Injection molders today are using sophisticated, automated equipment aimed at molding high quality products with lean processes. Automated auxiliary equipment is used to provide consistency in a process while reducing cycle times. Each injection molder’s shop environment is different, and some equipment must be custom designed to work together.
An injection mold designer must be aware of the molding environment in which the mold will run, which includes the type of press, any auxiliary equipment used in the molding process and the location of tie bars and cooling lines. This information is vital to a proper mold design to ensure that nothing will interfere with installation or operation of the mold. Some Automated equipment that injection molders use are vacuum conveying systems, sprue pickers, robotic arms and conveyors, computerized quality inspection and rejection procedures, and automated packing procedures. As any molder knows, reducing cycle time provides cost saving efficiencies that equate to increased profits to the bottom line. Be sure to share with your mold designer any custom design requirements unique to your molding situation. Michiana Global Mold is experienced with the most challenging of mold designs requiring tight geometric tolerances with critical dimensions. We construct molds used for any environment, with custom designed solutions provided with Unigraphics CAD/CAM Software, and Mold Flow Analysis if required. We are an ISO Registered mold making facility following a strict quality policy in all aspects of injection mold design and construction. Michiana Global Mold has been a valuable supplier to many supply chains including to the Automotive industry for over 50 years. We employ a highly knowledgeable and experienced staff, with skilled designers and journeyman mold makers. Michiana Global Mold has in-depth knowledge designing and manufacturing injection molds that meet tight geometric tolerances. Contact us today for a FREE design consultation and to learn how we can assist with all of your injection mold requirements.
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ISO 9001 is a set of internationally recognized standards that provides a uniform way of measuring a company’s internal quality systems. ISO was first introduced in 1987, and is administered by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
The latest version of ISO9001:2015 is replacing the prior version from 2008, as a new standard is introduced about every seven years. When first introduced in 1987, the standards focused on documentation, saying what you do, and how you do it. Defining job descriptions, work instructions, and quality checks and balances was a big part of the initial introduction of ISO standards. The updated version that came next in 1994 enhanced upon “say what you do”, and added “say what you do, and do what you say” (and prove it). Further documentation was required to show that you are actually doing what you say you are doing. Internal audits are emphasized with honest findings, and corrective actions. The ISO updates in 2000 turned focus to “continual improvement” and “customer satisfaction”. Continual improvement projects must be identified, and customer satisfaction must be measured. The ISO9001:2008 version went into greater depth of all prior versions, emphasizing processes, process owners, measurable goals and how they impact continual improvement and total customer satisfaction. With the most recent updates of ISO9001:2015, there is even greater emphasis on business management and leadership, and top-down management involvement. Each employee should be aware of the organization’s mission statement, quality policy, and what their role is in achieving these goals. Top management should be involved with communicating the quality management system, and the importance of each employee’s role to the organization. ISO9001:2015 puts more emphasis on risk based thinking, and having contingency plans in place. The bottom line is that businesses that adhere to an ISO compliant quality system are poised for the future, with quality systems in place that focus on total customer satisfaction. Total customer satisfaction reaps many benefits in customer retention, increased volume of business, and new business referrals. The efficiencies recognized when implementing ISO leads to cost-efficient improvements, thus saving time and money. Michiana Global Mold is a superior plastic injection mold designer registered to ISO9001:2015 in the United States, and ISO9001:2008 in China. We offer offshore mold making options, rebate programs and high-volume discounts. Contact us today for a FREE injection mold design consultation. For full service tooling and mold making solutions, Michiana Global Mold offers a wide range of mold making and tooling capabilities. Our niche, and one area of expertise is constructing precision, custom injection molds for complex part production using quality North American or German Steel with modern equipment and technology. We meet the tight tolerances and fast deadlines of the Automotive industry, and are a valuable part of many other industrial supply chains.
Our services include much more than building new injection molds, however, and as a full-service Tool and Die Shop we can offer a wide range of comprehensive tooling services. CNC / EDM and Wire EDM Machining With the latest in modern equipment, Michiana Global Mold uses four Charmilles CNC EDM Machines, a Charmilles EDM HD20, a full line of Hansvedt EDM centers, and a 3R and Erowa Tooling Package. Our journeyman mold makers are experienced in the latest CNC EDM and Wire EDM Machinery and Equipment offering efficient tooling services. Grinding MG Mold has over a dozen Harig grinders alone, in 6 x 12 or 6 x 18 with Grind All attachments, 1 Reid, 2 Boyer, and 2 Proth and 1 Chevalier Hydraulic Surface Grinders. We can grind any surface area of any product meeting the most demanding of tolerances. Milling With more than 30 different Milling centers, we have the capacity to provide full service for even multi-tool programs with quick lead times. Our full line of milling centers include 1 Hwacheon 20,000 RPM High Speed Mill, 2 Fanuc Robodrill 20,000 RPM, over a dozen Hurco CNC Machining and Milling centers, 11 Bridgeport Milling Machines and various other milling machines fill our large capacity production area. Sampling and Inspection Michiana Global Mold will sample your tool in the selected material, providing first shots to your specification prior to tool delivery. We provide the highest of quality and inspection services Engineering Changes and Tool Adaptations For all tooling processes, including Engineering changes and tool adaptations call on your one stop, full service tool and mold shop, Michiana Global Mold. Michiana Global Mold has been supplying high-performance tight tolerance precision injection molds since 1952! Contact us today for a FREE no-obligation design consultation for your next mold making or tooling project. What qualities are you evaluating when searching for a mold making company? How do you qualify a mold builder as a preferred vendor? You probably have a thorough, detailed and organized method of granting vendor approval, including a Quality audit. As part of your formal process, some critical standards stand out as critically important over others, those would be:
Not all mold making companies have kept up with the times and invested in the modern technology available to mold makers today. With computer driven milling centers and workhorse EDM machines humming all day, the modern mold making shop must be well versed in the computer driven equipment. Equipment today can hold several programs, constantly checking for accuracy while doing the work it is programmed to do. Creating these programs takes skill and knowledge of the mold making process from an experienced mold design engineer. Quality of Overall Work Performed Sourcing a mold making company that is registered to ISO9001 standards gives you added assurances that the quality of product and service will be to your specification. ISO9001:2015 standards require measuring performance and implementing continual improvement projects, with quick response time to meet the overall goal – total customer satisfaction. Delivery Performance As part of internal audits with an ISO registered company, delivery performance should have a positive ratio with an explanation for any late deliveries. Mold making shops that use modern technology and perform advanced quality planning procedures delivery quality tools on time, with critical areas planned ahead. Top notch mold making shops like Michiana Global Mold provide all of these services, in addition to sampling and checking parts for accuracy prior to delivery. Michiana Global Mold can assist you with your demanding supply chain requirements with modern engineering capabilities, registration to ISO9001:2015 providing on-time delivery of quality product. Contact us today for a FREE design consultation and to learn more about our multi-tool discount program. It can be challenging finding an injection mold supplier that can provide overseas injection molds with competitive pricing, and full-service domestic support. Michiana Global Mold is located in the Mid-West USA, with a partner company in China, offering the best of global sourcing with superior service.
Modular Mold in China offers full service injection mold designs and manufacturing, for a variety of mold types including semi-finished or fully finished molds constructed with the same technical expertise and attention to detail that you will find from our location in the United States. We employ only highly skilled journeyman mold makers and design engineers experienced in constructing custom, precision injection molds. Michiana Global Mold has been supplying various industries, including the demanding Automotive industry since 1952, providing high quality precision tools to customer specifications for decades. We are an ISO Registered injection mold making facility, in both our US and China locations. Our Quality Policy is practiced throughout the organization, providing you with the same level of high precision accuracy from either our US or overseas location. All molds are inspected for conformance from our US location, and all service is from our Indiana location with one main point of contact providing tool status updates throughout the entire scope of the project. Modular Mold’s capabilities include equipment to produce molds accommodating presses up to 3,000 tons, in our more than 40,000 square foot facility. We focus on precision, lead times and high quality by following our processes according to our quality policy adhering to ISO9001:2008 standards. When you need a high quality constructed tool with precision geometric tolerances, you need to call on Michiana Global Mold! We are your one stop shop for precision injection molds whether you need overseas or domestic suppliers, or overseas pricing with domestic support. There is never a problem due to a language barrier, as we manage all communication from our US location, and make regular visits to Modular Mold in China. Let Michiana Global Mold show you how you can have overseas injection molds with domestic service. Download our FREE book on sourcing injection molds from China. Michiana Global Mold is a supplier of superior quality plastic injection molds for various industries including automotive, medical, consumer electronics, and defense for over 50 years. We maintain high customer satisfaction through continual product and process improvement at both our United States and China locations. There are many advantages gained with using an ISO Registered mold making facility for construction of your injection molds. Plastic injection mold making shops are expected to meet just in time delivery deadlines with tight tolerances within specifications. Today’s injection mold making industry leaves no room for error as mold making shops must utilize modern technology with experience and in-depth knowledge of the injection mold making process in order to satisfy the stringent requirements of OEMs today.
The Internationally recognized quality standards of ISO9001, ISO/TS16949 and AS9100 set common parameters for various industries around the globe to measure their performance in either their service or product with a uniform set of standards. Any supplier to the Automotive industry should be registered to ISO standards. In some cases, proving compliance may be adequate for a 3rd tier supplier, although most 1st and 2nd tier suppliers must be registered to either ISO or ISO/TS. This gives Automotive suppliers around the globe the same set of standards to adhere to, making the job of the Automotive Quality Engineer from one of the top Automakers a little easier to compare vendors. In order to stay in the preferred vendor status, an injection molding shop and even the injection mold making shops must not only be registered to ISO standards, they had better be practicing their Quality Policy and performing continual improvement projects in order to stay competitive. Mold making facilities meticulously follow detailed checklists ensuring that all issues are recognized and address prior to cutting steel. ISO Registered mold making shops that follow Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) reveal any critical issues with mold construction such as critical fill areas to tight geometric areas, the need for CAM action, lifters or specialty ejection systems. Identifying these critical issues ahead of time is crucial to fulfilling a tight deadline with a quality mold. Michiana Global Mold is a global supplier of high quality injection molds, registered to ISO 9001:2015 and implementing our Quality Policy throughout the organization. We have been satisfying the stringent requirements of the Automotive industry with high-quality, custom, precision injection molds for over 52 years. Contact us today to see how we can assist you with your injection mold building needs. The most common type of polymer used in injection molding is thermoplastic resins. There are many different types of resins with various properties to meet part specifications for functionality. When designing injection molds, the engineer must take into consideration all properties of the resin specified for the produce including adhesion, elasticity, resistance to high temperatures, shrink rate, resistance to corrosives, and desired finish whether matte or polished.
The cooling and shrink rate are of the utmost importance, as some parts with a high shrink rate will need the cavity designed accordingly so the finished product will cool and shrink within specifications. Cooling rate is also important for ejection, as the resin must completely solidify prior to mold ejection. When an injection molded part has a critical functionality, mold flow analysis may be helpful in determining resin flow into tight geometric areas. Mold flow analysis clearly shows with computer aided simulation how the resin will flow as determined from its properties. Predicting how thermoplastic resin will flow in the mold and cavities prior to cutting steel can be a valuable tool in avoiding costly mistakes. Conducting the proper advanced quality planning with mold flow analysis can greatly improve lead times. Most journeyman mold makers will already possess the knowledge of hos particular resins flow just from experience. A skilled design engineer with experience in manufacturing molds will have the knowledge to design the tool to produce a part to print specifications, with the chosen resin properties playing a huge role in tool design. At Michiana Global Mold, we have been providing high quality precision molds for over 60 years, possessing more than 500 years of combined experience. Our staff of highly skilled design engineers and journeymen mold makers are the best in the business with vast experience in various thermoplastic resins. Contact Michiana Global Mold today to speak with one of our skilled and experienced mold designers to learn how we can assist you with your injection mold requirement. We are an ISO9001:2015 Registered mold making company with vast experience constructing custom, precision injection molds for various industries. Supplying the Automotive industry with plastic injection molds poses challenges unique to that industry, with complex designs, quick lead times and tight budgets. Not to mention the tight tolerances required of molds designed for critical components used in assemblies for items such as air bags, brakes, throttle bodies and solenoids, and various electro-mechanical switches.
Save Valuable Time with the Right CAD/CAM Software With the right CAD/CAM software, an injection mold designer can save valuable long hours entering critical dimensions for automotive components. The capabilities of computer aided designs can increase capacity so much that a mold designer can take on new business, and drastically improve lead times with current customers. Most OEMs demand CAD/CAM capability of their injection mold suppliers, as the automotive industry is focused on increasing profit margins with quick turnaround, from any supplier. You have to have a fast response time as a valuable participant in the automotive supply chain. The right CAD/CAM software can increase your value-added services with this important partnership. Increase Profit Margin with CAD/CAM in Mold Making With faster response times and increased capacity comes an increase in profit margin. Having skilled design engineers knowledgeable with your CAD design software is vital for increased productivity. Ease of Modifications and File Sharing Most leading CAD/CAM software programs allow for ease in file sharing, enhancing advanced quality planning as designers, engineers and OEMs can view and adjust for critical areas. Problematic dimensions are identified quickly and shared all design participants for quick and viable solutions. When incorporated with skilled and experienced designers, modifying and sharing CAD files is a valuable benefit. Michiana Global Mold utilizes the latest in technologically advanced CAD/CAM software with skilled and experienced mold designers. Our designers are experienced with SolidWorks, UniGraphics, Mold Flow Analysis, and all computer aided milling centers. Michiana Global Mold is an ISO Registered mold making facility serving OEMs worldwide with high performing, precision injection molds for complex automotive components. Contact us today for a free cost estimate of your next injection mold project requirements. A preventive mold maintenance program is a big part of the mold manufacturing process. Right in line with the motto from MoldMaking Technology which is engineer, build and then maintain. Some TLC can go a long way to prevent molding dilemmas.
When using cleaning solvents on a mold, care must be taken to know how the chemical will react with heat. Some cleaning solvents will react differently at different temperatures, and heat will either help or hurt the situation. Some cleaners are used to primarily dissolve grease, oil sometimes rust. A mold polishing compound can be used when polishing the tool is necessary, and some cleaners are used to remove mold release build up even while the mold is still hot in the press. Mold makers are well familiar with the benefits of polishing and maintaining a tool. It takes a quality tool to mold a quality part. The proper method for cleaning the mold can determine the quality of the part. A consistent preventive maintenance program including a thorough mold cleaning is necessary in high-volume production jobs. Preventive Mold Maintenance Program A preventive mold maintenance program is utilized by molders to maintain consistent, quality molded product during injection molding production. This is often achieved with a process monitoring system keeping track of cycle counts. Certain job may require a preventive mold cleaning at particular intervals depending on the material used, and the molding environment. Upon reaching a set number of cycles, the molding job can be stopped and the mold pulled for routine maintenance. Be sure to use the right type of mold cleaner for your environment. Michiana Global mold is an experienced precision injection mold maker, with skilled journeymen mold makers well familiar with the best practices for mold maintenance. Michiana Global Mold has vast experience with engineering, constructing, and maintaining the highest of quality injection molds. Contact us today for a free cost estimate of your next injection mold making project. A custom plastic injection mold maker has expertise with designing a plastic injection mold to manufacture a unique plastic part. Custom injection mold making is used in several industries, especially those requiring new parts with new model releases such as the Automotive Industry. When new projects require complex parts that fit into existing assemblies, or critical components used in interior automotive parts, you need a precision custom plastic injection mold making company. At Michiana Global Mold, no part is too complex. We excel at designing and manufacturing precision, tight tolerance, custom designed molds for critical components. Our specialty is providing quality precision tools for complex, custom parts. Michiana Global Mold employs highly skilled designers and engineers, utilizing the latest technology to design the perfect tool for your complex part requirements. Using Unigraphics software, we can create 2D and 3D models of the optimum design, quickly identifying critical dimensional areas prior to cutting steel. Our designers and journeyman mold makers have vast experience designing complex tooling, even molds that require cam action or customized ejection systems. Your custom injection mold will be designed to run in your press, and within your unique environment. We’ll take your water lines and mounting plate into consideration for optimum placement, avoiding any future discrepancies with a smooth-running mold. Full Service Injection Mold Making Supplier Michiana Global Mold is a full-service injection mold making company, with over 600 years of combined experience. Our knowledge, expertise with mold making, and vast resources give us the opportunity to provide the best value to our customers. We have a partnership with Modular Mold Solutions, located in China, giving us the ability to source tools overseas while still providing the same quality that you expect from a superior domestic mold making supplier. Both of our locations, in China and here in the US, are registered to ISO9001, following a strict quality policy in all processes. We practice continual improvement on a regular basis, passing savings onto our customers with improved efficiencies and consistent quality. Michiana Global Mold is a full-service injection mold making company, providing high performance plastic and rubber molds to a multitude of industries including automotive, consumer products and electronics since 1964. Contact us today to learn about our free design consultation and multi-tool discount for high volume projects. |
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