by Ken Jenkins, Pleasant Precision, Inc. The economic downturn has U.S. manufacturing looking for ways to do more with less, pushing the limits of optimization, efficiency, and cost effectiveness. Never has the term "lean manufacturing" meant more than it does today. The mold-making process notoriously adds time to pre-production and can be very costly, especially for shorter … [Read more...] about Modular Molds Contribute to Lean Manufacturing Success
2009 Spring
ATEK Plastics: Bringing Its A-Team to the Molding Game
ATEK Plastics: Bringing Its A-Team to the Molding Game by Dianna Brodine Profile Spring 2009 Located in Kerrville, Texas, ATEK Plastics is the plastics molding component of the larger group, ATEK Companies. Providing solutions to the OEM medical, aerospace, automotive, and defense markets, ATEK Companies entered the plastic injection molding industry in 1995. Adding the … [Read more...] about ATEK Plastics: Bringing Its A-Team to the Molding Game
Using Purging Compound to Streamline Production Costs and Reduce Waste
by John Pizzo, Sun Plastech Inc. A huge volume of plastic resin is wasted every day due to poor resin quality, color changes, and product contamination. This large amount of plastic scrap creates a significant drain on the efficiency and profitability of thermoplastic processors already under pressure from a weakened economy. Plastics processors have reacted to this challenge … [Read more...] about Using Purging Compound to Streamline Production Costs and Reduce Waste
Investing in Energy-Saving Improvements
by Ryan Thompson, Murphy Company As more corporations respond to an anemic world economy by putting capital improvement programs on a starvation diet, the age-old question asked in every cyclical downturn surfaces anew: "Is cutting capital improvements now the right decision?" In some industries, it is. In others, like the plastics industry, it isn't. Right now, there is a … [Read more...] about Investing in Energy-Saving Improvements
Terms and Conditions: Contracting for Economic Certainty
by Josef Keglewitsch and Laura Hult, Schottenstein Zox & Dunn Co., L.P.A. Given the difficult economic times, we are all looking for ways to improve the bottom line. Even after combating some of the more traditional problems that erode profit such as raw material costs, machine rates, and labor expenses, a business' bottom line is still subject to significant exposure if … [Read more...] about Terms and Conditions: Contracting for Economic Certainty