Advertising in MoldMaking Technology offers
Issue link: https://mmt.epubxp.com/i/437786
Profle 12 MoldMaking Technology January 2015 1 2 M o l d M a k i n g T e c h n o l o g y J a n u a r y 2 0 1 5 The Trifecta of Competitive Toolmaking By Matthew Danford Even the most sophisticated technology can't accomplish much if it's not run by people who understand not only how to operate it, but how best to apply it. That's the basic premise driving virtually all activities at injection mold manufacturer Eifel Mold & Engineering. When it comes to technology, pro- cess and people, "you have to invest in all three to be success- ful," says Richard Hecker, owner and CEO. This philosophy hasn't always been clearly articulated, let alone codified as an all-but-official tagline for the Fraser, Michigan-based injection mold manufacturer. Nonetheless, Hecker says the essence of the three-pronged approach has been in place ever since his father, Josef Hecker, founded the shop in 1973. Through the years, it has influenced the shop's investments in capabilities ranging from manufacturing feasi- bility studies to in-house sampling. Yet, the philosophy is per- haps best evidenced in the process that forms the foundation of this expanded service offering: the production of quality tooling, mostly for automotive interior components. The Process One major turning point for Eifel was a move into zero-stock machining, which improves throughput by eliminating the need for downstream processing. In fact, the shop has committed so fully to this process that much of the time, its spotting press just takes up space, Hecker says. Making this work requires what he calls a "systems" approach, and there can be no weak links. Images courtesy of Eifel Mold & Engineering. Eifel Mold & Engineering 31071 Fraser Drive Fraser, Michigan, 48026 Phone: 586-296-9640 Fax: 586-296-7280 Email: rick.hecker@eifel-inc.com COMPANY: Leadership Richard Hecker President and CEO Michael Nye General Manager Metrics Annual sales: $3.5-4 million No. of employees: 20 No. of molds per year: 70-80 End Markets Automotive Consumer Products Medical Aerospace Key Customers Tier One automotive industry suppliers, particularly for safety systems Specialties • Production tooling, prototype tooling, fxtures/models, product development • Tooling for steering wheels, head- lamps, vehicle aftermarket parts, air-bag housing units, center consoles, seatback panels, other interior automotive trim Capabilities and Services • Concept-to-completion, prototype and production tooling • Aluminum molds • Multi-shot molds • Urethane molds • RIM tooling • Compression molds • Low-pressure molds • Specialty material tooling • Die-cast tooling • Manufacturability studies • Molding/sampling • Class-A surfacing • B-side development • Fixtures/models • Tool design • Product design/design consulting, including reverse engineering from point cloud data Facilities and Equipment • 13,000-ft 2 air-conditioned building • 1996 Nissei FE460 molding machine • 2013 YCM NSV102A 3-Axis CNC machining center • 2010 Makino DUO43 wire EDM • DMG MORI DMU 50V • 2008 Hermle C40U fve-axis high- speed CNC • 2006 Hermle C30U fve-axis high- speed CNC • 2006 Deckel Maho DMU100P fve-axis CNC • 2006 Haas EC 1600 horizontal machining center • 2004 Topper QVM 1100 43x23x20 • 2003 Topper QVM 1100 43x23x20 • 1997 Sanki spotting press • 1995 Bridgeport two-axis CNC • 3 surface grinders Certifcations ISO 9002-compliant Affliations • Member, American Mold Builders Association (AMBA), Southeast Michigan chapter • Collaborates with Lincoln High School on activities including job shadowing, presentations and advice on educational offerings Given the preponderance of undercuts and other tough geometry in its work, Eifel relies heavily on fve-axis machining centers like this C40U from Hermle. Most recently, the shop added a DMU 50V from DMG MORI.