Question of the month: Most valuable player?

We are a professional plastic injection mold maker with more than ten year's experience of exporting molds to overseas markets. The main customer includs YKK,SiEmens and ABB ect.We sincerely hope that you can contact us and inquiry.We will provide you with the best service and resonable price. Our company has been established since 1986 both in Hong Kong and China. The factory, with size around 10,000 square meters, is located in Dongguang Guangdong, which is registered under the investment from Hong Kong. The company has been accredited the international quality approval ISO9001.2000 which means our promise on the quality satisfaction for all the customers. Our major business is on manufacturing all kinds of precision moulds. The factory consist of different shops on Assembling, CNC machining, Injection and Assembling lines, etc.. Major equipments include high precision CNC machining centers, EDMs, Wire cutting machines and advanced inspection equipments like CMM, computerized projector. Equipped with professional technical know how and management, we have great experiences on making molds for Vacuum Cleaner, Bread Maker, Coffee Maker, Mobile Phones, Portable Stereo housing, Car Accessories, Sockets and High Precision Binoculars, hot runner mold and 2 shots mold etc..

We hope that we can build the business cooperation with you.

If you are interested in our company,please send an email to me,i will send our company profile to you for you to learn more about our company.Look forward to hearing from you.

Email: james-zhuo@pbmould.com
Web Site: www.pbmould.com
James

No doubt about it, it's the Electrostatic oil filtration systems we installed on our presses. At first, we got one and, at the suggestion of the rep., installed it on our worst machine. It's the one with the highest hydraulic downtime (and had the worst oil analysis) Within a week of installation of the Electrostatic oil filter, we could tell we had done the right thing. Our oil supplier (who also does our oil analysis) thought we had changed oil, and gotten it from someone else! Unscheduled hydraulic system maintenance dropped in half, and machine uptime quickly rose. Within the first two months, this problem machine became our best line. Through capital financing, we purchased 15 more of these systems over the next year. In trending the results, the improvment in machine operation, reduction in unscheduled maintenance and downtime, is so good, we were able to get ROI in half the time. So, my answer has to be the Electrostatic Oil filtration system!

Thats easy... its our $175, one hundred pound capacity cement mixer used for blending resins. Its mixed thousands of small batches over the last 12 years without fail (just wish it wasn't so noisy...)..mrm

This forum is one of the best tool I have. This is truly a bank of infinite wisdom. If used properly it cannot fail in helping what Jurgen says is the most valuable tool in his box " the injection molder".

Shoe

Most valuable tool is irrelevant if there is not a valuable process technician. Take for example the multi-meter, one favorite instrument of choice and the other is a set of Allen/Hex keys.

My multi-meter is a $300.00 volt, amp, ohm, temp, DC/AC, and scientific calculator that allow me to trouble shot problems on the electrical side. And My $100-200.00 collection of Metric and Standard Allen/Hex keys allow me to trouble shot problems on the hydraulic and mechanical side.

However. I do not have a ticket to be a Millwright or an Electrician yet I am fixing problems that make these valuable tools irrelevant. It is the abilities of the Injection molder or process technician that give me the greatest value for the bang or buck, not a fancy Fuller or Snap-On tool. With out the invaluable Injection Molder there would be no need for a Millwright or an Electrician because the Injection Molder knows how the process should be.

The tools of the trade for an injection molder are 5 thoughts and one tool. Thought
1. Material. The selection, condition, and behaviors of the material are an important part of the process. Without the proper choices in material selection and handling we all know the consequences of trying to mold a box made with wet, dirty, regrind, and why not LDPE. It will not work, and no Electrical, Mechanical, or Engineering control will help no matter how cheap the material is.
2. Machine. The selection and manufacturer of the machine is important and what auxiliary equipment is used is very important. Only my valuable Injection Molder is going to be able to tell me what I need.
3. Mold/Hot runner. No Secret there. And no matter what my Electrical, Mechanical, or Engineering drawings tell the person or me. The Injection Molder is the one who has to make the part and it is his or hers invaluable experience and knowledge that will make or break this part.
4. Part Design and limitations. While this goes hand in hand with Material and Mold the invaluable Injection Molder is the one that must clearly state the limitations of the product. To often is there great amount on energy and time spent on a product that just has to many limitations and at what cost. Now what valuable tool in the shop could fix this problem-Sledge hammer maybe.
5. Process. This is truly the most important and valuable part of the system. The process combines all Electrical, Mechanical, or Engineering controls together with the 4 above to make 5. The brain of the most valuable tool in the shop-“A Human Injection Molder”. No CPU or Electrician, Millwright, or Drawing Engineer can neither listen nor feel what the process needs. The Test Run.

I am True when I say, “If I am told to invest a dime in my Injection Molder, I will invest a dollar because you can not afford not to. Because all the Knights in the Kingdom can not but together a Injection Molder if the product is broken”. It’s a riddle.

Jurgen

A good Leader. Without one there is no vision.

The best piece of equipment that I have seen for a repair tool room is the mold opener DIESEP. We had one at the last shop I was at. Boy did it save time! It would tip molds too. Our biggest molds were over 20,000 pounds. It always opened and closed them in a jiffy!

This probably will not be used but -- The Eliminator nozzle tip. I can understand if it is not selected due to the label of shameless advertising if I submit. I have heard from many molders though that the tip has saved them so much money. Less scrap, larger molding window, fewer mistakes during setup, and the fact that it can pay for itself in a day (sometimes an hour). Had a molder from the past that compared the Eliminator to a servo robot as far as shop improvements. Anyway, there are few $50 items these days that give any more bang for the buck than the Eliminator.

Sam

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 04-06-07 AT 03:14 PM (GMT)[/font][p]I'd have to say my insert mold carrier. As a small molder I always got calls from people looking for small quanities of small molded parts. One day my mold maker and I were talking about that. We came up with the idea (certainly not new) of doing mold inserts. I looked at what was available, we finally decided to take a regular mold base and make our own style of inserts. It has been very successful. Now I'm getting concerned that the mold carrier will eventually be over sold! This idea fits into my "many smaller customers" approach to my business plan.
Bruce
ps Brent You get the prize for most literal answer. Bill I agree with your hot runner comment, it's the selling that is difficult. I'm still trying to get all new molds with subgates!

Brent:

Cute.

But to answer the question the best bang for the buck - meaning the best return for money spent are hot runners. Ideally you want to put, for example, 1000 pounds of material into a process and get 1,000 pounds of saleable product out. With no runners to contaminate the product this is the best investment that can be made.

now there's the other problem of convincing your clients of this.

Bill Tobin

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 03-22-07 AT 11:29 AM (GMT)[/font][p]My Hammer.

I bought a 2 pound brass hammer with wooden handle in 1975. I still have it, same handle. Of course the head is dented, being brass.
I paid one dollar (USD) for it back then, and still use it. So I guess it is the piece of hardware that I have that gives
"the best bang for the buck"

Thanks,

brent

A solid, well maintained machine; with a solid robot, automation program, and robust E.O.A.T. Dependable and caring operators never hurts either! Rick.

Inline metal seperator for the main material line - less time spent splitting molds and cleaning tips.

Cycle time clock with 6" letters showing last cycle, 10 minute average and shift average. Anyone can easily and immediatly see what the cycle time is and compare it to the setup sheet on the machine. We know if we are making money on a process immediatly or if we are having problems.