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8 MoldMaking Technology —— MARCH 2018 EAB Will Cipkar, MMT EAB member and Crest Mold technical sales manager, shares his factors to consider before investing in new technology. He believes that as technology evolves, so must manufacturers to keep pace with customer expecta- tions. However, companies often see the next big thing and make an investment before fully understanding its capabilities, potential and impact. Instead, com- panies need to take an initial pause and ask the question: Is this new machine or new software going to drastically improve the business? I've seen companies buy new technology and assume it is going to take the business to the next level. While that is often the case, there are real instances when that same approach ruins a company. It is always a good idea to take a step back and evaluate your business for areas to improve before buying a new product or piece of equipment. This includes identify- ing personnel challenges and bottlenecks. People. If you have talented people pushing the limits of the equipment you currently have on the shop floor, then the burden of performance falls on the company to empower these people with better tools for continuous improvement. You know that a new machine has its own costs, but what about the personnel required to operate it? Are you bringing in a technology that is completely foreign to the team? If so, you are now looking at another big investment in people, which entails either providing training on the new technology or hiring new staff that have more experience with the new technology. That fancy new technology is only as good as the person who is driving it. Investing in people will always pay far more dividends than the technology itself. This is because a talented employee will grow with your business and become an asset, whereas machines have hard limitations. Bottlenecks. Improving current workflow is always a win. If bringing in a new CNC machine will drastically improve quality and efficiency because it cuts faster and offers more options (like multi-axis capabilities) that can reduce other operations that require longer cutting (like EDM and polish- ing), the machine will pay for itself quickly. Another workflow consideration is outsourcing. Most shops outsource work because of the ebbs and flows in the industry. How do you know if it is time to bring that work in-house by investing in the technology to do it yourself? Outsourcing can be tracked and assigned a dollar value. Simply put, if the cost of a new machine is less than the average total work you send out each year, then new technology may be a worthwhile investment. Technology Considerations Will J. Cipkar Technical Sales Crest Mold Ontario, Canada EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD (EAB) The EAB enhances the standing of the publication and strengthens its professional integrity through the active involvement of its members. The Board represents all aspects of the mold manufacturing industry with a balance of moldmakers, molders, original equipment manufacturers and academia, and various moldmaking segments and job functions. A member is selected based on his or her experience and knowledge of the moldmaking industry to serve a three-year term. Kylee Carbone Director of Human Development & Marketing Westminster Tool Plainfield, Connecticut 860-564-6966, ext. 244 kcarbone@westminstertool.com westminstertool.com Will J. Cipkar Technical Sales Crest Mold Crest Thermal Technology (CTT) Division Ontario, Canada 519-737-1546, ext. 117 jcipkar@crestmold.com crestmold.com Andrew Garstkiewicz Senior Advanced Manufacturing Engineer GE Appliances, a Haier company Louisville, Kentucky 502-387-1259 andrew.garstkiewicz@ge.com ge.com Ryan Katen President and General Manager Micro Mold Company Inc. Erie, Pennsylvania 814-838-3404, ext. 238 rkaten@plastikoserie.com plastikoserie.com Tim Krieger President Krieger Craftsmen Inc. Grand Rapids, Michigan 616-735-9200 tim@kriegercraftsmen.com kriegercraftsmen.com Gabe Meldrum Plant Manager International Mold Corp. Clinton Township, Michigan 586-783-6890 gabe.meldrum@internationalmold.net internationalmold.net Gerardo Miranda (Jerry) Global Tooling Manager Oakley Foothill Rand, California 949-900-7785 gmiranda@oakley.com oakley.com Francine Petrucci President BA Die Mold Aurora, Illinois 630-978-4747 francine@badiemold.com badiemold.com Ryan Pohl Founder Praeco Skills LLC Grand Rapids, Michigan 616-951-2133 ryan@praecoskills.com praecoskills.com Rich Stueber Engineering Manager NyproMold Instructor, Lake County Community College Clinton, Massachusetts 847-855-2252 rich.stueber@nypromold.com nypromold.com