Advertising in MoldMaking Technology offers
Issue link: https://mmt.epubxp.com/i/401488
moldmakingtechnology.com 43 LEARN MORE Visit our Mold Maintenance and Repair Zone for more information on mold tryout, welding, cleaning and retroftting. Go to moldmakingtechnology.com/zones for a complete list. This worked well for a while until we had some major changes in the type of hot runner systems we were getting with our new tools. Hydraulic leak occurrences increased, so I went back into scramble mode. This time, when I approached management about investing in equipment to crimp hydraulic hoses in-house, I got the go-ahead to present the ROI. The maintenance manager revealed that his department would also benefit from fabricating hoses in-house, making the ROI argument a no-brainer. I found a supplier that volunteered to place the equipment in our facility and conduct training. Talk about a win/win. Micro-Welding I had been discussing micro-welding for a while to plant the seed for this new technology. Every time we needed to send something out for micro-welding, I would throw in a, "You know, if we had a micro-welder in-house …" argu- ment. While researching the technol- ogy, I attended Amerimold to see the technology up close, visited relevant vendors and read as much as I could. All along, I kept management informed about my findings, including the money spent on micro-weld repairs and engineering changes, rough ship- ping estimates, and the approximate payback timeline. I could have also included estimated cost savings from reduced scrap and downtime. We've had our plasma welder for a few months now and have already FOR MORE INFORMATION: James Bourne (573) 701-9123 jamesancil.bourne@yahoo.com CONTRIBUTOR James Bourne is a tool repair supervisor and freelance writer. eliminated flash on several tools. This has reduced scrap and hours at the press for trimming. Additionally, we have taken on a number of engineering changes that were previously sent out. I predicted a two-year ROI, and at the current rate it will be less than a year. The next request on tap is some in-house welding training to improve our skills to the level of the technology we possess. I expect that will be an easy sell as well.