Most-Read Stories of 2016
Plastics Business
While work on Plastics Business’s first issue of 2017 is well underway, we paused to see the topics with which our readers spent the most time last year. We found that readers often check through our archives, referring to information published as far back as 2006. The following stories, published in 2016, were the top reads for 15,000 visitors to the website.
- Racing to Production with 3D-Printed Insert Tooling
Two New York plastics processors are working to circumvent the extended lead times and additional costs surrounding the research and development process of new product launches. Both companies take great pride in the engineering technical expertise offered by talented employees, and both see the potential in using 3D printing to create insert tooling to increase the level of service offered to their customers. - 4 Variables, 7 Questions: How to Determine What Changed in Your Process
Anyone who has been through RJG training is familiar with the concept of the Four Plastics Variables. The Four Plastics Variables (4PVs) are a way of breaking the process down into four components to help understand what actually is affecting part quality, separate from machine settings. - Maximizing Mold Changeover Efficiency at Dorel Juvenile Products
Dorel Juvenile Group in Columbus, Indiana, is the largest child car seat manufacturer in the world. The companys 700 employees manufacture products sold under the Safety First, Costco and Eddie Bauer brands, and all molding is performed in the Columbus assembly plant on 68 injection molding machines. - What about vent maintenance?
As overlooked as vents can be in the design phase of molds, the ongoing condition of vents also typically is ignored just as much as the lowly water line when molds get into the production environment. And, just like the poor water line, vent integrity usually only comes under a spotlight after it begins to cause part or processing issues. - Viking Plastics: Lifting the Ceiling on Employee Influence
In the last five years, Viking Plastics has undergone a radical shift, one employee at a time. It started at the top, with President and CEO Kelly Goodsel moving his office out of the main production building and empowering a strong management team to lead the company. It continued with daily meetings where all employees were asked to share their thoughts on making the company better. It expanded when Viking Academy was born, sharing financial and strategic planning information with those who committed to a series of classes. US sales have doubled in the same time period. Employment is up 50 percent. And Goodsel knows its not a coincidence.
