Press release submitted on behalf of PCS Company.
D&M Tool Corporation is a busy mold manufacturing company and, according to General Manager Brad Cummings, anytime his team can find supplier products and tools that streamline the mold building process they will look at it. One such tool is the innovative Mold Base Configurator from PCS Company, a now valued resource that Cummings says was almost passed over.
Based in Springville, IN, D&M manufactures small to mid-size injection molds ranging from single cavity to 16 cavities and also builds die cast tooling and offers machining of components in its 18,000-square-foot facility. With expertise in molds for automotive lenses, the company also serves the electronics (lighting for airports, parking lots, retail stores and headlights for cars) and medical device industries. Sister company PRD, Inc., also of Springville, offers tight-tolerance injection molding services and runs most of the molds built at D&M. Press sizes range from 20 tons to 610 tons. Both companies are divisions of Specialty Manufacturers Inc.
Cummings says it was about a year ago when they learned about the Mold Base Configurator from PCS Sales Representative Mike Hyde. “I was just too busy to even look at it,” he says. “It was easier to continue using our previous mold base supplier, which we felt was providing satisfactory service and pricing.”
With continued urging from Hyde, Cummings eventually agreed to give the configurator a try. “Tim Pruett, our Mold Designer, placed the first order. He had the other supplier’s mold base data stored in his computer and we were concerned that PCS’s data would not be compatible, making it a hassle to set everything up the way we needed it,” he says.
When the mold base arrived, Cummings says he told his guys to critique every aspect of the order and let him know if they saw anything out of spec or missing. “Our concerns were unfounded,” he says. “Everything was perfect and exactly matched the 3D models Pruett had on the prints.”
Super-Fast and Easy to Use
The company has ordered multiple mold bases in the last few months and have quoted many more, Cummings says. Even now he says he is impressed with how fast and easy PCS’s mold base configurator is to use.
“I simply login and use the drop-down menus within the order form to choose the type of mold base I want, and the machining features and components needed,” he explains. “One great advantage is that the PCS configurator calculates the price as I go line by line, selecting or removing any aspect of the order, so I know in real time exactly what everything costs. If I quote a job for a customer and later, we get the PO, I can go back into the configurator and order the mold base without having to re-enter anything. The entire process takes me about a minute and boom, it’s done. I get a confirmation email with delivery details and each order has arrived correct and on time, usually in just three to four days.”
In contrast, Cummings says it could take 3-4 days, usually via multiple emails, just to get the mold base quoted by the previous supplier and by that time, D&M could miss opportunities. Additionally, any changes that needed to be made to an order could be missed, leading to mistakes that D&M was charged for. “It was frustrating,” he says. “PCS’s online mold base configurator is more direct, efficient and error-free because we are in complete control of the order process.”
Added Benefits, Better Pricing
Cummings and Pruett say they appreciate the level of customer service provided by PCS. For example, the first time D&M used the configurator, they could not find the locating ring to fit the company’s standard. Pruett phoned PCS’s Hyde and he promptly resolved the issue. Pricing is less expensive than the competing supplier as well, Cummings says.
Another added benefit, Cummings and Pruett say, is that, when working with the 3D model in the mold base configurator, the chamfers on the corners are not displayed, making it much easier to make the drawings. Otherwise, it would be necessary to zoom in very closely to get the right edge. “By the same token, when we get the mold base delivered, the chamfers are there as designed,” Pruett notes.
So far, D&M Tool is using PCS’s standard mold base configurator, which offers frame options of 7.875 inch x 7.875 inch to 23.75 inch x 35.5 inch and A and B plate thicknesses ranging from 0.875 inch to 5.875 inch, all available in either #3 or #7 steel.
PCS also offers its F.I.T.S.® (Fast Interchangeable Tooling System) Insert configurator. F.I.T.S. are compatible with PCS, MUD® and RTI® frames, which D&M intends to use for future jobs as needed.
“The PCS Mold Base Configurator has significantly improved our ordering and quoting process,” Cummings concludes. “It is now our default source for mold bases in addition to PCS’s pins, parting line locks, lifters and other products that we use for every mold we build.”
About PCS Company
PCS Company is a Misumi Group Company and is headquartered in Metro Detroit’s Fraser Michigan.
Founded in 1950, PCS Company is a team of industry experts providing solutions and innovative products for the plastics injection molding, mold making, and die casting industries. We are committed to our mission of being the industry’s leading provider of high-quality, competitively-priced products and services while providing the highest level of customer service.
We offer standard, off the shelf, and custom, made-to-order die and mold making supplies throughout North America. Our product categories include mold bases, mold components, molding supplies and solutions, hot runner systems, cutting tools, and our latest advancement into additive manufacturing. We partner with our customers to provide innovative products and solutions that improve ROI and make our customers successful. Our team of experts are located nationwide to best service you. We have branch facility locations in the United States in Fraser and Grand Rapids, Michigan and Torrance, California. Our international presence continues into Canada and Mexico in order to expand our reach throughout North America.
