Archives for November 2011

Managing your Injection Mold Projects and keeping on Track?

November 27, 2011 by

Managing Injection Mold Projects

Injection Mold Project Management If you have ever managed a project you know the challenges involved. There are budgets and schedules and people and hidden costs and problems and that is when it goes smoothly.
Now add a different country, a different language, a different time zone, a different culture, and try to figure out how, with the increased overhead you’re going to save money going offshore. Now as if all of this wasn’t enough you add a factory offshore, purchasing in one area, engineering in another and possibly an end customer located somewhere else. The good news is there is email…right?

I mean email allows communication between all parties to coordinate the production of the injection mold as well as the schedule and the budget. Except one of the emails wasn’t received, there are 5 different threads going around, some people are using their Blackberry or some other smart phone so their responses are there and not on their PC and, of course, the thread with your responses stopped being passed around so when you sit at your PC your responses are nowhere to be found and it’s 2 AM and you have a conference call with another country and your lead engineer is on vacation.. Confused? About this time so is your project and it’s late and it’s over budget.

Injection Mold Business

While all of this may not be something you have had to deal with, if you have been involved in injection molds for any time at all there is a good chance some of this seems familiar. Domestic or offshore, project management is crucial. It is one thing to get a quote for an injection mold but it is another to consider all of the costs involved in managing the mold.

At Total Solution Plastic we not only supply you with a quality injection mold but we consider your cost of acquisition. We understand how much the various operational costs can add to your bottom line. This is why we have developed a state of the art project management system. We make all of the information visible to everyone involved. Action items are given out and monitored to keep everything on schedule or if it’s not everyone knows why. If any of what we discussed earlier is closer to your real life then you want to admit give us a call (919-900-8801) and we can tell you how we can save you this frustration as well as the costs associated with that frustration. We really do provide the total solution when it comes to quality injection molds.

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Injection Mold – Can You Trust that “Spam email ” you received from China?

November 26, 2011 by

Injection Mold – China

Injection Mold - Total Solution PlasticLet’s suppose you are a molder and one of the top 100 OEMs places an order for injection mold and molding with you. For discussion purposes, we will assume the mold is $200,000.00 and the molding package it worth $2,000,000.00 in annual sales. It is your responsibility to have a robust, reliable injection mold built, but you went out to get your prices from someone in China that wrote you an email something like: We are a professional plastic mold maker. Welcome to send us RFQ for your new project. We will quote our best price for you. Are you now willing to place your injection mold order due to an advertisement like this? Are you willing to place your job on the line? Are you willing to place your company in jeopardy that the company on the other end will not just take your money and run? As you know, it is customary to pay 50% up front… are you willing to chance losing $100,000.00?

Injection Mold – Total Solution Plastic

There is absolutely no reason for you to ever take these chances. Total Solution Plastic is a hybrid company. We are located in Raleigh, NC and have ownership in our shop in Shenzhen China. We are the factory that builds your injection mold! We are there to support you during your injection mold build. We are there with our proprietary injection mold web portal, assuring your program runs smoothly. We are there to support you throughout the process and even after the injection mold ships, if there are issues that need to be looked at once the injection mold arrives in your shop. We are proven, tried and trustworthy to deliver what we promise!! Are you really willing to take a chance without the support of Total Solution Plastic? Is it worth the chance??

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Paulson Training’s Channel – Injection Molding

November 24, 2011 by

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Do you know if your company has legal ownership of its injection molds?

November 23, 2011 by

Injection Molds – Ownership

injection molds made of high quality steelThis may never happen, but if it does, it could be a nightmare. What’s that? Proving that your company owns molds that are not in its possession.

Business environments change, natural disasters happen, and businesses close their doors. What do you do if your present plastic molder can no longer produce your parts? Simple, you go get your molds and place them with another molder. Maybe three days downtime, max. It will only be this simple if you plan ahead and have good documentation for your molds.
Here’s a checklist to use for establishing proof of ownership of all your molds. The goal is to keep your molds in production and out of courtrooms.
1. The injection molds purchase order should contain wording to the effect: “design, build, and test mold number XX to produce part YY as described on part print ZZ. All molds to remain the property of XYZ Co.
1. All designs, tools, jigs, fixtures, and assembly/production aids should be identified by mold number with words “Property of XYZ Co.” either by stamping it on the item in a visible area or with an identification tag.
2. Depreciate all molds as a capital expenditure rather than expense it as an engineering expense in your corporate financial statements.
3. Request a list of your tools from your molders on their letterhead. This list should include the following information:
o part names
o part numbers
o molder’s tool number
o molder’s tool location
o statement saying that the molds are the property of XYZ Co.
4. Your company should keep a similar list with the following additional information:
o Your company’s mold number, if assigned
o original purchase order number
o date the tool was completed
5. These lists should be audited annually. When you and the molder agree the new list is both complete and accurate, exchange letters confirming that the list is authentic and all molds listed are the property of your company.
6. If you receive mold design blueprints from the molder, make sure that your company’s name is listed in the title block as owner.
7. Be sure all outstanding invoices are paid before you ask to take possession of the mold. It is commonly understood that when outstanding invoices are paid, the owner is free to move a mold anywhere for any reason.

Injection Molds – Chain of Ownership

If your company works with its molders and follow the guidelines above, there’s a high probability that mold transfers can take place quickly. Keep in mind that possession of property is nine-tenths of the law. Without documentation between the molder and mold owner, it would be difficult to prove to a third party that anyone other than the person who currently possesses the mold is the legal owner.
Total Solution Plastic makes sure each mold we build has YOUR information on it. However, this may not be common practice within the mold building industry, so it wouldn’t hurt to request mold identification.

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Afraid of Purchasing Injection Molds From China?

November 23, 2011 by

Injection Molds from China

injection molds from chins Total Solution PlasticTotal Solution Plastic has taken the guess work and the pain out of searching for a great injection mold builder in China. We have been importing into the USA for +11 years for many of the tier 1 and 2 customers.

Why take a chance answering one of those “spam” emails we all receive from some unknown China supplier? We are a USA company located in Raleigh North Carolina and stand behind each and every one of our injection molds. Currently we are importing 125 to 175 molds per year, from small medical devices to large automotive and agricultural products. Don’t gamble with your projects! Call us at 919-900-8801 for your Injection mold requirements. Visit us at www.totalsolutionplastic.com.

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Injection Mold Basics

November 22, 2011 by

Paulson Training – Basic Injection Molding Machine Operations (excerpt)

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Injection Mold Basics – You Tube Video

November 22, 2011 by

This You Tube Video discusses the basics of injection mold design. Modern injection mold design includes many features which are discussed in simple to understand terms.

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INJECTION MOLD STEEL DESIGN TIPS – WHAT STEEL SHOULD YOU USE WHEN BUILDING YOUR NEW PLASTIC MOLD?

November 21, 2011 by

Building Your New Plastic Injection Mold

Injection Mold MachineYour company is about to invest in a mold to manufacture a plastic part. That is, you’re ready to write the purchase order once you decide which molder has quoted you the best value for your dollar. You want the lowest price, the lowest mold maintenance, AND the highest product quality. Right? Yet, how can you tell what you’re really buying when one supplier quoted $3000 and another quoted $13,000? They both saw the same blueprint! It’s probably true that both molds could produce good quality plastic parts.

Injection Mold – What Steel to USE?

Buyers should consider two scenarios: quick machining steel/low production quantity versus slower machining steel/high production-high quality. Quoting molds is often an “assumption game.” The more the customer can define what they want, the fewer variables enter into the quote. The customer’s goal is to get apples-to-apples quotes from each supplier, and this isn’t always easy.
One variable in quoting the mold is the quality of steel to be used. Total Solution Plastic typically quotes high quality tool steel unless the customer specifies otherwise. We do, however, build tooling from all grades of material such as prehard steel (P-20), hardened tool steel (S-7,H-13,O-1,A-2,etc.), or stainless steel. When dealing with Asian suppliers, it is also important to understand the country of origin of the steel. Even though it meets the industry standard, doesn’t mean all steel is the same.
Prehard: P-20
P-20 is the most popular and versatile mold steel. It is used for all sizes of machine-cut molds, and does not require post machining heat treatment. No heat treatment eliminates the finish machining and grinding operations which are necessary because of the dimensional changes which occur in heat treatment.
Prehard can be chrome-plated or nickel-plated for wear and corrosion resistance, if needed. However, we typically do not recommend P-20 steel if the production quantity is high (+500,000) or reinforced plastics are to be used. The trade-off is usually less mold builder labor ($) versus longevity of the mold (time).
Hardened Tool Steel: H-13, S-7
This steel renders a fine combination of toughness and strength. The steel is mostly furnished in the annealed condition and must then be heat treated after the mold is finished. The steel hardens to about Rockwell C 46 – C 54. Hardened tool steel is used when a steel is needed for molding reinforced plastics, or when a large production quantity is anticipated. Hardened steel also takes an excellent polish, therefore it is used for clear parts such as lenses.
Stainless Steel: 420
Stainless steel is frequently used when corrosion or rusting may be a problem. Rusting of waterlines or the mold due to condensation can be very costly because of the extra maintenance and frequent polishing. Stainless 420 must be heat treated. It has outstanding dimensional stability in heat treatment and therefore, the mold needs very little finishing and correcting after heat treatment. This steel also takes a high luster polish.
Three variables enter into the calculation of a mold’s price: the material to be used, the estimate of mold maker hours, and the labor/overhead rate.
Price = Material + (Hours X Rate)
The steel quoted will determine the material price and mold builder hours required. Although the steel or material cost typically amount to only 10% of the mold’s price, the amount of time required to machine the steel is a major part of the cost. The prehard steel may be a very cost effective route if for example, the plastic to be molded is polyethylene, the quality of the plastic part is not “gold-plated”, and the life of the mold is small, such as 10,000 pieces.
If, on the other hand, the plastic part is 30% glass-filled nylon, specifies no parting line flash, and will run one million parts, Total Solution Plastic will quote the tool steel you request.
The challenge for all buyers is to define which steel is being quoted and whether that steel will be satisfactory for the project’s objectives.

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Getting your best buy for Injection Molds?

November 21, 2011 by

All of the folks at Total Solution Plastic speak English (although it is with a “southern” accent)! We are located in Raleigh, NC and have been importing Injection Molds from our sister company in Shenzhen China for +11 years. We stand behind our products and have a superior reputation in the industry! Please visit us at www.totalsolutionplastic.com. We understand “the total cost of acquisition of injection molds”!

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Are your projects on time when procuring injection molds for Asia?

November 19, 2011 by

Procuring Injection Molds for Asia

Injection Molds - Franklin Spears CEO Total Solution PlasticTotal Solution Plastic has experienced in the past week an earthquake, tornadoes, a hurricane and a +500 point swing in the market. Is there something here that Nostradamus predicted? I certainly hope not, but the good news is that we are all doing well and suffered very little damage here. We pray for those that were affected by these disasters.
Many have suffered the past couple of years due to the market conditions. I am not going to attempt to predict the future, but we have certainly seen a sharp increase in activity and orders. We have seen spurts of business previously, and thought all had turned…. But spurt is exactly what it was. Like many of you, I certainly hope this increase continues. We find companies are shopping their requirements harder for lower cost while keeping the quality the same or even better. Total Solution Plastic is very proud to day we are alive and healthy. Our shop in Shenzhen is operating at a very healthy level, but even still capacity is available.

Plastic Injection Molds Projects

I have spoken many times before about communications and its significance to achieve a successful and timely project completion date. Customers have experienced time and time again, their Plastic Injection Molds projects not only ship on time, but many time ahead of schedule! Our Proprietary Web Portal has been the solution. No longer are emails lost or change orders misplaced or not followed. Our Portal controls these processes. It is all about the “Total Cost of Acquisition”! No need to change shipping from the planned sea shipment to much more expensive air shipments due to lost time or missed schedules! We deliver on time… in fact we boast quite strongly that WE HAVE NEVER MISSED A T1 DATE!!
I would appreciate your responses to issues you have experienced in procuring of shore tooling. As you well know, “the price is not always the price”.

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