Molds, Dies & Tooling

Today's metalworking environment has changed dramatically over the past two decades but many apprenticeship programs haven't matched those changes.

Industrial Molds Group announced the addition of a Makino F-5 CNC high-speed machining center that will complete the company's robotics cell, which also has an S56 Makino high-speed machining center. Industrial Molds (Rockford, IL) is a manufacturer of injection molds specializing in complex part tools for Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive suppliers, industrial equipment, commercial appliance OEMs, medical and consumer packaging markets, building molds up to 1500 tons.

Most mold manufacturers are innovative, creative people and often develop products that prove to be a better "mouse trap" for solving complex molding solutions. Wade Clark, president and CEO of Electroform Inc., an injection mold manufacturer specializing in product development, automation and injection molding, is no exception.

Thermoplastic elastomer supplier Kraiburg TPE (Waldkraiburg, Germany) and toolmaker/molder Mues Products & Moulds GmbH (Kolbermoor, Germany), have joined forces to debut a new type of removable badge plate for engine covers in the automotive sector molded using a two-shot process.

Everything heard on the street about what a good year 2011 was for mold manufacturers seems to be rolling over in 2012 according to the latest results from the American Mold Builders Assn.'s Winter 2012 Business Forecast Survey. Excellent current business conditions jumped 10 percentage points to 25% for survey respondents, from 15% for the same period a year ago. Current business conditions are good for 60% of the survey respondents, up 4 percentage points from a year ago, and fair for 15% -- down 5% from the Winter 2011 survey.

It's not too late to make a New Year's Resolution, so here's one for molders and moldmakers: "I resolve not to be the weak link in the supply chain." In the latest Supplier Survey report from the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA), it was evident that the supply base is a huge concern for the Tier 1 suppliers.

Automotive injection molder Century Mold Inc. will invest $4.2 million to expand its Shelbyville, TN plant, a move that ultimately will create 58 new jobs. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty joined with representatives from Century Mold to announce the investment on Jan. 13.

One of the interesting medical demonstrations at NPE 2012 will be molding of components in a multi-cavity mold for SHL, a major Swedish producer of drug delivery devices.

It will be representative of one of the medical market trends to look for at this year's NPE: An increasing emphasis on technologies that help reduce costs. Higher tooling cavitation is one approach; another is integrated, highly productive systems.

Tandem mold technology, a relatively new development, is beginning to be a growth business for T-Mould, a mold manufacturer based in Bad Salzuflen, Germany with an office in Grand Rapids, MI. The company does not build the tandem molds itself, but is the inventor and developer of the tandem technology.

"Because of our growing business we wanted to have an increased presence in North America," explained Wilhelm Kliewer, managing director of American T-Mould.

Winners in the fast-growing and changing medical plastics market will be technology specialists. New quality, cost and regulatory demands are rapidly upping the ante for processors who want to participate.

In that spirit, here are a few areas of specialization coupled with upcoming educational opportunities.