0.6000 0.5000 0.4000 0.3000 0.2000 0.1000 0.0000

(1 (1 (1 (1 (1 2C 4C 2A 3A 3B 4A 1A 1B 2B 4B 1C 1D 2D 3C 3D 4D (1 6) 2) 3) 4) 0) (1 1) 5) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) (1 (6 (7 (2 (5 (4 (3 (8 (9 )
CAVITY IDENTIFICATION
Figure 5
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Single setup
Machine 5 sides
Universal Edition
Repeat (max profit)
Haas Acetomation 1/1
The UMC-750 | 3+2 machining | Affordable Haas price.

Simple. Innovation.
Haas Automation, Inc.
800.331.6746
www.HaasCNC.com
www.amba.org
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Association
Strohwig Industries Plant Tour Wrap
By Todd Schuett, Creative Technology Corporation
The AMBA Plant Tour Workshop series has grown from an idea into one of the cornerstone benefits of AMBA membership. The AMBA is the only US trade organization that is focused solely on the American mold manufacturer. Simply put, the plant tour workshop gives owners and managers a quick, no-nonsense way to learn from some of the best in the business. In all trade organizations, the key benefit is the networking with other members who share common interests, challenges and goals. The plant tour workshops take networking to a whole new level for the AMBA, sharing the unique benefit of thoughtfully planned presentations about best practices, distinctive business aspects, organized tours of the facilities and networking with other attendees. Plant tour workshops provide an accelerated education in mold manufacturing management and methods. Strohwig Industries, Richfield, WI, hosted the AMBAs thirteenth tour Aug. 1. With 170 employees and over 200,000 sq. ft., there was a lot to see and talk about as seventy-five attendees toured the facility. From the beginning, it was apparent that the tour wouldnt be just another walk through a shop. After a brief introduction, all participants were issued red and green cards and tasked with taking notes throughout the tour, marking down areas of excellence, as well as areas for improvement. This unique approach made the tour a win-win for Strohwig and the attendees.
The Strohwig team received thoughtful input from its peers as to how it might build its business to the next level. With a carefully planned schedule, the tour started with a presentation of some behind-the-scenes information. President Wolfgang Strohwig gave a brief history of the company and shared the vision he and Partner Larry Glass had started with 35 years ago. Then he introduced four managers who each gave presentations about design and engineering, programming, machinery and tooling. In a company so impressively large in numbers, some of the small numbers, like only two modelers and only two offline 3D programmers, were real surprises. Exemplary efficiency like this underscored the opportunity to learn from a company that is truly efficient.
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For the actual shop tour, attendees split up into smaller groups of only eight to ten people each. With smaller groups, it was easier to stay close and hear the guides, and all had more opportunity to ask questions. Specific stations visited included design and engineering, small parts machining, EDM, palletized machines cells, large machining, mold tryout and validation and a large, enclosed area for mold cleanup and refurbishing. Throughout the company, the crew worked on jobs as usual, and visitors had opportunities to ask machine operators and others about what they saw. Returning to the original meeting area, participants had time for networking with the hosts and other attendees while enjoying a catered lunch. The groups at each table reviewed the tour, compiled their input from the green and red cards and shared their commendations and recommendations with the table. As a group, the praise and suggestions were compiled by AMBA Executive Director Troy Nix for presentation to Strohwig management. A busy three and a half hours passed quickly, sharing years of knowledge to help take all participants businesses to the next level.
Photos courtesy of Creative Technology Corporation.
Welcome New Members and Partners Members
Belmont Equipment & Technologies
Partners
Contour Tool & Manufacturing Grafton, WI
Augie Busalacchi, Owner 262.224.2376 Contour Tool & Manufacturing is a custom manufacturer of plastic molds and die-cast tooling.
Euro-American Plastics, Flora, MS
Tony Tyl, Operations Manager 248.588.7011 www.belmont4edm.com Belmont Equipment & Technologies has everything for EDM, from over 6,000 EDM supplies to a wide range of EDM machines. Belmont supports the aerospace, automotive, medical, power generation and defense industries. Since opening in 1960, the company has been committed to continually introducing the latest EDM advancements critical to its customers success. Chapter News
Yogesh Goel, President 601.879.0360 www.euroamericanplastics.com Euro-American Plastics provides injection molding, injection mold manufacturing, mold repair spare parts and CNC machining.
Minnesota
The chapter hosted its annual golf outing on July 18th at the Oak Glen Golf Course.
Hi-Tech Mold & Engineering, Rochester Hills, MI
Robert Schulte, CEO & President 248.852.6600 www.hitechmold.com Hi-Tech Mold & Engineering is a full-service supplier to the plastics industry specializing in design, engineering and manufacturing of injection molds and gauges.
Chicago
The chapter accepted nominations for its Mold Your Career Apprenticeship Award and will select one deserving apprentice to receive a $1,000 gift card to buy tools for the trade. The award is sponsored by DGI Supply and Schmolz+Bickenbach.
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Help the AMBA Write Industry Knowledge & Skills Standards The American Mold Builders Association has started the process of identifying the required knowledge and skills needed to work in the mold building industry in an effort to create standardized tests for the trade. The AMBA has hired Dr. Kathryn (Kitty) Manley of Ferris State University to facilitate this process. Using a method called Turbo-DACUM, Dr. Manley sat down with eight industry professionals from AMBA member companies with diverse areas of expertise and regions. Over the course of three days, Dr. Manley extracted a list of hundreds of the most important areas of knowledge and skills one needs to be successful in the mold building industry.
With this determination, the next step of the process is to survey the AMBA membership regarding the validity of the results. In the coming weeks, the AMBA is going to need your help! You will have an opportunity to review the results of the first part of the Turbo-DACUM and provide your input. Please take the time to complete the survey it is vitally important to the long-term viability of this profession. Once Dr. Manley and the eight panel members have received your feedback, they will reconvene to create the necessary questions for the standardized tests. This will take place over the course of another three days in the fall. Please take time to contribute to this process and be part of safe-guarding this great industry. 2014 AMBA Convention Dates Announced
DACUM participants work to determine industry knowledge and skill sets.
The AMBA is excited to announce the historic Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, WI, will be the site for the AMBA 2014 Annual Convention. Set to take place May 14-16, 2014, the 2014 Convention will follow the same regional geographic strategy as was utilized for the AMBA's 2013 convention in Schaumburg, IL, this past April. Situated in the heart of Milwaukees exclusive east side, the historic Pfister Hotel is ideally located three blocks from the scenic shores of Lake Michigan and three blocks from The Shops of Grand Avenue, with a grand selection of restaurants and entertainment just steps away. Located 20 minutes from General Mitchell International Airport, The Pfister Hotel provides convenience for attendee driveins from all areas of the Midwest, as well as multiple direct flight options to/from General Mitchell Airport. Stay tuned to www.amba.org for additional information coming this fall. Ameritech Plant Tour Save the Date On the cusp of a successful sold out plant tour workshop at Strohwig Industries in August, the AMBA has set its next plant tour in Morresville, NC, at Ameritech Die & Mold, Inc. So mark your calendars for Nov. 7, 2013, and watch for details coming soon.
After conducting a thorough analysis of the data, the team determined that the knowledge and skills needed to work on the shop floor can generally be broken into the following three categories: 1. Foundational/Core Knowledge & Skills that everyone working in the trade must know 2. Knowledge & Skills necessary to work primarily on building molds 3. Knowledge & Skills necessary to work primarily as a CNC machinist
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2013 AMBA Scholarship

Todd Booher accepts the AMBA Scholarship check and certificate from Matt Metcalf, CEO of Colonial Machine.
Joseph Mitchell, majoring in Tooling Design at University of Akron, Prospect Mold & Die Nicholas Austen Kirchshlager, majoring in Chemical Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Do-Rite Die & Engineering Matthew Arntzen, specializing in Machine Tool Courses at St. Paul College, Mo-Tech Corporation Todd Booher, majoring in CNC Operations / Programming at Akron CNC Training Center, Colonial Machine Company
The National office of the American Mold Builders Association awarded $8,000 in scholarship funds for 2013. AMBA's National Scholarship Program to date has awarded over $235,000 nationally since the program's inception in 1991. The Annual Scholarship Program continues to demonstrate AMBA's commitment to the industry, education and offering valuable member benefits. Each year the AMBA national awards scholarships to the employees or dependants of employees of AMBA member companies. The Scholarship Program is designed to help facilitate education in moldmaking in the US. This scholarship's priority is to assist students who desire to pursue a career in 1) mold design, CAD/CAM programming for machine tools, machine tool skills or moldmaking, 2) plastics industry manufacturing (including plastics engineering, plastic part design or plastics processing technician) or 3) other areas of continued training/education. The 2013 AMBA National Scholarship awarded $1000 to the following recipients: Alexander Conrad, majoring in CNC/Tool & Die Technologies at Moraine Park Technical College, Mold Makers, Inc. Christian Seaver, majoring in Plastics Engineering at Muskegon Community College, Viking Tool & Engineering Donald Bush, majoring in Machine Tool Technology at St. Cloud Technical College, Excelsior Tool Jeremy Trollinger, majoring in Design Engineering at Tarrant County College, Schaefer Mold Inc.
The AMBA congratulates each of these deserving students and wishes them the best in their endeavors. For more information on the AMBA Scholarship program, visit www.amba.org or call 847.222.9402. New Webinar from AMBA Ten Things to Know about Insuring Your Mold Shop Before You Have a Loss! Sept. 25, noon to 1 p.m. CT AMBA Members: $25 Non-Members: $50 No one needs to tell you how complicated it is to run your business. New technology, government rules and regulations change weekly and there is an abundance of attorneys out there making everyone's life more interesting. Without exception, companies must be completely aware of all the of the problems that can occur if you haven't considered the correct insurance for your mold building business. Presented by Rick Miller, Acrisure Insurance, who is an expert on insuring the mold industry, the webinar will outline 10 key areas that will keep your business alive and well without costing you an arm and a leg! As one mold builder said long ago, "Don't tell me what I'm covered for; tell me what isn't covered and I won't do it." Insurance coverage is complicated, especially when you consider all the issues that your shop faces every day. This webinar will raise your awareness and your level of comfort with the process of insuring your company. For more information or to register, go to www.amba.org/ Event_Calendar.php. n
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Special Report Health Care Reform: What the Affordable Care Act Means to You
By John J. Woodward, Watermark Investment Services
Individual mandate
Beginning in 2014, every US citizen and legal resident will be required to have qualifying health coverage or face a penalty. Those without coverage will eventually pay a tax penalty of the greater of $695 per year up to a maximum of three times that amount ($2,085) per family or 2.5 percent of household income.
Individuals can use these charts to determine what their household penalties may be. See below for implications of income to subsidy and tax-credit possibilities. The penalty will be phased in according to the following schedule:
Individual penalties
Sample Income Levels $9,500 $16,250 $27,800 $40,000 $95 $190 $238 $163 $325 $406
Year Penalty = the greater of: 2014 $95 or 1% taxable income 2015 $325 or 2% taxable income 2016+ $695 or 2.5% taxable income
Exemptions will be granted for financial hardship, religious objections, American Indians, those without coverage for less than three months, undocumented immigrants, incarcerated individuals, those for whom the lowest cost plan option exceeds 8 percent of an individuals income and those with incomes below the tax filing threshold (in 2009 the threshold for taxpayers under age 65 was $9,350 for singles and $18,700 for couples).
$278 $556 $695
$400 $800 $1,000
Individual coverage subsidies
Coverage must be purchased at the Exchange. Will be awarded to individuals/families whose incomes
are between 133 percent and 400 percent of Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Those whose incomes are under 250 percent of the FPL also will receive reduced cost sharing. The subsidy is a refundable tax credit paid directly to the insurer via the Exchange and can be paid in advance. The tax credit is based upon the second lowest cost silver plan in the Exchange. Individuals and dependents that are offered employer coverage that meets the minimum value and affordability tests are not eligible for the subsidy.
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Eligible for premium tax credits

% of 2013 Federal Poverty Level 48 Contiguous States
Family Size 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Maximum Premium* Contribution as % of Income
133% $15,282 $20,628 $25,975 $31,322 $36,668 $42,015 $47,361 $52,708 2.0%
175% $20,108 $27,143 $34,178 $41,213 $48,248 $55,283 $62,318 $69,353 3.0%6.03%
200% $22,980 $31,020 $39,060 $47,100 $55,140 $63,180 $71,220 $79,260 6.03%8.05%
250% $28,725 $38,775 $48,825 $58,875 $68,925 $78,975 $89,025 $99,075 8.05%9.50%
300% $34,470 $46,530 $58,590 $70,650 $82,710 $94,770 $106,830 $118,890 9.50%
400% $45,960 $62,040 $78,120 $94,200 $110,280 $126,360 $142,440 $158,520 9.50%
On July 2, 2013, The Department of Treasury announced that the employer mandate and its associated penalties have been delayed until 2015. The delay, according to the Department of Treasury, allows employers to prepare for the reporting requirements necessitated by federal health reform. In summary, the announcement states that employers with 50+ full-time and full-time equivalent employees will not be penalized until 2015 for failing to do the following: Offer coverage to 95 percent of eligible employees Provide a health plan to employees that covers at least 60 percent of services Provide a health plan that is affordable for eligible employees (defined as having an employee contribution of less than 9.5 percent of an employees wages
Remittance Responsibility
Health Insurance Issuer for fully insured business. Plan Sponsor for Self Insured
Tax/Fee
Description
Calculation Method*
Comparative Effectiveness Fee Federal Insurance Premium Tax Reinsurance Fee High Cost Health Plan Marketplace Fees Risk Adjustment Fee
An annual fee that funds research on the effectiveness, risks and benefits of various medical treatments through the Patient- centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), a nonprofit created through ACA
PMPY Calculation
A yearly tax due assessed on fully insured premiums
% of fully insured premium
Health Insurance Issuer
Annual fee that will support the transitional reinsurance program with the goal of stabilizing premiums coverage for the individual market both on and off the marketplace
PMPM Calculation
Health Insurance Issuer for full insured business. Plan Sponsor or TPA for Self Insured Health insurance issuer for fully insured business. Sponsors and TPAs for self funded Health insurance issuer participating and offering health plans on the state or federal marketplace Health Insurance Issuer
Tax on the value of employer-sponsored health benefits
% based on thresholds
Established to ensure marketplace can be self-sustaining by 1/1/15
3.5% premium
Establishes a risk adjustment fee to pay for administrative expense of running the federal risk adjustment program
PMPY Calculation
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Summer 2013
This announcement allows large employers additional time to determine their full-time equivalent (FTE) calculations and the best coverage for their employees. No additional delays have been announced. At this time, the employer responsibility delay does not affect the following: Rules for small business and individual plans including the essential health benefits, rating requirements and plan design (metal tiers) The individual mandate, which requires most Americans to carry health insurance or pay a penalty for failing to do so Taxes and fees on health plans, including the PatientCentered Outcomes Research Institute fee, which some groups must pay by July 31, 2013, as well as four other taxes/fees which are effective January 1, 2014
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee
If you have an HRA/FSA please read thoroughly! This fee will fund the PCORI, which conducts comparative effectiveness research. The fee also will be assessed on all fully-insured and self-funded plans including health reimbursement arrangements. The fee will be from 2012 through 2019. Self-funded employer groups are responsible for paying this assessment and filing an annual excise tax return (Form 720) with the IRS as well as those groups who have an HRA and/or FSA. This fee will apply to plan years ending on or after October 1, 2012, and before October 1, 2019. The PCORI fee must be paid by July 31st of the first calendar year after the last day of a plan year. Since the first payment must be made for plan years ending after October 1, 2012, a calendar year plan must make its initial payment by July 31, 2013. But, if the initial plan year ending after October 1, 2012, ends during 2013, the first PCORI fee is not payable until July 31, 2014. Check with your insurer, many have said they will pay this on your behalf and no action required by you. If you have an HRA and/or FSA, you will need to pay this fee twice as the IRS deems both as self-funded by definition. The Insurer needs to count all members (employee enrolled in your plan plus all dependants) times the fee of $1.00 each. You will find an exception to the rule on page 23 of the Treasury Notice for HRAs and FSAs which states that you need to count the average number of employees enrolled for the $1 fee; you do not need to count dependents!
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When Comparative Effectiveness Fee Federal Insurance Premium Tax Reinsurance Fee High Cost Health Plan Marketplace Fees July 2013 2014 20142016 2018+ How Much Individual Group Medicare ASC Medicare Medicaid
1 2 3 4
$1-$2 PMPY % of Premium $5.25 PMPM Variable 3.5% of Marketplace premium $1 PMPY
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Fee based on average number of lives covered during the year Need to submit only once during yearby July 31 File for the plan year that ended during preceding year Below are some links that can be helpful in navigating the new law: Technical Release 2013-02 - Guidance on the notice to employees of coverage options under FLSA 18B and updated model election notice under COBRA, available at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/newsroom/tr13-02. html Model notice for employers who offer a health plan to some or all employees, available at http://www.dol. gov/ebsa/pdf/FLSAwithplans.pdf Model notice for employers who do not offer a health plan, available at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/ FLSAwithoutplans.pdf COBRA model election notice, available at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/modelelectionnotice.doc n John J. Woodward is the founder and president of Watermark Employee Benefits LLC and Watermark Investment Services, a custom solutions provider of employee benefits and investment services for businesses and individuals throughout West Michigan. He has more than eight years of senior level leadership experience in the private sector and another 13 years working with clients as a retirement income specialist. Woodwards areas of expertise at Watermark Investment Services include Defined Benefit Plans, Defined Contribution Plans, Taft Hartley Plans, Individual Retirement Plans, Financial and Estate Planning and Investment Management. For more information, he can be reached at john@watermarkeb.com or visit www.watermarkemployeebenefits.com.
2014+
Risk Adjustment Fee
2014+
Additional specifications are as follows: Applies to both grandfathered and non-grandfathered group health plans Plan years ending on or after Oct. 1, 2012, through plan years ending on or after Oct. 1, 2019 $1 per enrollee first year CRY-2883 1/15/07 3:33 subsequent PM Page 1 $2Prelim1-1.fh11 per enrollee for years
C M Y CM MY CY CMY K
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Composite
Summer 2013
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WHEN YOU MAKE WHAT MATTERS
Strategies
Success through Selectivity How a Sharper Focus Can Make You a Better Partner to Top Molders
By Tim Stewart, Donnelly Custom Manufacturing
Is your mold building operation trying to be everything to everyone? The willingness to take on any and all business remains an all too common situation. Although this approach is understandable in a still-recovering economy, its not a winning strategy, nor is it a competitive differentiator. Why? Because being all things to all people does not provide any unique value to a potential molding customer like Donnelly Custom Manufacturing and the leading industrial OEM customers it serves. So, what kind of approach does offer that level of value? Two words: specialization and selectivity. Not coincidentally, specialization and selectivity are also two key qualities of todays top-performing custom injection molders. If youre looking to partner and grow with a thriving molder, you may want to consider understanding and perhaps mirroring its approach to the marketplace. This article aims to provide an insiders perspective on how a focused strategic mindset can enhance the value you provide to your molding customers. The industry defines short run as more than one mold changeover per press per week Donnelly averages nine changeovers. Therefore, a laser focus on reducing set-up time is essential and is a key element in the companys ongoing lean journey. To succeed, it needs to make sure it has partners (both customers and suppliers) who are a good fit with its model.
Keys to customer selection
The need for specialization and selectivity applies to the process of choosing customers as well as suppliers. Do you pick your customers, or do they pick you? Do you evaluate each potential customer to determine whether you fit their business or do you generally quote everything that comes your way? Quoting everything puts you in the position of competing on price alone. It fragments your resources preventing you from focusing on the customers and opportunities that are mutually beneficial. Finally, it reduces your success rate on new project awards and often creates boom and bust business cycles.
One companys story of selectivity
At Donnelly Custom Manufacturing of Alexandria, MN, a strong focus has long been at the heart of its success in providing service to its customers.
Thats why being intentional and selective generally produces better results. In fact, you might want to evaluate your cusWith over 10,000 injectomer base through the tion molders in the Unites Commitment: Identifying your companys competitive focus can help you lens of the 80/20 rule: is States alone, Donnelly determine whether a potential customer fits the mold and lead to a more 80 percent of your growth knows it isnt easy to productive partnership. potential coming from 20 stand out. Thats why, percent of your customafter nearly 30 years, the ers? If so, you may want to rethink and re-rationalize the company continues to thrive by focusing on a challenging niche that many molders shy away from: short-run, close- 80 percent. It takes fortitude to significantly reduce your customer base, choosing instead to focus on partnering tolerance manufacturing.
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with customers you strongly believe are a fit for the future. But when you do so, you may discover a much more stable and vibrant outlook. In order to take this approach you need to identify your competitive focus. Once you do that, you can develop a set of criteria to help you determine whether a potential customer fits the mold. A good approach is to establish and follow a detailed customer evaluation matrix of factors that might include such criteria as: What is the companys geographic proximity to your business? What is its approximate annual spend on tooling? How many new tools does it build in a typical year? Does the company place value on upfront design and engineering support? What is the companys annual sales?
Does it have internal tool building capability? What are its quality requirements? Does the company require ISO certification? Does it require a documented process for the design and building of molds? This list is only meant to illustrate the level of complexity involved. In essence, the screening criteria you develop should yield customers who want, need and value what youre especially good at your focus and point of differentiation. In the case of a leader in short-run molding like Donnelly, that means frequent, small lot deliveries at pricing generally witnessed in larger lot runs. The fundamental point is that neither a molder nor a moldmaker should work with just any customer. Its about finding the right customers, then deepening those relationships by fully understanding all the ins and outs of their businesses and focusing on helping them succeed.
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Mold changeovers: With a laser focus on reducing set-up time to support its short-run business, Donnelly has found it important to have partners who are a good fit and support this model.
Keys to supplier selection
Ideally, your employees should be focusing on the areas that provide the most value to your target customers and, simultaneously, to your business. As for all the other functions, outsourcing noncore competencies can help you control costs, maintain appropriate inventory, improve quality and maximize efficient operation, thereby improving throughput and delivery performance. However, achieving these advantages requires the same diligence as customer selection in order to find high-quality suppliers who are the right fit for your needs and your niche. Choosing a supplier cannot just be about price, proximity and lead-time. While these factors are important, getting the right supplier fit requires a more robust, systematic approach based on sound evaluation criteria. Injection molders take a similar approach. After years of providing a full-service offering, many custom molders made the strategic decision not to build molds internally. This is good news for mold builders. But if youre going to provide tooling to a high-performing molder, be prepared to be fully vetted. An exacting molding company will carefully select a small group of core suppliers based on factors such as expertise, capabilities, competitiveness (in cost and leadtime) and location. It will require that tools be built to its documented, stringent tooling standards. This is especially true in the short-run niche where a company like Donnelly launches over 150 molds per year.
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Any potential new partner must offer something others are not a differentiating focus or quality. It could be in the following areas: Technology 3D mold layouts or moldflow capability Capabilities additive manufacturing, rapid prototyping, sampling and inspection Processes rigorous documentation from RFQ to mold delivery Perhaps even more likely, the intangibles of culture may stand out. A team that demonstrates full commitment to achieving project goals, initiative in presenting proactive solutions or innovation in tooling a complex part can make all the difference in value creation. If you make that first cut, a visit to your facility may follow to more fully understand your value proposition and confirm capabilities. Then the quoting process would start. Your team also might be invited to help with a preliminary design. Todays leading molders also look for a high degree of responsiveness calls returned promptly, timelines managed closely and issues resolved quickly. Thats just a glance at how rigorous the supplier selection process can be for many molders, and should be for your moldmaking operation as well. Just like relationships with your customers, your relationships with suppliers must be monitored continuously. Once youve established the partnership, it pays to conduct supplier quality audits on a periodic basis and it pays to remain in contact.
What is your focus? How do you create value? What makes you unique in the marketplace? How do you communicate it? What kind of partners do you need to advance your focus? And, most importantly, whats in it for me, your molding customer? Where there is a fit, theres a future. Keep these questions front and center as you look to accelerate your success. n Tim Stewart has been the business development manager at Donnelly since 1999. With responsibilities in sales and new customer project management, he works to coordinate the efforts of Donnelly's sales team, helping to seek and serve customers that are a good fit for the Donnelly business model. He started his career as a manufacturing engineer and a product design engineer before shifting his focus to business development. His unique combination of education and experience in multiple disciplines gives him a distinct advantage when communicating with customers.
Mold launches: An exacting molding company will carefully select a small group of core suppliers based on expertise, capabilities, competitiveness and location.
Asking the important strategic questions
Ultimately, being a better partner to todays high-performing, laser-focused molders requires moldmakers to better match that level of specialization and selectivity.
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Industry
Peterson Named SPE 2013 Mold Designer of the Year
Tim Peterson presenting the check he received as an honorarium to Colleen Kaiser, Department Head of University of Wisconsin Platteville.
Qualifications also include the ability to grasp information and adapt to changing technology, the capacity to provide career and technical guidance to those around them and the ability to share information and experiences on a wide range of topics. Peterson has a life-long career in the mold design/moldmaking industry, which began with his apprenticeship after graduating from high school. After completing his apprenticeship, he began working at Industrial Molds and has since served in many various positions including quality, program management and his present position as vice president. Along with the award, an honorarium in the amount of $500 was presented by Peterson to the University of Wisconsin Platteville on June 24. The honorarium was made possible through a donation from Progressive Components Inc., Wauconda, IL.
Tim Peterson, vice president of Industrial Molds Group, Rockford, IL, was selected as the 2013 Mold Designer of the Year by the Moldmaking and Mold Design Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) at the recent amerimold Expo in Rosemont, IL. Each year, one individual is selected from the membership and nominations at large who exemplifies the role of mold designer with years of service to the industry.
M.S.I. Mold Builders Adds 12,000 Sq. Ft. Expansion
Construction of a 12,000 sq. ft. expansion to M.S.I. Mold Builders, Cedar Rapids, IA, is nearing completion, according to company President Roger Klouda. The manufacturing company anticipates opening the new $4.5 million addition in September of this year.
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The expansion is being built next to M.S.I.s 35,000 sq. ft. headquarters. Klouda said most of the construction is complete, but M.S.I. is waiting on about $2 million worth of machinery and equipment before the facility can be used. Founded in 1971, the company manufactures steel and aluminum molds for injection, structural foam, rim, blow, gas assist and structural web processes. The companys primary customers include the computer and business machine, medical diagnostics, material handling, sporting goods, lawn and garden, appliance consumer electronics, heavy equipment and transportation industries. M.S.I., which also has a plant in South Carolina, employs about 65 in Cedar Rapids, and Klouda said he plans to hire an additional 10 employees to work in the new facility. He noted that number could grow to 16 in the next few years. For more information on M.S.I. Mold Builders, visit www.msimoldbuilders.com.
industry. We congratulate Heritage Mold for its hard work throughout the certification process and commend the company for its dedication to quality management.
Superior Die Set Celebrates 90 Years of Manufacturing Excellence
Plastec Midwest 2013: Inject Your Process with Innovation and Inspiration
September 10, 2013, will mark the beginning of Plastec Midwest 2013, which will bring face-to-face opportunities for plastics professionals at McCormick Place Lakeside in Chicago, IL. This three-day event will provide attendees with ground-breaking technologies, products and services; networking with industry peers; expert speakers; practical insights into the most cutting-edge trends in the plastics industry and more. Visit the American Mold Builders Association in booth 1865 to receive a complimentary copy of the 2013 AMBA Sourcebook and the most recent edition of The American Mold Builder.
Superior Die Set Corporation will host a week-long celebration beginning September 12, 2013, to commemorate 90 years of manufacturing excellence. Founded in 1923 by Kasimir Janiszewski, Superior Die Set Corporation is a manufacturer of die sets, mold bases, pins/ bushings, three-platen presses, cut-and-ground machined plate, fabrications and forging products. Janiszewski, a blacksmith and eventual tool and diemaker, left Poland in 1910 at the age of 23 to build a life in America. With an entrepreneurial spirit, hard work and perseverance, he founded Superior Die Set Corporation thirteen years later and created one of the nations oldest family-owned and run corporations. Leadership at Superior has been passed on through four generations. In the mid1980s Janiszewskis sons, Casimir J. and Frank J., became executives of the company and in 1991 were named CEO/ president and executive vice president respectively.
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Heritage Mold Earns ISO 9001 Certification
Heritage Mold, Inc., Rockford, IL, a plastic injection mold builder, has earned ISO 9001 certification from NSF International Strategic Registrations, Ltd. ISO 9001 is an internationally accepted standard that specifies requirements for quality management systems. Organizations registered to ISO 9001:2008 must have systems in place to demonstrate the ability to enhance customer satisfaction through effective quality management system applications and continual improvement. We decided to pursue ISO 9001:2008 certification with a commitment to improving our processes and growth of our business, said Heritage Mold President Ben Franzen. Our communication and quality is key to a lasting relationship with our customers. Our staff has embraced our ISO 9001 certification as an opportunity to improve operations and growth in our company. Bill Niedzwiecki, president of NSF International Strategic Registations (NSFISR) said, ISO 9001 certification demonstrates Heritage Molds commitment to quality that will set it apart in its
info@wi-engraving.com
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Casimirs sons, Nicholas and Steven, also have joined the company in the roles of customer/ product support manager and regional sales manager. Superior Die Set Corporation has several manufacturing facilities, warehouses and distribution facilities with the capability to serve a global market.
Creative Blow Mold Tooling Receives 2013 Best of Lee's Summit Award
Creative Blow Mold Tooling, Lees Summit, MO, has been selected for the 2013 Best of Lee's Summit Award in the Tool & Die Maker Equipment & Supplies category by the Lee's Summit Award Program. Each year, the Lee's Summit Award Program identifies companies that have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and the community. These exceptional companies help make the Lee's Summit area a great place to live, work and play. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2013 Lee's Summit Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Lee's Summit Award Program and data provided by third parties.
With the relocation, no changes will be made to the customer order entry process, the functionality of web applications or the companys carbide recycling program. Furthermore, customers in Canada and Mexico can expect the same shipment timing of their orders. We expect the relocation to be as seamless as possible with minimal, if any, impact on customer orders, said Kurt Nordlund, president of Seco Tools in North America. If an issue should arise, however, we will address it immediately, as customer satisfaction is our top priority. Seco customers with questions or concerns about the distribution center relocation are encouraged to call Seco customer service at 800.832.8326. For more information, visit www.secotools.com.
Engis Corporation Celebrates 75th Anniversary
Seco Tools Relocates US Distribution Center
Seco Tools, Troy, MI, has relocated its US distribution center from Troy, MI, to Hebron, KY, a move that streamlined shipping operations and better serves customers. Seco has discontinued customer order pickups in Troy, and shipment of the companys metal cutting solutions commenced from the new location on July 8.
Engis Corporation (Wheeling, IL), an early pioneer in the use of diamonds for lapping, honing, grinding and polishing applications, celebrates its 75th anniversary during 2013. Engis manufactures superabrasive finishing systems consisting of machines, tooling and consumable products.
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The group prides itself in not only supplying systems for fine finishing, but also the technical know-how through its Process Development Laboratories in the US and Japan. Engis would like to thank our customers, employees, affiliates and distribution partners for working with us to establish the company as the leaders in superabrasives finishing systems, said Stephen Griffin, president of Engis Corporation. We earned this position by solving problems and developing custom solutions, and we will build upon this success by continuing to advance our diamond expertise and working hand-in-hand with endusers. Industries served include oil and gas, electronics, semi-conductor, medical devices, aerospace, automotive, defense, ceramics, mechanical valves and seals, foundries and mold and die. Today, Engis employs approximately 220 people worldwide and remains privately held by the original founding family. Facilities include its headquarters in Wheeling, IL and affiliate companies in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Canada and the UK. n
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Inside Track
The Real Truth about Safety: Creating a Culture of Buy-In

Knowing that safety is important is clearly not enough to create (or even put a dent in creating) incident-free environments. Most of us have heard the messages Safety First and Target Zero. Ive even heard one earnest, dedicated guy in rural Louisiana put it this way: We aint toleratin any more dead dudes! As powerful and eloquent as these messages might be, they havent produced the buy-in we might have hoped for. Frankly, its not hard to imagine some skepticism arising in response to these messages. When I hear Safety First, I wonder: Are you paying me to do my job or to not get hurt while attempting to do my job? The motto Target Zero seems to ignore the fact that some industries will have recordable incidents and fatalities, regardless of huge improvements in equipment and environment. Even at the site with the latest technology and safest equipment, some human factor is involved, which we might never fully anticipate. Just because there is always some idiot who thinks that Jgermeister and welding are a great combo, does that really mean we have failed at safety? Overall the improvement in safety implementation is tremendous: in the past 25 years; we have managed to do very well and people are much safer on the job than ever before. But it seems that the complacency that causes some accidents can actually be created by having a great safety record. After all, if you have no recordable incidents for a year and you have seen great improvement, whats next? Well, your most conscientious employee around the equipment might be winding down his 366th uneventful shift, but while walking and texting (neither of which he does well), he slips and injures his back. Complacency can be dangerous. Similarly, people on the job often check out because they feel overworked or undervalued. Sometimes supervisors or bosses are grossly ineffective. Poor communication can create lack of awareness. These are just a few human elements that can throw a wrench in the argument that safe systems plus watertight procedures will equate to zero incidents. Any of these factors can foster huge issues, even in places with the most impeccable safety environment.
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By Garrison Wynn, CSP
With a little thought, we can further blur the fault line between incidents caused by human error and those attributable to systems/environments: if someone is emotionally distracted, worn out, under the weather or feeling unappreciated by the boss, he or she might create, build or set up something that doesnt work very well. All of a sudden its the system thats the problem, not the human. Simply stated, where safety is concerned, the human factor and the environment are both important. Theres much interplay. While systems and equipment require significant investment and tight controls (which should be crucial elements of the safety approach anyway), the human side of the equation can be greatly, and somewhat easily, improved by creating a culture of safety. The only successful way to change a culture is to get an extremely high level of repeatable buy-in. That means the message from leadership must be very clear and simple to implement. It also means that we have to be realistic about whats working. Have you noticed that the job site with the best safety record is typically the one where the boss makes everyone feel valuable, the people seem to trust one another and everyone gets along well? Most research confirms that when people feel valuable, they make fewer mistakes. They are more loyal and they watch out for each other. They are consistently willing to do more of what they are asked to do. All of that results in dramatically fewer incidents and a true culture of safety. But how do you make that happen in your organization or at your location?
Here are seven ways to make sure your environment is positioned to reduce incidents:
1. Beware of mixed messages: Hey, you guys, be safe but hurry up! Dont be so safe that we cant make any money! The real message should be Lets get it done before 5 p.m. but if you get outside the safety guidelines, rethink it. 2. Make sure the people around you understand that you have their back. They will be more likely to have yours. Watch your behavior and treat others with respect.
Very few people rush back into a burning building to save the guy that nobody likes. Dont be that guy.
The only successful way to change a culture is to get an extremely high level of repeatable buy-in.
UltraPolishing AMBA Ad 2009.pdf 10/6/09 3:02:05 PM
3. Be realistic about how people feel about safety procedures. If you have a process or situation that everyone makes fun of or complains about, look into it and make adjustments. Nothing is more dangerous than expecting people to be protected by things they obviously dont believe in. 4. Remember that many accidents happen indoors in office environments. Approximately 76,000 people each year are hospitalized from putting their feet on their desks and leaning back in a chair. Acting like a big shot is not only obnoxious; its apparently dangerous! Also, women in high heels who stepped from carpeted surfaces to hard floors had a surprising number of injuries. 5. Communication skills are the foundation of safety. Let people talk about whats important to them before you tell them your opinions. People who feel heard are much more likely to listen to you. To make safety happen, you need to have a level of influence that enables your words to create action in others. If people see their input in your safety solution, they are much more likely to have buy-in and much less likely to be injured.
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7. Make sure you can clearly explain the value of a safety procedure or policy in 30 seconds. People buy into what they understand quickly. The leading addiction on the planet is not drugs or alcohol; its convenience. People will consistently abandon a safe process thats complicated for an unsafe one thats not. Keep it simple. It does not matter how smart you are if nobody knows what youre talking about!
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6. Dont tell young coworkers how brave you were back in the day before modern safety equipment. We are our brothers and sisters keepers, and that means our younger brothers and sisters especially. On a job site, I once heard a guy in his 50s say to a group of people in their 20s, You young guys have all this protective clothing and special tools! In the 70s, we were down in there naked with a Q-tip! Challenging someones manhood makes you part of the problem.
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Whether you are a leader who is driving safety forward or just a person on the job trying to be good at what you do without being hurt, it requires influence. Are you influential enough to make safety happen around you? Do you have the trust and the relationships in place to help safety concepts and procedures remain effective? For some of you, it may be hard to buy into how important it is for people to have a supportive environment to do their job. You might think that its all charm school BS and people should just do what they are supposed to do and be safe. But in reality, the overwhelming success of this approach is kind of like listening to NASCAR on the radio; you personally may not believe it makes any sense, but for some strange reason its still happening! n Garrison Wynn is a nationally known speaker and consultant, the author of the Amazon.com bestseller The Real Truth About Success and the CEO of Wynn Solutions.
September
PLASTEC Midwest 2013, September 10-12, Chicago, IL, 310.445.4200, www.plastecmidwest.com
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Cale ndar
Makino Micromachining Conference and Technology Expo, September 10-12, Auburn Hills, MI, 800.552.3288, www.makino.com tuXperience, September 23-25, Chicago, IL, 866.706.8665, www.toolingu.com/x AMBA DACUM for Apprenticeship Testing Standardization (Part 2), September 24-26, Grand Rapids, MI, 847.222.9402, www.amba.org Webinar: Top Ten Things to Know about Insuring Your Mold Shop, September 25, 847.222.9402, www.amba.org
October
Plastec Texas, October 15-16, Houston, TX, 310.445.4200, www.PLASTECTexas.com K2013, October 16-23, Dsseldorf, Germany, +49 (0)211/45 60-7611. www.k-tradefair.com MD&M Minneapolis 2013, September 28-30, Minneapolis, MN, 310.445.4200, www.mdmminn.com
November
Ameritech Die & Mold Plant Tour Workshop, November 7, Morrisville, NC, 847.222.9402, www.amba.org
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45
Ad Index
A. Finkl & Sons Co.. .................................................... www.finkl.com ..........................................................................37 Alliance Laser Sales. .................................................... www.thenewonesource.com.............................Inside Back Cover Alliance Specialites. ..................................................... www.thenewonesource.com.......................................................11 American Mold Builders Association. ......................... www.amba.org...........................................................................46 BORIDE. ...................................................................... www.borideadrasives.com.........................................................18 CAE Services............................................................... www.caeservices.com................................................................35 CGS North America, Inc.. ............................................ www.camtool.com. .....................................................................44 Crystallume Engineered Diamond Products................ www.crystallume.com................................................................32 Delcam......................................................................... www.delcam.com.......................................................................41 DME. ............................................................................ www.DME.net. ............................................................Back Cover Ellwood Specialty Steel............................................... www.ess.elwd.com.......................................................................9 Erowa Technology, Inc................................................ www.erowa.com.........................................................................38 ESC Equipment Sales Co............................................ www.equipmentsalesco.net........................................................19 First American Payment Systems................................ www.first-american.net..............................................................29 Gesswein...................................................................... www.gesswein.com....................................................................40 Haas Automation, Inc.................................................. www.HaasCNC.com..................................................................23 Incoe Corporation........................................................ www.incoe.com..........................................................................17 M & M Tooling, Inc.. ................................................... www.mmtooling.com.................................................................16 Makino......................................................................... www.makino.com/diemold........................................................33 Millstar, LLC............................................................... www.millstar.com........................................................................7 Mold-Masters Limited................................................. www.moldmasters.com..............................................................31 Mold-Tech Midwest. .................................................... www.mold-tech.com..................................................................21 Ohio Carbon Blank, Inc............................................... www.ohiocarbonblank.com. .......................................................41 Plastec Texas. ......................................................... www.PLASTECTexas.com. .......................................................45 Plastic Engineering & Technical Services, Inc............ www.petsinc.net...........................................................................5 Progressive Components. ............................................. www.procomps.com/cve................................. Inside Front Cover Ultra Polishing Inc....................................................... www.ultrapolishing.com............................................................43 Wisconsin Engraving Co. Inc. / Unitex....................... www.wi-engraving.com.............................................................39
AD INDEX
Summer 2013
46
www.amba.org
47
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2013 The American Mold Builder - Summer

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Summer 2013

The Official Publication of the American Mold Builders Association

align with progressive

call 1-800-269-6653 to learn more about our key account program.

See Progressive Components at the following industry events:

K 2013 | EuroMold | PLASTEC West | Amerimold

6 Market Trends How Well is Your Company Performing?

Trends in the US Moldmaking Industry Optimism Still Prevails

Visit our website:

Todd Finley AMBA President

WHO STANDS BEHIND THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR HOT RUNNER/MANIFOLD SYSTEM?

How Well is Your Company Performing?

By Troy Nix, AMBA Executive Director

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Were Focused on You.

United States Ellwood Specialty Steel 800-932-2188 esssales@elwd.com

Canada Ellwood Specialty Metals 877-978-2772 esmsales@elwd.com

Ellwood Specialty Steel - Ready and Reliable.

Ole Bradley and Norbert Hauck at work in the late 1970s.

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M & M Tooling Inc.

Custom Mold Bases

Specializing in Mold Shop Overflow Work

New AC Temperature Controller from Oven Industries

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SoftGate Advanced Sequential Control Performance

3D Scanning and Photogrammetry from Capture 3D

I Conventional Valve Gate System

New Desktop CNC Machine for Prototyping Sets Bar

I With INCOE SoftGate Technology

INCOE Hot Runner Systems

Flymaker Pro Dot Peen Marking Now Available

SISE ISTimer Doubles Control Capacity

Crafts Technology Launches New Website

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Golden Star Stone Offers Quick Material Removal

HSSA Revolutionizes DMS CNC Routers

The missing link

2011 Beaumont Technologies, Inc.

Diagnosing molds systematically

Traditional Mold Balance Analysis PART WEIGHT (g)

PART WEIGHT (g)

0.6000 0.5000 0.4000 0.3000 0.2000 0.1000 0.0000

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Repeat (max profit)

Haas Acetomation 1/1

The UMC-750 | 3+2 machining | Affordable Haas price.

Haas Automation, Inc.

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Photos courtesy of Creative Technology Corporation.

Welcome New Members and Partners Members

Belmont Equipment & Technologies

Contour Tool & Manufacturing Grafton, WI

Euro-American Plastics, Flora, MS

Hi-Tech Mold & Engineering, Rochester Hills, MI

DACUM participants work to determine industry knowledge and skill sets.

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2013 AMBA Scholarship

$278 $556 $695

$400 $800 $1,000

Individual coverage subsidies

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Eligible for premium tax credits