american

www.amba.org
the

mold builder
Volume 24 No. 2

speak out
a message from our president
Steve Rotman

IN THIS ISSUE:
Business Forecast Results
Steps to Lean Moldmaking
AMBA News
O
h, to start a new year! With 2009 behind us, I think we all should be breath-
ing a sigh of relief! One year ago the news was filled with disastrous stories
and projections, especially with the domestic automotive industry. And even
though it is not a lot brighter at the moment, I think we can all agree that
the uncertainty of that time was immense. The outlook for 2010 seems to be very posi-
tive and strong, and my hope is we will all see a better year! With the new year come
resolutions, as we all look back and reflect on what changes we want to see in our lives
and businesses. The AMBA is poised to help you through some of that with the dynamic
lineup for the annual AMBA Convention scheduled for Orlando. With the future of
our companies as the theme and the experiences shared in a casual setting of leaders
of independent mold companies, this convention is bound to help put a “spark in your
wood pile”. We all need to be open and share what works and what does not work in the
marketing of our unique businesses. I look forward to seeing a great group, and believe
that attendance will be quite high as of this writing.

The debate on Health Care Reform continues to reveal why we need to stay involved in
the government advocacy agenda. The cost and effect of this type of overhaul will have
Human Resources huge ramifications to each of our companies, as well as the country as a whole. Health
Care is poised to be one of the largest threats to the health and strength of our compa-
nies, as well as the ability to supply that benefit to our valued employees and families.
Member/Chapter News These issues continue to threaten the ability of small businesses to compete with open
border low cost country trade policies. The vote for Ted Kennedy’s seat in Massachu-
setts should be a strong signal to the rest of Washington, of the mood of the American
public. There has been too much being said that this is what the public has asked for, yet
there appears to be no one watching the public’s reaction to the actual “reform” that is
being touted by the current administration. Our continued efforts in D.C. as an associa-
winter 2010

tion will continue to make us recognized and known to our respective elected officials.
We each have a voice, as well as a fairly large number behind us, and we will continue
to take that fight to D.C.

(continued on Pg 11)

PDx/Amerimold 2010
May 11-13
Cincinnati, OH

AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 1 1/25/10 9:48 AM

 “Progressive has brought us
innovations that
“No slide should beimprove
held the
performance of ”our tools.”
by anything else.
Steve Rotman—
President, Ameritech Die & Mold, Inc., Mooresville, North Carolina
Etiam dui orci — Venenatis Tortor

just because molds

do the same thing over,
not just clean rooms,
and over, and over,
but dirty rooms, too!
doesn’t mean we have to.

advance tooling standards

Repetition and molds just make sense. It’s what they’re supposed to do.
But that doesn’t mean that approaches in mold design should be repeated
infinitely. Instead, Progressive innovations, along with progressive minded
mold designers, combine to evolve and improve production tooling:

• Improve mold performance with SRT Slide Retainers, Needle Bearing

Locks, Collapsible Cores, Roller Pullers and exclusive mold cooling items

• Reduce mold cost with Keyed Ejectors, UniLifters, CamActions,

Expandable Cavities and a full line of industry standard items

• Achieve total mold control with MoldTrax and ProFile software and
CounterView cycle counters

Join those who are evolving their tooling practices of the past.
Questions? Call Tech Support at 1-800-269-6653 to discuss.

Visit www.procomps.com/demo
to see our components in action

2 AMBA

AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 2 1/25/10 9:48 AM

 As you are reading this article, we are busy making
final preparations for the 2010 Annual Convention in
Orlando. We are pleased to say that attendance is up
The official publication of
by almost 25% this year! I am ready for an amazing American Mold Builders Association
convention – be sure to look for the wrap up in our
next issue!
Leading the Future of U.S.
With this convention, though, Steve Rotman’s term as president comes
Mold Manufacturing
to a close. I would like to personally thank Steve for all that he has
done throughout his term. He brought a passion to the office that
really carried through to the staff. Membership and partnership grew
and then stabilized through the tough times. We created new chapters.
We got involved in new endeavors and created a strong name. He
definitely left his mark on the AMBA! Thank you Steve, for all of your
dedication to the industry and the association.
I am looking forward to working with Mike Armbrust, who takes over 3601 Algonquin Rd, Suite 304 • Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
the role of AMBA president as of March 24, 2010. I know that Mike phone: 847.222.9402 •fax: 847.222.9437
has a dynamic personality and a love for this industry that will help us email: info@amba.org • website: www.amba.org
build an even stronger association. I can’t wait to see what we can all
accomplish together with Mike at the helm for the next two years! Officers and Board of Directors

President
Melissa Millhuff Steve Rotman, Ameritech Die & Mold, Inc.
Executive Director Vice-President
Mike Armbrust, Mako Mold Corporation
In this Issue: Secretary
Winter Business Forecast Survey.........................................................................4 Shawn McGrew, Prodigy Mold & Tool
Point of View.........................................................................................................6 Treasurer
When Working with an Inventor Pays Off..........................................................6 Kent Hanson, H.S. Die & Engineering, Inc.
Composite Electroless Nickel Coatings for the Mold Industry..........................9 Executive Director
Shortage of Skilled Workers May Stem from Image Problem..........................12 Melissa Millhuff
Simple Steps to Lean Moldmaking.....................................................................12 Association Legal Councel
Ultra-High Performance Toolpath (UHPT) Technology ..................................16
AMBA News.........................................................................................................21
Richard N. Mueller & Associates
Member News.....................................................................................................23
AMBA Welcomes New Members! ......................................................................24 Board of Directors
Chapter News .....................................................................................................27 Michael Armbrust, Mako Mold Corporation
Chapter Spotlight - Pennsylvania Chapter........................................................27 Shawn McGrew, Prodigy Mold & Tool
AMBA Partner Spotlight – Welcome New Partners..........................................28 Kent Hanson, H.S. Die & Engineering, Inc.
Partner News.......................................................................................................29 Justin McPhee, Mold Craft
News for Die Casters...........................................................................................29 Robert Earnhardt, Superior Tooling
PDx/amerimold Announces 2010 Keynote Speakers.......................................29 Todd Finley, Commercial Tool & Die
Gibson Insurance Dan Glass, Strohwig Industries
Is Your Health Risk Assessment In Compliance? .............................31 Scott Harris, Harris Precision Mold
Health Risk Management.......................................................................32
Healthcare Fraud is Everyone’s Concern...........................................................32
Roger Klouda. M.S.I. Mold Builders
Avoiding Slips, Trips and Falls............................................................................33 Donna Pursell, Prestige Mold, Inc.
Obesity has Growing Impact on Workers Compensation.................................33 Scott Phipps, United Tool & Mold
Tax & Business Robert Vaughan, Dauntless Molds
Congress Extends Beneficial NOL Provision.........................................34 Mike Walter, MET Plastics
Taxation of Bartering.............................................................................36
Business Gifts - Watch Out for the Limitations!..............................36 AMBA Staff
IRS Announces 2010 Standard Mileage Rates......................................37 Melissa Millhuff, Executive Director
What is the Estate Tax Trap Most High- Sue Daniels, Member Services Coordinator
Net Worth Business Owners Fall Into?.................................................37 Shannon Merrill, National Chapter Coordinator
Human Resources
Staffing Up? Consider the Following Options......................................39
HR Procedures Review for the New Year...............................................41 The American Mold Builder is published four times annually in spring,
Time to Review Your Employee Handbook...........................................41 summer, fall and winter by the American Mold Builders Association.
In Memory of......................................................................................................42 Editor: Melissa Millhuff; Assistant Editor: Sue Daniels; Contributing
Business Success Strategies Author: Clare Goldsberry; Layout & Design: Controlled Color, Inc.
Alternative Ways To Market Minus The Expensive Costs...................43 phone 630/295-9210; Publishing: Independant Print Services,
The Impact and Implications of Losing Customers ............................43 phone 847-397-1701; Copy deadline: 25 days preceeding publication
Website Grader......................................................................................43 date. Contact AMBA at 847/222-9402 or email info@amba.org for
AMBA Answers ..............................................................................................44 advertising information, article submission ideas, or a subscription.
Classified Corner.................................................................................................45
Tech Corner.........................................................................................................45 Opinions expressed in this publication may or may not reflect the views
Advertiser Index..................................................................................................46 of the Association, and do not necessarily represent official positions or
policies of the Association or its members.

AMBA 3

AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 3 1/25/10 9:48 AM

 Winter Business Forecast Showing
Continued Improvement
The Winter 2010 Business Forecast of the American Mold
Builders Association shows continued improvement, but
companies overall are expressing guarded optimism about any
significant recovery to bring on large mold programs from their
customers. The quarterly survey revealed that current business
conditions improved slightly over the previous three months,
with 6% of the respondents saying that business is Excellent –
down just 1% from 7% in the Fall 2009 survey.
However, current business conditions improved by 10% for
those reporting Good conditions (33%) compared to 23% of the
respondents in the Fall survey. Fair business conditions exist
for 44% of the respondents compared to 38% of the respondents
in the Fall survey. But business conditions have improved
considerably for some with only 15% reporting Poor conditions
compared to 27% in the Fall survey. Bad conditions exist for
only 2% of respondents, another improvement from the 5% of
the respondents in the Fall survey, and a continued improvement
from the 12% reporting “Bad” conditions in the Summer survey
and 11% in the Spring survey.
Projections for business over the next three months are fairly
flat with respect to the outlook of future business among
respondents. Once again, 8% reported that they expect business
to Increase Substantially, the same as the Fall survey. Of the
respondents, 40% expect business to Increase Moderately,
down slightly from 44% of the respondents in the Fall survey,
but still up considerably from the 28% in the Summer survey
when things were really in the doldrums.
There is a substantial increase in those expecting business to
Remain the Same – 41% -- compared to 25% in the Fall survey.
Respondents expecting business to Decrease Moderately again
dropped slightly to 9% compared to 11% in the Fall survey.
Respondents that expect business to Decrease Substantially
remains at 2%, the same as in the Fall survey.
When asked to compare their company’s current level of
business with that of three months ago, responses indicate some
movement in a positive direction:
Quoting activity is Up for 40% of the respondents, compared to
38% of respondents in the previous survey; the Same for 59%
of the respondents compared to 42% in the Fall 2009 survey;
and Down for only 21%, just one percentage point more than
20%, in the Fall survey. Some mold manufacturers reporting
an increase in quoting activity believe that there are signs of
new molds being cut loose in 2010 due to so little activity in
2009. “Business activity is improving and hopefully pricing and
profitability will follow,” commented one respondent.
“We are seeing an uptick across the board in our quoting and are
seeing some increase in orders,” said another respondent.
Shipments are Up for 33% of the respondents compared to
29% last quarter, a continued upward trend from 25% in the
4 AMBA
AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 4
Summer survey. Shipments stayed about the Same for 49% of
respondents; and Down for 18% of the respondents compared
28% in the Fall survey and a big drop from the 43% of the
respondents in the Summer survey and 59% in Spring survey,
which could be indication that shipments – and thus work -- are
remaining steady.
Backlog is Up for 38% of the respondents, another nice jump
from the 31% in the Fall survey, and from the 24% in the
Summer survey and up significantly from 11.3% in the Spring
survey. This is one trend that moldmakers like to see on the
increase, as most of them live and die by their backlog. “Seems
like things are improving,” commented one respondent. “We are
not swamped but looking at the industry improving.”
Backlog remained the Same for 30% of the respondents, down
from the 33% in the Fall survey; and Down for 32% of the
respondents, an improvement from the 38% in the Fall survey,
a nice improvement from the 52% in the Summer survey, and a
big improvement over the 66% in the Spring 2009 survey. This
indicates that a business is trending upward for a nice percentage
of the AMBA shops, along with a healthy dose of cautious
optimism. “We are extremely busy, but we’re always aware that
a downturn could be just around the corner,” commented another
respondent.
Profits in the Winter survey ticked upward once again, with 17%
reporting that profits are Up, compared with 15% reporting an
increase in profits in the Fall 2009 survey. This category has also
trended up from a low in the Spring of 2009. Profits are the Same
for 49% of the respondents, again a nice uptick compared with
47% in the Fall survey, 32% in the Summer survey and 30% in
the Spring survey. However, profits are trending Down with 34%
of the respondents in the Winter survey, but an improvement
compared to 38% of the respondents in the Fall survey, 58% of
the respondents in the Summer survey and 63% in the Spring
survey.
This is perhaps an indication that moldmakers are holding the
line on their price and terms, or that many Tier One suppliers,
seeing the fall-out in the supplier base, are becoming more
cooperative. “We are noticing a real decrease in pricing,
and have to quote at break-even prices to land jobs,” said a
respondent. “We are seeing many projects continue to be so
under-priced that we have to let them go.”
Employment seems to have leveled off, and is Up for only 16%
of the respondents, compared to 22% in the Fall survey. Still
that is better than the 12% of the Summer survey respondents
and 7% of the respondents to the Spring survey. It the Same
for 74%, which indicates most shops are hanging tight with the
employees they have. Employment is Down for only 10% of
the respondents compared to 31% of the respondents in the Fall
survey. However, the current average number of shop employees
ticked up by one, to an average of 22. The current average
number of design and engineering employees also moved up
by one in the Winter survey, to six. Work-week hours for shop
employees are up for the third consecutive quarter to an average
1/25/10 9:48 AM
 AMBA Winter 2010 Business Forecast Survey Results

The AMBA Business Forecast Survey was developed to provide AMBA members with information
on the current business conditions and a projection of the upcoming months. The Winter 2010
Survey resulted a response rate of 42% from AMBA members. Business remains "Good"
for 33% of the respondents, and for 6% of the respondents it is "Excellent."

AMBA Members Current Business Projection of Business Over the Next 3

Conditions Months Increase
33% Substantially
44% Excellent
40% Increase
Good Moderately

Fair Remain the

Same
Poor Decrease
8%
41% Moderately
6% 15% Bad 9%
2% 2% Decrease
Substantially

Current Level of Business in Last 3 Months

80%

70%
Quoting
60%
Shipments
50%
Backlog
40%

30% Profits

20% Employment

10%

0%
Up Same Down

Current Work-Week Hours Current Number Plant Employees

50 50

40 40
Plant Employees
Work Hours

30 30
45 45
20 20
22 6
10 10

0 0

Average Shop Hours Average Design & Engineering Hours Average Shop Employees Average Design & Engineering Employees

With recent economic changes, has your company altered its payment
terms?
25%

Yes
No

75%

AMBA 5

AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 5 1/25/10 9:48 AM

 of 45 hours for the Winter survey compared to 42 in the Fall
survey. For design and engineering employees the hours also
increased for the third consecutive quarter to 45 hours, also up
two hours. While it is important that we join with other metalworking and
Responses to the Winter survey question, “With recent economic
changes, has your company altered its payment terms?” were
mixed. Many maintain the 1/3, 1/3 and 1/3 model. However
many more seem to have upped the down payment. “With new
tool builds, I am requiring 50% down with the PO, 25% prior
to delivery and the remaining 25% paid 30 days after delivery,”
said one respondent.
Several said they alter their terms based on the customer.
Generally, long-term good customers get better terms than new
customers. “Depends on the company,” said another respondent.
“Some pay well and no up-front money is required. With newer
customers, up-front payment is required.”
Another respondent said, “We require a 50% down payment and
40% prior to shipment on all new customers, with 10% net 30
days after mold approval. Most of the new customers have been
fine with this. With our current/established customers we are still
using the standard 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 terms.” o
Point of View
By: Roger Klouda, M.S.I. Mold Builders
It’s kind of scary to ask a critic to
write a column for a publication,
because you never know what they are
going to write.
In my 30+ years in the moldmaking
industry I have never been happy with
what we did yesterday. I have always
tried to see what we can do better. A
reason we did something yesterday
may not be a good reason for doing it
today. Technology changes, process
changes, pricing model changes, material changes and evolving
vision each impact how we view our work environment and how
we position ourselves in the market. The same holds true with
the trade association. It wasn’t too long ago that our association
was pushing the federal government for things like trade
embargos as our method of dealing with the competition from
China. Our strategy then was sending out emails and letters, but
now we are active in lobbying our legislators directly. Soon we
will need our own political action committee (PAC) to influence
individual congresspersons to see our points.
We must not forget that while we are mold manufacturers,
we are also members of the plastics industry, the third largest
manufacturing industry in the USA. Our role in the plastics
industry is rather small, yet we are important to its success.
We must realize that any effort to deselect plastics is an attack
on the moldmaking industry as well as the plastics industry.
6 AMBA
AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 6
We cannot sit on the sidelines while our industry is ravaged
by negative perceptions of plastics perpetuated by people
telling half-truths and making decisions based on junk science.
manufacturing associations, it is critical that we partner with
other plastics groups as well.
As we cannot expect the government to see our point of view
and respond, it is imperative that we fight the fight whenever it
presents itself by writing letters in response to outlandish and
one-sided arguments on the negative aspects of plastics. When
I go to the grocery store in my liberal community, I always get
the “paper or plastic?” question at the checkout. My standard
response is, “Plastic, because I have never seen a paper sack
recycled into a tree.” I am frequently challenged about the
environmental impact of plastic bags, to which I respond, “Did
you know it takes eight times as many semi trucks to haul the
same number of paper sacks compared to plastic bags?” It is
important to become an expert on plastics as that is the industry
we are in. Remember, most of your friends don’t know much
about moldmaking, but they know a lot about plastics – and most
of what they have been told is negative.
This year I will be entering my seventh decade of life. I have
been honored to serve as a representative of the AMBA and I
encourage someone with a challenging spirit to take my place, as
I have but one year left on my term. Young ideas are welcome,
vision is required, and questions are mandatory.
Whether it is your business or your trade association, find a way
to challenge the status quo every day. Those who enjoy the status
quo will call you negative, those who also seek change will call
you progressive, and the rest will call you bad names. o
When Working with an Inventor Pays Off
By: Clare Goldsberry
For every moldmaker who has a story
about a venture with an inventor that
has turned sour, inventors can tell
equally woeful talks about dealing
with inventors who often have big
ideas and small check books. In fact,
just mention the word “inventor” to
most moldmakers and you’re likely to
get 101 reasons why not to do business
with them.
Like most moldmakers, Steve Rotman
had his doubts when Johnny Cannon walked through the door
of Ameritech Mold & Die (Mooresville, NC) to inquire about
getting molds built in December 2008. Cannon came with a
cardboard model of a new product he wanted to get molded in
plastic and ‘wow’ the market. That product, the Freedom Tray,
has done just that.
The Freedom Tray, a handy tray that can be used in vehicles,
watching TV, while boating or camping or at tailgate parties, to
1/25/10 9:48 AM
 make eating away from home easy and less messy, has become
a hit.

“I might have been a bit reticent about this project but the
credibility came from knowing his mother-in-law through our
Hot Runner
high school apprenticeship program, Apprenticeship 2000,”
Rotman explains. “I knew he was pretty serious about it.
Solutions For
He’s the booster club president at NC State, so he had good
credentials with the tailgate crowd. He wasn’t your typical
All Applications
inventor off the street.”
Direct-Flo™ Gold Systems
For Technical Molding
Cannon’s mother-in-law, Nancy Harris, who is now retired, used
to work in the school district in which Rotman participates with I Designed for Engineered Resins
high schools to promote moldmaking as a career. She had been I Unitized, Integrated, and
through Rotman’s facility previously, and when her son-in-law Hot Half Systems
mentioned he had a plastic product he needed to mold, she told
him about Ameritech. “When he came to us and toured the Quick-Flo™ Systems
plant, he said, ‘you’re the moldmaker for us,’ and that sealed For Hi-Cavitation Molding
it,” says Rotman. I Designed for
Commodity Resins
Cannon developed the I Complete Hot Half Systems
Freedom Tray (www.
freedomtray.com)
Opti-Flo® Manifold Technology
because, “I got tired
I Rheologically Balanced
of having ketchup and with

french fries all over my I Optimized for DF Gold

car from kids eating fast and Quick-Flo™ Systems Technology

food,” says Cannon.

Rotman notes that

typically when inventors
come to him with a
product, they have no
idea how to market it. Cannon was different, and his dedication
to getting the Freedom Tray manufactured and into the
marketplace impressed Rotman. Cannon had the inventor’s zeal
for his product. “He quit his job of 25 years to work on this,”
says Rotman. “He had a business plan, including a marketing
plan. He also got financial backing for the project from an
investor.” Rotman did his due diligence however, checking out
the investor to make certain that person was legitimate.

“A few months after we first talked, Johnny got the one-third

down payment from the investor, and brought a check along
with the P.O. and placed the orders for the first molds,” says
Rotman. “We got progressive payments throughout the mold
build.”
During the meeting when they kicked Ameritech off on the first
set of tools, Cannon began asking Rotman about the second
INCOE® Hot Runners Today
INCOE® Systems are designed for optimal performance and cost effectiveness
in demanding applications. With more than 50 years of in-field experience,
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That's INCOE® performance ... Right From The Start

and third set of tools that he was anticipating building when the INCOE® Corporation
North America | Europe | South America | Asia

Freedom Tray took off in the market. If Rotman was doubtful 1740 East Maple Road
Troy, Michigan 48083 USA
about that, he was pleasantly surprised. “We just barely got done T: +1 (248) 616-0220
with the first set of molds when they kicked in the second and F: +1 (248) 616-0225
E: info@incoe.com www.incoe.com
third sets,” Rotman says.

AMBA 7

AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 7 1/25/10 9:48 AM

 The first set of molds consisted of a two-cavity floor mold, a
two-cavity rim mold, and an eight-cavity drink band mold. The
next molds consisted of two more 2-cavity floor molds and two
2-cavity rim molds, as well as two 16-cavity drink bank molds.
“I got so busy this year, that I subbed out the 16-cavity drink
band molds to Prodigy Mold,” says Rotman. “I was happy that
another AMBA member was able to benefit from this project.”
With the number of molds they’ll have running, Rotman says the
company will be able to produce 75,000 units a month at custom
molder Moll Industries in Seagrove, NC. One reason Cannon
wanted to boost the production capacity of Freedom Tray is that
he was worried about foreign copy-cats. “Even though he’s got
patents on the Freedom Tray, they want to flood the market and
capture the initial market share before copiers can steal his idea,”
says Rotman.
Cannon has spent a significant amount of money on
infomercials, which are airing on various TV channels. Freedom
Tray will begin advertising on ESPN, FOX News, and other
cable TV stations where tailgaters will see the product. The
Freedom Tray is stackable and reusable, and a convenient way
to serve food. The Freedom Tray pops open, locks into place and
a portable table is ready to hold food at the beach, a picnic and
other outdoor functions or in places like a car where space
is tight.
“I’m very impressed with his marketing efforts,” says Rotman.
“He definitely has an eye for marketing and knowing how to
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8 AMBA
AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 8
bring a product to market in the right way. He’s the type of guy
who is very observant, very detail oriented, and really knows
his stuff. Tailgating is a huge pastime, so I’m confident of his
success, plus he has more products coming out.”
Rotman credits the fact that he’s done a lot of work with the
Apprenticeship 2000 program since 1994, for getting him this
program for Freedom Tray. “It goes to show that you never
know who you will meet or what will come to you as a result of
volunteer efforts outside the company,” says Rotman. “It’s paid
off in getting this program, and it’s non-automotive. Our work is
typically 80% automotive, so we’re happy that in 2009, our work
was only about 50% automotive. You don’t know what you’ll get
back from your volunteer efforts.”
Some tips for inventors when approaching mold manufacturers:
1. Be sure to have a good plastic part designer help you
with your design, and produce a good CAD drawing
of it. This will help the moldmaker to understand what
you actually want. While moldmakers can work with
you to “tweak” the design, moldmakers are not mind
readers. They can’t “see” what you envision for your
product. You must show them what you want with a
good design.
2. When choosing a mold manufacturer, make sure you
select one that builds molds of the approximate size
and type that you need. Moldmakers develop expertise
in building various types of molds and sizes of molds.
While most can build just about any size or type of
mold, you want to target those companies that are into
the types of components that are similar to yours. That
way you’ll both be successful.
3. NEVER expect the mold manufacturer to build the
mold for free with a promise to cut them in on a
share of the profits. Generally everyone loses in that
game. Get your money lined up before you give the
moldmaker a purchase order, then be sure to pay the
mold company according to the terms outlined. (And
yes, moldmakers need to provide you with a copy of
their terms and conditions so that you know exactly
what to expect!)
Need help with inventors who come to you with their products?
Want to teach them about dos and don’ts of dealing with mold
companies? Request a copy of So You Think You Have a Great
Idea by Clare Goldsberry. Better yet, request several copies
and give them out to the inventors who walk through your
door. Order your copies through the American Mold Builders
Association for just $6.95 each + shipping. All proceeds go to
the AMBA Education Scholarship Fund. o
For Breaking News and the Latest AMBA Activities
Be sure to read the Weekly Beat email News Bulletin &
Market Report!
1/25/10 9:48 AM
 Composite Electroless Nickel Coatings
for the Mold Industry - Varieties and
Performance Advantages
By: Michael D. Feldstein, Surface Technology, Inc.
Coatings can be advantageous in many
moldmaking applications, and even
essential in some operations for proper
performance, protection, lifetime,
economy and many other factors.
Selecting the proper coating for each
application, therefore, is vital.
One category of coatings that can
enhance many applications essential
to the mold builder is based on
electroless nickel (EN) plating. EN is a sophisticated yet reliable
chemical process with many inherent features such as hardness,
corrosion resistance, and perfect conformity to even the most
complex geometries. EN is further useful since it is possible
to add super fine particles into the EN to form composite EN
coatings. These particles can provide hardness, wear resistance,
low-friction, release, heat transfer, friction, and/or even
phosphorescent properties.
Such coatings can be applied to numerous substrates including
metals, alloys, and nonconductors; with outstanding uniformity
of coating thickness to complex geometries. It is this last point
which most commonly distinguishes electroless from electrolytic
coatings like chrome plating as well as spray type coatings.
Composite EN coatings are commonly used in countless molds
primarily for release and wear resistance. And the properties of
various composite EN coatings are also advantageous for mold
building applications in order to:
1. Meet ever more demanding usage conditions on tools
requiring less wear, lower friction, etc.
2. Facilitate the use of new substrate materials such as
titanium, aluminum, lower cost steel alloys, ceramics,
and plastics.
3. Allow higher productivity of equipment with greater
speeds, less wear, and less maintenance related
downtime.
4. Replace environmentally problematic coatings such as
electroplated chromium.
Specific examples of composite EN coating applications in
moldmaking applications include:
1. Tooling for cutting, drilling, grinding, surface profiling,
including micro machining with especially intricate tool
geometries.
2. Polishing devices.
3. EDM electrodes
4. Water jet nozzles
AMBA
AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 9
Photo 1 is one example of a composite EN coating. It is a cross section
showing a uniform dispersion of fine diamond within EN. As you can
see from this photograph, composite EN coatings are regenerative,
meaning that their properties are maintained even as portions of the
coating are removed during use. Particles from a few nanometers up
to about 50 microns in size can be incorporated into coatings from a
few microns up to many mils in thickness. The particles can comprise
about 10 to over 40% by volume of the coating depending on the
particle size and application.
Wear resistance
Coatings designed for increased wear resistance have proven
to date to be the most widely utilized composite EN coatings
in mold building applications, particularly on tooling. Particles
of many hard materials can be used such as diamond, silicon
carbide, aluminum oxide, tungsten carbide, boron carbide, and
others. But the unsurpassed hardness of diamond has made this
material the most common composite.
The Taber wear test is the most common test methods have
been employed to evaluate wear resistance of different materials
and coatings. It evaluates the resistance of surfaces to abrasive
rubbing produced by the sliding rotation of two unlubricated,
abrading wheels against a rotating sample. This test measures the
worn weight or volume. The Taber results in Table 1 demonstrate
the wear resistance of various materials including two different
composite EN coatings as well as a conventional EN coating.
Table 1 -- Taber Wear Test Data
Coating or Material Wear Rate - 104 mils3 / 1000 cycles
Composite Diamond Coating* 1.159
Composite EN-Silicon Carbide 1.738
Cemented tungsten carbide,
Grace C-9 (88WC, 12 Co) 2.746
Electroplated hard chromium 4.699
Tool steel, hardened, Rc 62 12.815
*Composite EN containing 25-30% of 3µm grade diamond.
Lubricity
Certain particles can be incorporated into EN to produce a
coating with all the properties of EN (such as hardness and
wear resistance) as well as a low coefficient of friction, dry
lubrication, and repellency of water, oil, and/or other liquids.
Most commercial use of such composite lubricating coatings on
molds has been with 20-25% by volume of sub-micron PTFE
9
1/25/10 9:48 AM
Mold_Fullpg 7_5x10 12/31/09 11:12 AM Page 1

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Mold_Fullpg 7_5x10.pdf 1 10
AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 12/31/09 11:35
1/25/10 AM
9:48 AM
 particles in EN deposits. But the devices used to build molds often
require even low friction coatings with even more wear resistance.
In these instances, EN-PTFE does not always provide optimal
wear resistance and lubricity. This is often due to the fact that
PTFE is relatively soft and cannot withstand high temperatures.
By contrast, particles of certain ceramics such as boron nitride
provide lubricity, are significantly harder than PTFE, and can
withstand temperatures above 850°C. This tolerance for heat
allows such coatings to be heat-treated after coating to achieve
maximum hardness, which is a standard post treatment for most
electroless nickel coatings. 
Hardness of the composite is critical in applications, as is often
ur the case in the molding industry, for greater wear resistance and
in situations where there is a higher “loading”, or force, between
the coated part and the mating part or materials. When the coating
is harder, it is less prone to “give way” under pressure. Think of
the difference in friction between the point of a pencil and the
eraser as they move across a piece of paper. Table 2 demonstrates
this effect in the coefficients of friction for a variety of coatings
under different load conditions. As you can see, the coefficient
of friction of EN-PTFE and chrome coatings increase as the
load in increased, but the coefficient of friction of EN-BN and
conventional EN actually decreases as the load in increased.
Table 2 --
Friction Coefficients For Various Composites and Materials
Coating Load kg/cm2 Friction Coefficient
EN-PTFE 0.1 0.12
EN-BN 0.1 0.13
EN (No particles) 0.1 0.18
Chrome 0.1 0.25
EN-BN 0.3 0.09
EN-PTFE 0.3 0.13
EN (No particles) 0.3 0.16
Chrome 0.3 0.40
EN-BN 0.5 0.08
EN-PTFE 0.5 0.13
EN (No particles) 0.5 0.15
Chrome 0.5 150.00 purpose and function of the Association. I would also like to thank
Indication
This category of composite EN coatings is a more recent and novel
development in the field that has been employed in molds, but not
yet prevalent in mold building tools. These coatings have all the
inherent features of EN, and appear normal under typical lighting;
but when these phosphorescent coatings are viewed under an
ultraviolet (UV) light, they emit a constant lighted glow. This is a
feature that can be used in two ways.
First, the presence of a colored light emission from the coating can
be valuable in authenticating parts from a distinct source. Second,
the light can serve as an indicator layer, warning when the coating
has worn off and replacement, or recoating, is necessary. This feature
permits the avoidance of wear into the part itself that may cause
irreparable damage to a potentially costly part, or the production of
inconsistent product from a worn manufacturing device.
AMBA
s
11:35 AM AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 11
General features
All varieties of composite EN coatings share some additional
general features that make them further suited for mold building
applications:
• These coatings can be chemically stripped, leaving the
substrate ready for recoating. This can be a very cost
effective alternative to disposing of overly worn parts.
• Coatings with particles of two or more materials into the
same layer to provide multiple properties.
• Overcoating with a conventional EN layer for greater
smoothness, cosmetics, or other priorities.
• An underlayer of conventional (often high phosphorous)
EN can be applied to insure maximum corrosion
resistance.
For more information contact: Surface Technology, Inc., 105
North Gold, Trenton, New Jersey 08691, Phone: (609) 259-0099,
Fax: (609) 259-0077, www.surfacetechnology.com o
Speak Out: A Message From Our President
(Continued from front cover)
As this is my last Speakout article as your President, I would
like to take this time to thank Melissa, Susan, Shannon and Kim
for all their support, creative thinking, positive attitudes and just
being fun to work with. They are the engine behind the day to day
business of the AMBA, and I think everyone that is a member
can see and recognize their efforts and willingness to take on all
the duties and tasks. I would also like to personally thank Mike
Armbrust for his words of wisdom, intellect and passion for the
AMBA. We are truly blessed to have his leadership, and I am
doubly blessed to be able to add friendship to that list also. I will
look on with great anticipation as he takes over the leadership
of the association. I would like to thank all the other Board of
Director members (and their respective companies) for their
selfless contributions of time, effort and cost, as most of the
time any cost to attend any function including Board meetings
are covered out of each ones pocket. Please take the time to
thank these volunteers; they are there because they believe in the
all of you, the membership. Without you there would not be an
AMBA. I have been fortunate to have personally met so many
of you, and I am encouraged by each one of you, that American
moldmakers are alive and literally kicking!
This has been a most rewarding experience for me, as I am
deeply passionate about the art of moldmaking and our right as
Americans to have the ability to compete fairly with all of the
countries that our government has allowed to open our borders
to. I am positive that this Association is at the leading forefront
to defend and promote that right in every sector of this nation as
much as possible, and will continue to expose those things that are
not fair within the bureaucratic structure that we call government.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart, for all of your
passion, ideas, and efforts to make the AMBA the very best trade
association in the U.S.! It has been a true honor serving with you!
God bless! o
11
1/25/10 9:48 AM
 Shortage of Skilled Workers May Stem
from Image Problem
By: Clare Goldsberry
Despite the number of jobs that have disappeared and the media
coverage of those who can’t find work, there continues to be a
shortage of skilled workers in the manufacturing arena. In 2006,
the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, released a White
Paper on the dilemma of this shortage and what needs to be
done. [http://www.fmanet.org/assets/pdf/whitepapers/skilled-
worker-whitepaper.pdf]
One interesting point, noted this White Paper, is that skilled
jobs are staying in the U.S., as many American OEMs are
discovering that specialized work cannot be done overseas. It’s
a problem in China and in India, both countries that compete
for manufacturing foreign direct investment. So is there a key to
gaining, training and retaining skilled workers?
According to the FMA’s White Paper, there are a number of
keys:
• Industry sectors must team up and help drive the process –
Entities that include local economic councils, government
units, schools and manufacturers themselves need to create
programs and work together.
• Reach out to potential job candidates when they are young
– FMA offers grants for manufacturing summer camps at
many locations across the country, each aimed at changing
the image of manufacturing for youths.
• Get education on board – The education system is beginning
to join the evolution, although this is an area that often will
require significant urging to those in academia – as well as
funding. Yet inroads are being made.
A recent national poll of shows that despite assertions from
manufacturers that they will need a new breed of highly skilled
workers in the years ahead, and job opportunities abound for
today’s youth, U.S. teenagers overwhelmingly want white-collar
jobs. The pool shows that a majority of teens – 52% -- have
little or no interest in a manufacturing career and another 21%
are ambivalent. When asked why, a whopping 61% said they
seek a professional career, far surpassing other issues such as
pay (17%), career growth (15%) and physical work (14%).
[Press Release from FMA – Teens Turn Thumbs Down on
Manufacturing Careers]
“Unfortunately, manufacturing often is not positioned as a viable
career by groups such as educators and counselors, and at times
factory work even is maligned in pop culture and the media,”
said Gerald Shankel, president of Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs
(NBT), The Foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers
Association, which sponsored the poll. “Based on this
environment, these findings are not surprising.”
Many young people no longer engage themselves in hobbies
that require working with their hands such as model-building or
12
AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 12
woodworking. “It’s a tragedy that we no longer teach our young
people to work with their hands or even encourage them to try
it on their own,” said actor John Ratzenberger, an NBT founder
who leads the organization’s communications outreach. “When
so few experience a factory tour or can take pride in finishing
a shop project, it’s no wonder than a manufacturing career
received low marks.”
Yet, many parents wouldn’t mind having their child enter factory
work. A separate national poll of 1,000 adults sponsored by NBT
revealed that parents actually would support having a young
factory worker in their family. More than half – 56% -- would
recommend their child pursue a career in manufacturing or
another kind of industrial trade.
“Knowing so many parents will back their children in this career
path is truly welcome news,” said Ratzenberger.
“Such sentiment really motivates us to work hard to inspire the
next generation of manufacturers, welders, builders, electricians
and other trades people,” Shankel said. o
Simple Steps to Lean Moldmaking
By: Rod Jones, President, Decision Technology, Inc
Lean manufacturing has become a way of life in many industries.
Moldmaking isn’t immune from this trend, and moldmakers are
quickly realizing that lean may be an avenue to higher profits
and improved lead times.
“Many moldmakers think their machining process isn’t anything
like a mass-production manufacturing setup, where lean has
made huge inroads,” says Rod Jones, a manufacturing consultant
with over 28 years of experience.”The fact is that lean can work
in moldmaking just as well as it works in manufacturing.”
Lean is based on common sense
“Lean manufacturing is a simple concept, based on common
sense tactics that focus on reducing the time and cost to produce
goods. It’s about giving the customer more value and quality by
streamlining processes.
“There are two kinds of activities to identify in manufacturing,
those that add value to the product and those that do not. The
core of lean is to reduce the non-value-added activities,” says
Jones. “To make a process lean, every step must be scrutinized
to see if removing that step would make the product worth less
to the customer.”
“The hardest part of going lean for many manufacturers is
challenging long-standing techniques and ways of thinking,”
continues Jones. “But they must question old practices and not
just focus on improving flawed processes. Watch the operation
as it is happening, and worry less about abstract results and more
about the concrete processes.”
To get started
A simple way to start this process is to think about all the
AMBA
1/25/10 9:48 AM
 non-value-added activity that takes place on the shop floor.
Where are the bottlenecks? Where is there unnecessary
movement? What’s causing the process to be slower than it
needs to be?

“Just stand back and watch how a mold is made in your shop,”
says Jones. “If you look at the process objectively, questioning
each step as it happens, countless examples of inefficiencies
can usually be found. It’s not the workers or managers fault that
things have become inefficient; the processes just need to be
re-examined from time to time. Keep asking yourself - does this
step add value to the product? Could it be eliminated?”

After examining the shop floor, go through the steps to identify

if each activity is adding value. There are common non-value-
added activities that are found in mold shops that can be
recognized when the company tries to figure out what processes
don’t add value to their product. The most common of these are
waste, outdated technology and costing systems.

Eliminate waste
For many shops, the biggest non-value-added component is
waste. “Waste is a big problem in many mold shops. Waste is
found in the form of scrap, inefficient systems and processes,
rework and waiting,” comments Jones.

“One way to tackle waste is to maximize quality,” says Jones.

“By using machines that produce better parts you end up with CRY-2883 Prelim1-1.fh11 1/15/07 3:33 PM Page 1
www.pcs-company.com | P: 800-521-0546 | www.buyatpcs.com |M F: 800-505-3299 | sales@pcs-company.com
C Y CM MY CY CMY K

less wasted time and less scrap.”

A moldmaker should expect good parts straight from the

machine, requiring no rework and little or no bench-time.

For example, remove an hour of hand-polishing by using a

machine tool that cuts with a better surface finish. Adding
that up over dozens of pieces saves a lot of time and labor.
Producing a part with first-pass-quality can be a tool to provide
additional value. If a well maintained, good quality machine
tool is used, less passes are required. The part is cut correctly
sooner and doesn’t require bench-time or intense inspection to
make sure it’s perfect, so it can be moved onto the next step
quickly.

Process waste
Not only must the machine be efficient, but the process in which
the machine is used must also be efficient.

“In a traditional manufacturing setup, an error is the fault of

a machine or person, detected via inspection after the work is
done. In a lean setup, an error is immediately visible to someone
as soon as it occurs and where it occurs,” says Jones. This
can be done via one-piece flow, sometimes called continuous
manufacturing.

One-piece flow is a technique where parts are manufactured in a

cellular environment. A cell is an area where everything needed
to work on a part is within easy reach, and moving from one

AMBA
Composite
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AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 13 1/25/10 9:48 AM

 step to another is quick and simple. A part being manufactured
in a cell isn’t allowed to move to the next step until it’s
completely finished and defect-free.
“One-piece flow reduces the amount of walking between
operations, helps to reduce the opportunities for machine or
operator error, and allows for finished parts that don’t require
any re-work. One-piece flow can become an important part of a
lean setup,” says Jones.
Due to the nature of a cellular setup, unnecessary motion of
labor and machinery is nearly eliminated. The loading and
unloading of pieces becomes very quick due to the close
proximity of like operations. Time spent looking for tooling is
reduced because every machine is set to its function as a part
of the cell, and waiting in queue is reduced because no part is
set to the next process until it has been finished in the process
before. In addition, final inspection time is decreased because
the piece is inspected during the process.
In a cellular setup, because a “bad” part isn’t allowed to the next
step, rework and overproduction to compensate for bad parts is
greatly reduced. A cellular environment allows the production
of good parts faster, which also reduces inventory.
Waiting is waste
Most time in mold shops is spent waiting - waiting on machines
to be restocked with consumables, waiting on machines to
finish other processes, waiting on tooling, waiting on people
and waiting on errors in the mold to be cleaned up. Using lean
strategies and modern machine tools can eliminate a lot of the
waiting, which in turn eliminates a lot of waste.
One way to reduce waiting is to lessen machine down time.
Buying high quality machines goes a long way to reduce down
time. Keeping up with routine machine maintenance is also
important in keeping your machines running at full capacity.
“It should be noted that down-time is typically much more
expensive than the cost of a better machine,” says Jones.
“Spending a few more bucks up front to make sure your system
will run more efficiently will save countless hours of down-time
later.”
Quality machines not only tend to break down less, they also are
accompanied by better service from the manufacturer. Getting
a machine fixed fast is important - every moment an unfinished
piece sits on your shop floor it’s wasting your money and
hurting your reputation for good lead-times.
A good machine also tends to use less consumable items. Taking
the time to change out spools of wire and paying someone to
be there slows down the machining process and increases labor
costs, as does the additional wire that is consumed.
Outdated technology will eventually lose you business
“Outdated technology is a big problem in mold-shops around
the U.S. While nations like China lower their costs with cheap
14
AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 14
labor, the mold quality produced is usually much lower. Often
the edge that American shops have is from improved lead-time
and quality. Not being able to cut the molds to the accuracies
demanded will quickly eliminate these advantages,” says Jones.
Most bids come down to the three best prices, but often the
contract is awarded to those who can also provide the best
quality and quickest lead-times. Both lead-time and quality
are affected greatly by the technology a shop has to produce
molds. With old, outdated machinery a mold takes longer to cut,
requires hours of hand-finishing, and can rarely meet exacting
tolerances.
“Getting rid of old, inefficient equipment can do a lot to make
a mold shop lean,” says Jones. “Not only does removing old
equipment free up space on the factory floor, it encourages
workers to use the more efficient equipment in their processes,
driving down the cost to produce the molds in the long run.”
Technologically advanced equipment produces molds faster,
reduces overproduction and over-processing, and allows your
tooling and consumables to last longer, all while decreasing the
number of bad molds produced.
“Shops should examine the benefits that can result from being
able to turn over molds much more quickly, from reducing
the labor that was required to rework molds made in outdated
machines, to meeting the tolerances their customers demand,”
says Jones.
Get a grip on the costs
“Beyond waste and outdated technology, the costing system
many mold shops are using is limiting their ability to accurately
cost and price molds,” says Jones. Many shops use a traditional
costing system - a standard price per hour for working on
jobs. It doesn’t matter if something is grinding, being cut by a
machine tool, or waiting in queue for hand polishing; the cost
per hour is the same. Traditional costing methods can lead to
unrealistic pricing on some items. Custom jobs, for instance,
can be priced too low, and more standard items may be priced
too high.
“I’ve been in many shops where a custom mold that uses a lot
more resources costs nearly the same as a standard mold that is
cheap to produce,” says Jones. “This is due to the shop’s costing
system only seeing ‘time’ as the concern, as opposed to what it
actually takes to make the mold. Molds need to be priced based
on the amount of resources consumed to produce the mold, not
just hours in process.”
Activity-based costing might be a better method for many
shops. Many foreign competitors who have similar labor costs
to the U.S. have better pricing because they are using activity-
based costing.
“If U.S. moldmakers investigate how their pricing could change
by switching to activity-based costing, most would find their
margins would improve and the more profitable items would
become cheaper to their customers, and, in turn, sell better,”
says Jones.
AMBA
PDX-GetD
1/25/10 9:48 AM
 Innovation and collaboration are competitive
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PDX-GetDetails_molders1440_MMT.indd 1 1/13/10 1:16:10 PM

AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 15 1/25/10 9:48 AM
 Beyond the benefits of attributing costs more accurately,
activity-based costing lends itself to lean manufacturing much
more easily than traditional costing because it focuses on the
process. “If your shop is looking to tighten up operations,
changing how costs are assigned is an important component,”
comments Jones.
Start small, but start soon
“Lean is becoming one of the ways shops can stay competitive
in a market where pressures are high to produce better molds
faster and cheaper,” says Jones. “By following some simple
steps to identify the activities in your shop that make your
product cheaper and better, you can easily increase your margins
while becoming more competitive.
“Remember that lean is really a customer-focused process. It
allows for better quality, lower costs and shorter lead times. All
of these are what a mold customer demands from any shop.”
Contact Rod Jones by phone at 616-676-4650, or via email at
info@decisiontec.com. Visit his website at www.decisiontec.com. o
Ultra-High Performance Toolpath
(UHPT) Technology Can Transform U.S.
Manufacturing
By: Alesa Lightbourne, Ph.D.
Since the dawn
of machining, the
manufacturing
industry has
looked for ways
to squeeze greater
efficiencies out of
existing equipment,
materials and labor.
Computer-aided
manufacturing (CAM) and computer numerical controlled
(CNC) machining were huge steps in the right direction several
decades ago. But in recent years, we have seen only small,
incremental improvements in machining productivity. This
is because research focused primarily on computerization to
streamline toolpath generation, and on expensive toolpath
“optimizer” software, slowing feedrates at corners to reduce
stress on tools. Nearly all innovations assumed a parallel-offset
toolpath used for roughing out parts – not realizing that this
was the real bottleneck.
A breakthrough technology changes all this. Ultra-high
performance toolpath (UHPT) software improves the way
that tools cut their way through material, using high-speed
continuous tangent motion rather than sharp, interrupted
movements. Field applications prove that UHPT technology
can safely double machine output, extend tool life, and create a
much more productive competitive manufacturing enterprise in
the global marketplace.
16
AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 16
Avoiding the corners and stop signs
Imagine driving through a neighborhood without arterial
streets. At each corner, you must slow down or stop at a stop
sign, make a turn, and proceed for another block, always
encountering changing traffic conditions. Or think of a rural
road that skirts the perimeters of various farmers’ fields, filled
with tractors and trucks. Slow down, pass stop, turn, go, sharp
turn, go. Slow down. It’s maddeningly inefficient. That’s
how basic toolpaths drive today’s CNC machines. Modeled
on manual methodology, existing toolpaths are derived from
the geometry being machined. They start with the material
boundary and keep stepping in, following the shape of the
material, regardless of efficiencies, until the path collapses
on itself. In other words, the tools follow a path regardless
of the amount of material they encounter. They slow down,
sometimes stop, change direction, and cut again, sometimes
encountering excessive material, other times little material.
This is very hard on both machines and tools. Now return to the
neighborhood, and imagine it redesigned on a circuitous route,
with carefully banked roundabouts and smooth curves instead
of corners and stop signs. The amount of traffic is steady; it
almost never slows down and never comes to a halt. You drive
at a high average speed until you reach your destination. Yes,
you might travel a bit further in distance. But the time you
save, the fuel efficiency, and the reduced wear and tear on your
car make the circuitous design well worthwhile. This is the
underlying concept behind UHPT technology.
How it works
UHPT technology works on any shape, open or closed,
with any number of features, and integrates with any CAM
system. It plans the toolpath based on abilities designed into
the machine and cutting tools. By taking advantage of the
capabilities of modern machining hardware and avoiding
sharp directional changes, it generates toolpaths that assure the
machines and cutting tools are used at peak efficiency given
existing conditions.
Currently a 2.5-axis product, UHPT software is ideal for
prismatic parts. It easily cuts pockets, steps, slots, channels and
other shapes, and can handle an unlimited number of material
and part boundaries and islands. It can be used with any cutting
style and material, including the hardest metals. Traditional
toolpath technology forces machinists to accommodate worst-
case machining conditions to prevent damaging the spindle and
wearing out the cutting tool. Abrupt changes in the amount of
material being encountered put excessive force on the part and
machine. So programmers and machinists select slower feeds
and speeds, or make shallower cuts. The unfortunate result
is longer cycle times,higher tool costs and lost productivity.
UHPT technology, on the other hand, allows programmers
to use the most appropriate cutting styles and optimum feeds
and speeds. This is possible because UHPT software designs
toolpaths with no abrupt changes in direction or to the volume
of material encountered; the load on the cutting tools and
spindle never exceeds user-programmed limits. Consequently,
AMBA
1/25/10 9:48 AM
 machines run smoothly and tools run cooler, even at much
higher speeds and feeds, extending tool and machine life.
Optimized cutting capabilities
Another major difference over existing technologies lies
in flexibility. UHPT software actually compares the speed
between slotting or side milling an area under given conditions
and selects the fastest or most efficient approach. In general,
UHPT technology minimizes the amount of slot milling
because of the excessive amount of material encountered. But
when slot milling is the optimum solution, UHPT technology
reduces the axial depth of the cut and slows down the feedrate,
reducing the amount of material encountered and maintaining
a consistent load on the tool and spindle. If desired, the
programmer can specify only side milling, and eliminate any
slot milling to avoid burying the tool. This is especially useful
in very hard metals.
The “sweet zone”
For every unique combination of machine, cutting tool and
material, a “sweet zone” exists, where an ideal combination
of feedrate, spindle speed, cut depth and cut width maximizes
material removal while obtaining acceptable tool life. Just as
cars get better mileage on the freeway compared with stop-
and-go traffic, so do CNC machines and cutting tools function
better, last longer and require less maintenance when they run
in their sweet zone.
Typical toolpaths frequently encounter “not-so-sweet zones,”
since the amount of material exposed to the cutting tool
fluctuates. NC programmers compensate for the instances
where the tool load is excessive by using less aggressive cutting
parameters (feedrate, spindle speed, cut depth and cut width)
throughout the toolpath. While there are typically hundreds of
instances where the cutting tool encounters excess amounts of
material in a typical toolpath, the duration of each is brief, and
together they comprise just a small percentage of the overall
toolpath length. The unfortunate fallout of this is that the
parameters in use are far too conservative for the majority of
the toolpath; the tail is wagging the dog. Therefore, machine
tools and cutting tools never get to run as they are designed
and engineered, namely in their sweet zones. They are either
being abused or underutilized. This results in machine tools and
cutting tools being utilized to only a fraction of their capability.
Advantages over HSM
Several advances in machining technology claimed to resolve
speed and output issues, but have fallen short. For instance,
high-speed machining (HSM) has been touted as a solution for
maximizing machine efficiency. HSM uses shallow axial cut
depths and tangential motions, which can reduce cycle times
in some cases. But HSM techniques cannot be used efficiently
for all kinds of parts. Also, it requires CNC machines with
very high spindle speeds and feedrate capability, along with
sophisticated controller capabilities such as look-ahead for
hundreds or thousands of blocks of code, an unaffordable
AMBA
AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 17
proposition for most shops. So high-speed machining
represents only a partial solution to the industry’s needs.
Part applicability and cost are not issues for UHPT software,
which works on any part geometry and with any machine.
UHP technology therefore makes every machine a
“high-speed machine.”
Mathematical ingenuity
The UHPT concept was developed by Glenn Coleman and
Evan Sherbrooke, Ph.D. Coleman is a toolpath scientist and
inventor of several toolpath generation methods and toolpath
algorithms that significantly reduce both programming time
and machining time. Two patents have been awarded to these
inventions, and patents are pending on others. Dr. Sherbrooke
is an internationally recognized expert in engineering,
computational geometry, solid modeling and high-level
algorithms, including the Medial Axis, The Medial Axis
Transform, shape recognition, and graph theory. Coleman
and Sherbrooke realized that existing toolpath strategies
were flawed and did not optimize the capabilities of modern
CNC machines. Together, they constructed a sophisticated
mathematical formula that resulted in the UHP toolpath
technology breakthrough.
Industry implications
The potential impact of UHPT engineering is staggering.
Consider the very real possibility that every manufacturing
facility in the United States could double its machining output
using existing hardware and CAD/CAM technology, merely by
adopting an inexpensive platform-neutral software program.
The resulting cost efficiencies could more than offset current
pressures to move manufacturing overseas, helping to improve
national employment and economic conditions.
Furthermore, by reducing both material and utility
requirements, UHPT technology represents a truly “green”
solution for the industry as a whole.
Alesa Lightbourne, Ph.D., teaches communications at Chapman
University College, and is a well-published freelance writer on
engineering and high-tech topics: alesa@lightworks.us. o
Why I Joined the AMBA:
I believe our AMBA membership is the most beneficial
organization we belong to. This is due to the pinpoint
focus on issues which affect the moldmaking industry and
constant stream of information from events, webinars, weekly
newsletter, legislative notifications and activities as well as
the monthly magazine. Being a non-chapter member in Oregon
a long way from most of the action, we still are engaged and
kept up to date via the AMBA media. Thanks for doing a great
job for our industry!
Jonathan Buss, Buss Precision Mold Inc., Clackamas, OR
17
1/25/10 9:48 AM

From start to finish, Hitachi Tool has the right cutting tools
for moldmakers. Designed for roughing in mold steels up
to 50HRC, our IASF/ASF Face Mills offer:
› 2-5 times better roughing efficiency than conventional
face mills
› Very stable performance in interrupted cutting
› Extraordinary metal removal and feed rates
› Economical four edged inserts
Need more convincing? Contact us for a test!!
TEL: (800) 228-2969
www.vega-tool.com
18
AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 18
Dates To Remember
AMBA EVENTS
Online Seminar – Faster Cycles through Mold Cooling
February 24, 2010, Noon CT
Registration now open at www.amba.org/Event_Calendar
Online Seminar – Maintaining Your Website for Success
March 3, 2010, Noon CT
Registration now open at www.amba.org/Event_Calendar
AMBA Annual Convention
March 21-25, 2010, Orlando, FL.
Buena Vista Palace
AMBA Fall Conference
Tentative dates September 28-30, 2010, Washington, D.C.
Hyatt Capitol Hill
INDUSTRY EVENTS
PLASTEC West
February 9-11 - Anaheim, CA
PLASTEC West continues to showcase the latest advances
in primary processing machinery, computer-aided design
and manufacturing, production machinery, materials, molds,
and mold components, automation technology, materials
handling/ logistics, a full range of contract service providers,
and more.
Plastics News Executive Forum 2010
March 7 - 10 - Tampa, FL
Plastics News is pleased to announce its renowned
Executive Forum conference will return to the Saddlebrook
Resort next March 7-10, 2010. The event, previously
held at the resort in March 2008, combines 2-1/2 days of
conference sessions led by industry experts with prime
networking opportunities including evening receptions,
breakfasts, lunches and more.
Cast Expo
March 20 - 23 - Orlando, FL
Sponsored by the American Foundry Society (AFS) and
the North American Die Casting Association (NADCA),
CastExpo represents the single largest trade show and
exposition in North America for metal casters. CastExpo’10
in Orlando, Florida will continue to be that, but also
so much more. In addition to featuring more than 450
companies from across the globe displaying the latest
advancements in equipment, technology and services for
metalcasting, CastExpo’10 also will unveil a Cast in North
America Exhibition in which metalcasters (foundries and
diecasters) can exhibit their casting capabilities for their
AMBA
1/25/10 9:48 AM
 Dates To Remember
customers—casting buyers and designers. To accompany
these exhibitions, CastExpo will unveil a show-floor
Metalcasting Technology Theater for practical, shop-floor
presentations for casting buyers and metalcasters.

Plastimagen Mexico 2010

March 23 -26 - Mexico City, Mexico
For more information please visit the show website.

Molding 2010
April 12 - 14 - San Antonio, TX
The 20th International Conference & Exhibit Molding
2010 will focus on important innovations in manufacturing
technologies to enable intelligent molders and
manufacturers stay ahead and prosper. Industry leaders will
present the latest developments in various injection molding
processes, hardware and controls. Additionally, issues and
opportunities of molding non-commodity materials will
be discussed. These conferences are widely recognized by
injection molders, manufacturers, and plastics suppliers
as the most important forum for technical information and
business connections.

PLASTEC South 2010

April 28 - 29, 2010 - Charlotte, NC

PDx/Amerimold
May 11 - 13 - Cincinnati, OH
Built upon the foundation of the established MoldMaking
Expo and Time Compression Expo, PDx/amerimold is a
new event experience connecting buyers & sellers from all
aspects of the product development lifecycle.

PLASTEC East
June 8-10 - New York, NY From start to finish, Hitachi
The largest advances in primary processing machinery, Tool has the right cutting tools for
computer-aided design and manufacturing, production moldmakers. Designed to replace
machinery, contract services, materials, molds and mold solid carbide cutting tools, our IASM/
components, automation technology, materials handling/ ASM Indexable End Mills offer:
logistics, enterprise IT...and much more.
› Small Diameter sizes from Ø3/8” to 3/4”
(10mm to 20mm)
PLASTEC Midwest
› One insert size for all shank sizes
September 28-30 - Rosemont, IL
› JDMT inserts ideal for shoulder cutting
SOURCE the latest technologies and ideas in primary
› EDMT-type ideal for low-depth, high feed rate machining
processing machinery, computer-aided design and
manufacturing, production machinery, contract services,
materials, molds and mold components, automation Need more convincing? Contact us for a test!!
technology, materials handling/logistics, enterprise IT…and
much more.
TEL: (800) 228-2969
www.vega-tool.com

AMBA 19

AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 19 1/25/10 9:48 AM

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AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 20 1/25/10 9:49 AM

 AMBA News
N
Does your web site give a positive impression about you
and your company?  Do you like your company’s web
site?  Many of us would answer “no” because it’s not up to
date, not informational enough, or just doesn’t look good
enough.  Your web site is an ongoing project that can be your
best representative.  Our March 3, webinar “Maintaining
Your Web Site for Success” will help you with concepts and
ideas on building and maintaining your web site.  Topics to be
covered include:

• The need to keep it up to date.

AMBA to Exhibit at PLASTEC West 2010 • Web design for update-ability
– Volunteers Needed • What to include and what not to include on your site.
• How to improve your photography without breaking the
AMBA is exhibiting at the
bank.
PLASTEC West trade show
• Promoting your shop culture
on February 9-11, 2010 at the
• Portraying your core strengths and values
Anaheim Convention Center in
• Emphasizing your niche
Anaheim, CA. Visit us at booth # 3824.
• Video on your site
• Facts vs. Flash
We need member volunteers to help staff the AMBA booth, help
promote all AMBA members, and the U.S. Moldmaking industry • Getting links and search engines pointing to your site
and assist in answering technical questions from the show • Web statistics
attendees. • Additional marketing tools
o photo album
If you’re available either 2/9, 2/10 or 2/11 for a few hours or o PowerPoint presentation
more please contact Sue Daniels at 847.222.9402 or email o Email blasts
sdaniels@amba.org.
Join us March 3, 2010 for this interesting and information topic
of value for all companies.  Presented by Creative Technology
2009 Winter Wage & Benefits Survey Corporation’s Todd Schuett.
The Winter 2009 Wage & Benefits Survey
results have been mailed to the primary Visit the AMBA event calendar at www.amba.org/Event_
contact person at all participating AMBA Calendar, or call 847.222.9402 for more information.
member companies.
2010-2011 Scholarship Applications Now
This 40-page in-depth analysis of
employee benefits and wages for 38 Being Accepted
different mold shop job categories will Educational scholarships
help you benchmark your company, and will be granted this
see if your company offers a competitive year to the dependents
wage and benefits package. See the results to see how your of a current full-time
company stacks up. employee of an AMBA
member company. One $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to
This survey is only available to participating companies, and is each AMBA chapter and one $1,000 scholarship will encompass
lb
not for sale. This year we had a 39% member participation rate! all non-chapter member companies.
Up a full 11% from last year’s rate of 28%.
Information on the program has been mailed to all member
company primary contacts. It’s up to you to post the application
New Online Seminars and announcement in a prominent location at your company and
Two new online seminars are coming up from the AMBA. Watch make all your employees aware of this program. This is a great
for more information about these events: opportunity for dependants of your employees!

“Faster Cycles through Mold Cooling” – February, 24, 2010 Last year in 2009, AMBA granted $10,000 in scholarships
and since the program’s inception in 1991, has awarded over
“Maintaining Your Web Site for Success” – March 3, 2010 $200,000! AMBA is proud to offer this exclusive member
benefit. If you have questions about this program or need an
The number one way customers, prospects and associates application please contact Sue Daniels, at sdaniels@amba.org,
get information about your company today is on the web.  or call 847-222-9402.
AMBA 21

AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 21 1/25/10 9:49 AM

 2010 Annual Convention Coming Soon! Who are the AMBA Mold Builder of the
March 21-25, Year and AMBA Chapter of the Year?
2010, Orlando, All nominations received for the AMBA
Florida
Mold Builder of the Year, and AMBA
The 2010
Chapter of the Year have been submitted to
AMBA Annual
the judging panel. Their decisions will be
Convention will
returned at the end of January, and awards
be exceptional in
every respect - a will be announced and presented at the
strong program, AMBA 2010 Annual meeting in Orlando, on
a great line-up March 24.
of speakers,
a variety of In keeping with a tradition of support
recreational activities and plenty of time for networking. This for manufacturing education programs,
event is being held at Buena Vista Palace in Orlando, Florida. Progressive Components, a global
Visit www.amba.org for more information. manufacturer and supplier of mold
components, is sponsoring $10,000 in
scholarships for the winners of the Mold
Why I Joined the AMBA: Builder of the Year and AMBA Chapter
The AMBA is on the forefront trying to preserve the great of the Year. Each will receive a $5,000
tradition of mold making in the U.S. The efforts of the AMBA in scholarship to be donated to the school or
promoting American mold builders include educating buyers, student(s) of their choice.
influencing lawmakers, and outreach to member companies.
It will take information, education, and collaboration to ensure The Mold Builder of the Year award and the Chapter of
the future of mold manufacturing in the U.S. And the AMBA is the Year award have become popular events and honor
providing all that to the benefit of its member companies.  outstanding members and chapters for their contributions to
John Martin, Mo-Tech Corporation, Oakdale, MN the industry, and their involvement with U.S.
mold manufacturing. o

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AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 22 1/25/10 9:49 AM

 Member News
Ameritech Die & Mold, (Mooresville, NC)
More than 700 businesspeople, students and parents attended
an Economic Summit meeting in Mooresville, NC on
Election Day—a joint effort between local industry and
Mooresville High School designed to help students integrate
into the workforce. Steve Rotman, president of Ameritech
Die & Mold, Inc. and the AMBA, spoke about his company’s
program Apprenticeship 2000.
In addition to Rotman’s presentation on the moldmaking
industry, representatives from a number of other small,
medium and large businesses like banks, real estate
companies, automobile dealerships, landscapers, military,
healthcare, etc. were on hand to share with students—
and parents—how to enter a particular field of expertise.
Additionally, representative from local community colleges
were available to speak with students.
According to Rotman, the representatives spoke about how
to apply for jobs, resumes, attitudes, dress, what to do/not do,
classes to take in order to be better prepared for a profession,
and shadowing opportunities. “I had so many positive,
engaging conversations with 8th to 12th grade students, all
looking intensely for something that struck their interest, as
well as talents,” Rotman says. “Then there were parents with
questions and discussion of the pros and cons of two- versus
four-year degree programs, It was very enlightening for me,
as well as the student and parents. I am amazed at how trends
in society continually change, the perception of education
versus the job market. They are continually adjusting, and
what used to be a ‘four-year degree only’ mentality has
changed to trying to really understand how to get a job tied to
that degree—if even possible.
“My son has friends that graduated with him two years ago
that have yet to find a career within their fields of expertise,
so now some of them are just going on to get their masters
degrees because they have not been able to be placed as
of yet,” Rotman continues. “My son joined the company
upon graduating with a Business Degree, and is working
on the floor—learning machining and managing the first-year
apprentices.”
Rotman urges the industry to get involved in similar efforts.
“We were all apprentices at one time or another,” he comments.
“Finding that next moldmaking protégé is my passion. I find that
it is so rewarding when a younger person tastes and sees this
business, grabs hold of it and claims it as their very own. It re-
ignites the same feeling that I had when I was introduced to this
trade. I absolutely feel I was born to be a moldmaker, and even
though it has gotten to be a different trade, the sense of pride and
accomplishment with every project keeps my intensity and
passion alive.”
M&M Tooling Inc. (Wood Dale, IL)
Building custom mold bases has been M&M Tooling Inc.’s
niche for 10 years. For the owner/operator of this small business,
AMBA
AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 23
building complex, custom mold bases is the part he knows best.
The primary goal for starting a business is to become an asset to
your customer base. That’s what Michael Mirante believed 10
years ago when he started M&M Tooling Inc., and he continues
to believe it today. “You have to have a foundation for your
business and for me it was choosing to build custom mold
bases,” says Mirante.
M&M’s asset to its customer base is allowing mold
manufacturers to focus on the work that provides the most
value to them: core and cavity details and the light-duty volume
machining work to which high-speed machine tool technology
is best suited. The company has the capacity to build mold bases
up to 34.5 x 80 inches.
Mirante notes that the investment in high-speed machining
that many mold manufacturers make doesn’t really support the
building of mold bases. “Building mold bases is a more rugged
type of machining where we can take out a lot of material with
each pass,” says Mirante. “Hogging out mold base pockets isn’t
the best utilization of a high-speed machine.”


M&M is geared up to do nothing but mold base work. “We have
large machines with a lot of horsepower, and we don’t have the
huge overhead that mold shops have,” Mirante says. “We’re
utilizing Mazak machine tools and with our focus on nothing but
mold bases, we can turn out the work and help the mold shops
shorten the lead times they quote,” he notes.


M & M Tooling Inc.
CNC Machining Specialist Your Source!
Specializing in Mold Shop Overflow Work
Custom Mold Bases
With a personal touch
M&M Tooling Inc., is a complete Custom
Mold Base manufacturing facility with
capacity up to 35” x 80”. We employ top
journeymen mold-makers, utilizing Mazak
CNC machining centers maintaining tight
tolerances, to achieve high quality results.
M&M Tooling Inc’s mission is and always
will be, to provide follow-through on commit-
ments to our customers, with personal
attention that exceeds expectations.
“Where Your Success is Our Business”
395 E. Potter St.
Wood Dale, Illinois 60191
Phone: 630-595-8834
Fax: 630-595-6806
Web: www.MMTOOLING.com
Email: MMTOOLING@aol.com
Member
23
1/25/10 9:49 AM
 “We can succeed at manufacturing in the USA, but we really
have to get out there and promote ourselves and our capabilities,
and let people know the advantages we have to offer,” Mirante
says. “Made in the USA is still a viable marketing tool.”
M.R. Mold & Engineering, (Brea, CA)
M.R. Mold & Engineering in Brea, CA is celebrating 25 years
in business in 2010. In 1985, Rick Finnie opened M.R. Mold
& Engineering in Southern California, with one employee.
Fortunately for Rick, he had a number of contacts within the
industry and he steadily grew his business.
“We’re really happy to be celebrating this milestone of 25 years
in 2010, and plan to continue our growth strategy by serving
our customer base in our targeted niche,” says Finnie. “We
have a talented, dedicated group of employees, many who have
been with us for more than 10 years, who have helped us be
successful over the long term.”
Today, M.R. Mold is known around the world for its expertise
in liquid silicone rubber (LSR) molds, gum stock silicone,
plastic injection, compression, and transfer molds for its
global customer base. The company occupies 15,000 ft2 and
currently has 25 employees. In addition to Finnie, M.R. Mold’s
management consists of Jim Albert, general manager, and Phil
Bristow, project manager. Together, these three have over 100
years of combined experience in the industry.
M.R. Molds’ unique niche in LSR molds grew so rapidly that
a few years ago, Finnie added a 4000-ft2 Tech Center, which
today has three company-owned molding machines, a 100-
ton Engel, a 55-ton Engel, and 110-ton Negri Bossi. These
machines are used for mold trials and sampling prior to sending
them to customers. M.R. Mold has facilities to provide turnkey
solutions for their customers.
The company has built over 5000 molds in 25 years for
customers in the medical, surgical, aviation, fluid transfer, and
consumer products industries.M.R. Mold is also proficient in
overmolding silicone on silicone, silicone on plastic, silicone on
glass, and silicone onto metals.  The firm will be exhibiting at
MD&M West, Anaheim, CA, Booth 1632.
Tech Mold, (Tempe, AZ)
Tech Mold Inc., a leading designer and manufacturer of
high-quality, high cavitation injection molds for the medical,
pharmaceutical, consumer, and cap and closure markets,
announced that the company is adding a White Room
environment to its test facility. The White Room environment
will initially house two all-electric presses, one a 55-ton high-
performance Arburg all-electric press, and the other a 90-ton
press also from Arburg.
Jerry Seidelman, sales and marketing manager for Tech Mold,
24
AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 24
said that the decision to add a White Room environment to Tech
Mold’s test facility was driven by a desire to better facilitate the
testing and qualification of the many molds the company builds
for Medical and Pharmaceutical OEMs.
“Tech Mold has always been attuned to its customers’
requirements throughout the entire molding and manufacturing
process,” stated Seidelman. “We recognized that many of
our customers’ molds are going into clean rooms, and rather
than performing mold qualification in an open environment,
we want to provide an environment that is more comparable.
This will ensure that the pre-qualification of the molds and
parts do not exceed minimal contamination requirements and
more truly reflects what the customer will see in a clean room
environment.”
Tech Mold also has an R&D (Rapid Delivery) division that
specializes in collaborative engineering for developmental
prototype tooling, offering its OEM customers dimensionally
correct parts in hand, while at the same time laying the
groundwork of critical mold parameters and manufacturing
information that translates easily into multi-cavity production
molds.
Tech Mold’s expertise includes two-shot, multi-component,
and multi-material molds; stack molds, and high-production
hot runner molds to help OEMs optimize their manufacturing
requirements. The company also works with premier molding
machinery manufacturers and robotic providers to design and
construct molding cells. o
AMBA New Member Welcome
Accede Mold & Tool Co. Inc.
Rochester, NY
Accede, which has been in business for 28 years, designs and
builds injection molds for a variety of industries including
consumer and medical. The company also does molding
including Liquid Silicone Rubber and 2-Shot. Accede also
has a full apprenticeship program. Roger Fox, vice president
and general manager, said, “I felt we owed it to the industry
to be a part of this group, and I think the AMBA represents
the mold building industry quite well. I hope I can find more
time to help them out as they help us. The company also
specializes in rotary 2-shot, reel-to-reel, and spin stack molds.
Mostly consumer and medical and a lot of value added such
as in-mold automation, two-shot, in-mold close, and reel-to-
reel.
Aero Engineering Services Inc.
Sarasota, FL
Aero Engineering is a full service plastic injection mold-
building business, specializing in small-to-medium sized
tools to include repair, machining of new and replacement
components. William Stewart, President of Aero, founded the
company in 2004, and current has five employees.
AMBA
1/25/10 9:49 AM HaasAds2
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AM
 DCD Technologies Inc.
Cleveland, OH
DCD Technologies is a designer of die cast dies for the
aerospace, automotive, appliance, industrial, lawn & garden,
Introducing the medical and office furniture markets. David Hodgson is
President of DCD, which was founded in 1974, and currently has
Quick Strip® part ejector: 10 employees in a 25,000-square-foot facility. DCD also makes
Easy on your parts— permanent, ceramic and plastic molds.

and your budget Delta Mold, Inc.

(Unequalled support is standard.)
Charlotte, NC
Delta Mold manufactures protoype and production injection,
compression, co-injection, stack and rim tools with high-polish,
texture, external gas, gas assist, and counter pressure. The COO
is James Quinn, and the company was founded in 1978. They
currently have 75 employees in a 67,500-square-foot facility.

Conventional
Ejector Pins
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Quick Strip
• Simplified design
• No ejector marks on parts
• Improved cooling possibilities
• Save up to 50% in costs
No plates. No pins. Just better part aesthetics
and lower costs. It’s the new Quick Strip ejection
system, the latest innovation from DME. Quick
Strip lifts a part from the mold cavity, rather than
pushing it like an ejector pin. So it leaves no
marks and, in the process, reduces your part
costs by as much as 50 percent. Plus, like all
DME products, Quick Strip comes with our
industry-leading knowledge, global reach and
exceptional service. So you get more effective
part ejection — and
outstanding support
every step of the way.
Ebeling Enterprises
Willard, Utah
Ebeling builds injection molds and does molding.
South Coast Mold
Irvine, CA
South Coast Mold has been in business since 1973, designing
and building investment castings for the aerospace, electronic,
medical, marine and commercial markets. The company operates
in a 12,000-square-foot facility.
Welcome to all these new members!
Welcome back returning member –
M.R. Mold & Engineering
Brea, CA
M.R. Mold & Engineering is a mold manufacturer specializing
in liquid silicone rubber molds for a variety of industries.
M.R. Mold also has an LSR R&D facility with LSR molding
presses. The company also builds plastic injection molds. Rick
Finnie, President, has worked with the AMBA for several years,
including serving on the organization’s board of directors.
Welcome Back! o
AMBA Member Benefits:
Affordable advertising opportunities in our monthly OEM
E-Newsletter called U.S. Tooling & Technology News.  A
monthly E-Newsletter sent to OEMs, Mold Buyers, Molders,
and Tooling Engineers allowing you to advertise directly to your
potential customers.  This targeted e-newsletter is delivered to
the desk of every mold buyer in our extensive database.

The American Mold Builder subscription – This 48-page

quarterly magazine unique to the AMBA features commentary
www.dme.net/quickstrip 800.215.3429 and articles covering industry issues, trends, technology,
member news and AMBA news.

26 AMBA

AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 26 1/25/10 9:49 AM

 Chapter News
California
The chapter is holding a meeting on February 23. A presentation
will be made by Michelle Nash-Hoff, the author of Can
Manufacturing be Saved? Why We Should and How We Can.
Bring your questions. For more information go to www.amba.
org/Chapter_Affiliations.
The chapter also welcomes two new members: South Coast
Mold of Irvine, CA and M.R. Mold & Engineering of Brea, CA.
Chicago
The chapter welcomes Matthew Thurow of Alpha Star Tool &
Mold as its newest addition to the chapter board of directors.
Mr. Thurow looks forward to contributing to the AMBA since
moldmaking is an important part of his and his family’s life.
The chapter also held a meeting on December 9, with an
informative presentation by Illinois State representative Michael
Connelly. Rep. Connelly gave members a look into the workings
of the Illinois General Assembly from his perspective as a
freshmen representative. He feels government in Illinois is
hurting Illinois businesses. Rep. Connelly was asked his opinion
on how to stop the free fall in manufacturing. He suggested
contacting your mayors as well as your local Chamber of
Commerce who bring issues to Springfield. Representatives
listen to their constituents, so email, send letters. A cocktail hour
was sponsored by GPI Prototype & Manufacturing Services.
Minnesota
The chapter met on December 10th. The AMBA was asked to
participate in the Great Manufacturing Get Together by being
on a discussion panel and displaying a booth. Justin McPhee
has been asked to sit on the panel. At the chapter meeting
representatives from Sodick presented a very interesting display
of micro machining and very tight tolerances using their
machines which utilize linear motors and ceramic bases for
thermal stability.
Northern Ohio
The Northern Ohio chapter held a festive holiday get-together
on December 15th. Future chapter meetings are TBA. For more
information on upcoming meetings contact: Ed Siciliano at (330)
633-7017.
The chapter welcomes a new member DCD Technologies of
Cleveland, OH.
Southwest Michigan
The chapter board of directors met on October 22 and again on
December 10th to plans details for the upcoming Technology Fair
and a fun winter event for the chapter.
In cooperation with the BTC and the NTMA, the chapter
is hosting a Technology Fair on February 18 at the MTech
Center in Benton Harbor. It will include a breakfast meeting
and presentations on advances in the industry by Dynamic
AMBA
AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 27
International, and Kiser Tool. Reservations must be made by February
15 with Ken Patzkowsky at kpatzkowsky@hansonmold.com.
West Michigan
The chapter held a meeting on November 10 with 19 in
attendance representing 11 member companies with guest
speaker Ryan Pohl, of Expert Technical Training to stress the
importance of continual training of your employees to keep their
skills up-to-date.
The chapter has taken nominations for the vacant secretary
position on the chapter board of directors. Voting for this
position will take place at their February 9 breakfast meeting.
That meeting will have a presentation by speaker Bob Byers of
Bob Byers and Associates.
Wisconsin
SPE has invited AMBA members to a February 16 event called,
“Managing Bankruptcy though the eyes of OEM / Molder
/ Moldmaker”. Email your questions for this event to Mike
Thomas, suedthomas@sbcglobal.net. o
Pennsylvania Chapter Spotlight
Pennsylvania is the newest AMBA Chapter, and we’re proud
to have this chapter in an area of Pennsylvania where there are
so many mold manufacturers. Michael McGuire of Suburban
Tool in Erie, was elected the President of this chapter in
northwestern Pennsylvania, and William M. Hilbert, Jr., of
Reddog Industries Inc., also in Erie, is the chapter secretary.
The Erie region is a very active region for moldmakers, and
the chapter has been successful in recruiting 10 members thus
far. The chapter has had three meetings, said Hilbert, and
is in the very beginning stages of really putting this chapter
together. Mold Base Industries is an active member with
the AMBA and the Pennsylvania chapter. Mike and Bill are
working hard to develop the chapter and are planning some
good meetings this year.
The first meeting was held on Thursday, May 7, of 2009,
with nine people in attendance, to help organize the chapter.
Melissa Millhuff, executive director of the AMBA, was at the
meeting to help this chapter get off the ground.
The second meeting was held December 1, and had 17 in
attendance. Before the meeting in December – Bill and Mike
sent out special invitations that resulted in six new people
attending the meeting. “We’ll continue to do that,” said Bill,
“and hope that we can attract more members to the AMBA.
Bill said that he and Mike want the next meeting to be held
in Meadville, also an area in which there are many mold
manufacturers. The goal is to have each meeting be of value to
the attendees. “We need to offer something that each attendee
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1/25/10 9:49 AM
 can take away that will be helpful in their work. I’m hoping that
we can have suppliers come and talk to us about their newest
components and how those can help us in our job, and other
speakers that are of interest to us in our businesses,” said Bill
If anyone is interested in helping out the Pennsylvania Chapter
with a meeting idea or to volunteer to provide a presentation,
call Melissa Millhuff at 847-222-9402. o
AMBA Partner Spotlight –
Welcome New Partners
The AMBA Partner Program continues to roll along. This
quarter we have three new Partners to introduce to you, and
we encourage you to get to know them:
DMS
DMS is a reputable supplier
of standard and custom mold
components and bases as well as
related mold specialty products
such as tunnel gate inserts,
unscrewing devices, custom cut insulator board, HD color
mold plaques, the REDE VAULT, hot sprue bushings,
EDM fluid, mold polishing supplies etc. Visit them on the
web at: www.dmscomponents.com
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AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 28
Expert Technical Training 
Expert Technical Training is a
company devoted to offering
the mold-making industry
relevant training and education
solutions. Expert Tech offers 24/7 online CNC and
moldmaking training, as well as consultation in workforce
development, custom video development, and custom
training / apprenticeship program development.  Visit their
website today at: www.expert-technical.com
GPI Prototype & Manufacturing Services, Inc.
GPI Prototype &
Manufacturing Services,
Inc. is a premiere service
provider of Direct Metal
Laser Sintering (DMLS), the latest technology in rapid
prototyping and manufacturing. One of the first DMLS
service providers in the country, GPI produces metal parts
for applications ranging from prototypes to series products
and production tools. The technology is ideal for creating
complex geometries that are difficult to attain through
traditional machining, such as conformal cooling channels
within tools and tooling inserts. GPI also provides Objet
3D Printing, RTV Tooling and Scanning Services. Visit
them on the web at http://gpiprototype.com o
AMBA
1/25/10 9:49 AM
 Partner News
Incoe
NEW “RFQ” for Hot Runners now available online
at incoe.com
We are now pleased to announce that our website has been
upgraded with a Request For Quotation (RFQ) online form
specifically designed to help expedite system quotations. The
RFQ form is currently in English with other languages to be
added shortly. When visiting incoe.com, you can access the RFQ
form through either the “Products” or “Contact” sections of the
site.
The RFQ form is easy to use and includes security features for
safe transfer of files. Information can be entered or selected on
the form, and you are able to upload your drawings directly to
INCOE®. You will automatically be sent an email verifying that
we have received your RFQ form and information. Sections of
the form include:
• Contact/ company details
• Gate details
• Systems details
• Manifold details
• Part details
• Controller systems
• Upload drawings
• Security verification
If you’re not a member already, please take a few minutes to sign
up by going to: incoe.com/register and gain unlimited access to
the latest INCOE® information, product updates and download
access. As a signed in member, you will save the time of having
to complete your contact information each time you use the
RFQ. o
News for Die Casters
Die Casting Industry Wages Slowed in 2009
The results of the 2009 Wage & Benefit Survey have been
published. New for 2009 the survey comes completely
downloadable! This is a fast and easy way to obtain such vital
information.
Since it is essential for your organization to thrive, it is
important to recruit and retain a top-notch staff in today’s highly
competitive job market. Your wage and fringe benefit programs
must be competitive in the current workforce. The 2009 NADCA
Annual Wage and Fringe Benefit Survey, is specifically designed
for the die casting industry. This report gives you:
• Representation of 39 companies in the die casting doing just that by not only featuring three, dynamic, thought
industry nationwide
• Detailed summaries for direct labor employees
• Wage rates for 13 key direct labor employees
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AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 29
• Analysis of insurance coverage
• Executive summary with annual trends
• Determining compensation standards
• Selecting fringe benefit plans and insurance
• Leading labor negotiations.
A glimpse into the results:
This year, the typical participating company had annual sales of
$16 million per year; utilized 16 die casting machines, employed
88 full-time direct labor employees. Six (15%) were union
shops. Less than 1% of the total production employees reported
were temporary. Almost 70% of the survey participants total
employees were hourly production employees.
Less than half the companies (23%) reported a general wage
adjustment in the last 12 months but a larger percentage (28%)
plan to make a general wage adjustment in the next 12 months.
The number of companies providing pension/retirement plans
decreased to 28% overall, and the percent providing insurance
for retirees was 5%. While most unions do not provide these
benefits directly, union shops tend to have a much higher
participation for these types of programs compared to non-union
shops.
Purchase NADCA’s 2009 Annual Wage and Fringe Benefit
Survey at: www.diecasting.org/publications. Make sure this
survey becomes an indispensable tool on your desktop. o
PDx/amerimold
Announces 2010
Keynote Speakers
Leaders from Joe Gibbs Racing, Whirlpool Corporation and
Eureka! Ranch to Speak at Inaugural PDx/amerimold Event
PDx/amerimold technical conference keynote speakers will be:
• Doug Hall, Eureka! Ranch;
• Mark Bringle, Joe Gibbs Racing; and,
• Richard Gresens, Whirlpool Corporation,
according to Lisa Dodge, managing director of the event that
will be held May 11-13, 2010, at the Duke Energy Center in
Cincinnati, OH.
“The keynote addresses are a highlight of the PDx/amerimold
experience. In Doug Hall, Mark Bringle and Richard Gresens,
we are delivering leading voices and innovators in product
invention, manufacturing engineering and product design,”
said Dodge, adding, “In an economy where trade shows need
to provide additional value beyond the exhibit hall, we are
leaders, but also by offering their presentations free of charge
to anyone that attends PDx/amerimold.” PDx/amerimold is
presented by Gardner Publications, Inc. (Cincinnati) and
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 30 AMBA

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 DEMAT GmbH (Frankfurt). For more information, visit: pdx-
amerimold.com
About the speakers:
Doug Hall, Founder — C.E.O. Eureka! Ranch
Doug Hall is the founder and CEO
of the Eureka! Ranch located in
Cincinnati with offices in London,
UK, and Monterrey, Mexico. The
Ranch is an “invention & research
think tank” that specializes in helping
corporate leaders and real world
entrepreneurs develop “Measurably
Smarter” choices for growth. Hall will
open PDx/amerimold with an address
focusing on improving innovation
success rates and accelerating speed to
market.
Mark Bringle, Technical Sponsor Manager, Joe Gibbs Racing
Mark Bringle has been with Joe Gibbs
Racing for 14 years. He was the first
manufacturing engineer hired for
the newly formed NASCAR team
in the early 1990’s. Today, Mark
resides in the executive suite of JGR
where he serves as the Technical
Sponsorship and Marketing Director
for JGR’s NASCAR Cup, Nationwide,
Motorcross and Supercross Teams.
Richard Gresens, Principal Designer, Global Consumer Design
Group, Whirlpool Corporation
Richard Gresens’ diverse design career
has spanned over twenty years in the
transportation, product and exhibit
design disciplines. Gresens, who
designed the exterior of the Ford Flex,
joined Whirlpool in 2008 as Principal
Designer in the Global Consumer
Design group. He is responsible for
design and program strategy for the
North American laundry category.
About PDx/amerimold: PDx/amerimold is North America’s
premier event for product design and development, tooling
and mold manufacturing. Presented by Gardner Publication,
in partnership with world-renowned event managers, DEMAT,
PDx/amerimold connects global and domestic technology
leaders in design, tooling, and machining.
pdx-amerimold.com o
AMBA Member Benefit:
Annual Membership Directory – Listing of AMBA members
and their specialties/markets, with circulation to OEMs through
direct mail and AMBA participation in trade shows.
AMBA
AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 31
Is Your Health Risk Assessment
In Compliance?
Employers providing incentives in the form of reduced
premiums or other forms of financial rewards in return for
the completion of a health risk assessment questionnaire
may need to revisit their programs. The Genetic Information
Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) was passed to protect
Americans against discrimination based on their genetic
information as it relates to health insurance and employment.
Recently issued GINA guidelines prohibit health plans
and employers from providing any financial incentives to
employees for participating in a health risk assessment that
requests information regarding family medical history. The
rules apply to group health insurance plans that begin on or
after December 7, 2009.
Many employers offering health risk assessments often
include both biometric testing and a personal health
questionnaire to be completed in order to receive a particular
incentive. Many of the health appraisals ask questions
regarding an individual’s family health history of certain
types of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions.
Most wellness programs have used this type of family history
data to further stratify the risk of a participant. For example,
a male participant with elevated levels of cholesterol may
be deemed at a higher health risk if he has a parent who has
suffered a heart attack or been diagnosed with heart disease.
Under the new regulations imposed by GINA, employees will
no longer be obligated to answer these types of questions;
in fact, employers can be penalized for requiring employees
to answer these questions as part of a wellness program
incentive.
An easy fix to the GINA stipulations regarding incentives
and health risk assessments, would simply be to remove the
questions related to family history. If this is not possible,
instructing employees to not answer them or to only answer
them voluntarily will provide a solution. In either scenario,
employers with an incentive tied to the completion of a health
risk assessment, would be prudent to review the current
questionnaire for any family history questions and to have an
attorney review the incentive structure for compliance.
Taken from the Winter 2009 Benefits Briefing Newsletter from
Gibson Insurance Group.
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 Health Risk Management
As employers continue to look for ways to mitigate health
care costs, wellness programs top the list of interventions
to consider. Do wellness programs work? The industry data
seems to suggest they do, but with some caveats. For example,
successful programs require high participation, typically
achieved through meaningful incentives. Other characteristics
of best-in-class programs include leadership support,
an analysis of individual and corporate risk, appropriate
interventions for identified risk, an emphasis on keeping the
healthy population healthy, and a commitment to analyzing
outcomes.
One could say that success with wellness lies not only in
program design and execution, but is contingent upon wellness
as a component to an overall Health Risk Management (HRM)
strategy. If you have a wellness program at your business or
are contemplating one, is it part of a greater vision, or is it
the strategy? Organizations that have experienced improved
health and productivity through wellness share several key
characteristics-the most important commonality being that
wellness is not in and of itself the strategy, but rather a part of
an integrated approach that places emphasis on HRM.
In many instances, wellness programs have operated in a silo
with little or no connectivity to the other benefits offered,
like short and long-term disability, workers’ compensation,
employee assistance programs, and disease management, with
little or no consideration of the employer’s corporate culture.
Viewing wellness as part of an overall HRM approach requires
an organization to acknowledge that employee health and
productivity outcomes are best achieved when all benefits are
integrated. This is no easy task, because the employer’s health
carrier or third party administrator, wellness provider, disease
management vendor, and other benefits providers have to be
viewed as business partners in the process, willing and eager to
share data with one another for a common purpose-improving
employee health and productivity.
While the business partners of the employer play a key role
in attaining an effective HRM strategy, the employer is
in the driver’s seat for setting the tone and vision through
its workplace culture. The significance of an employer’s
workplace policies and practices in promoting a culture of
health and wellness cannot be overstated.
Take, for example, an employer that places an emphasis on
tobacco cessation by providing tools and resources to help
people quit using tobacco, but doesn’t have a tobacco-free
workplace policy or provide for tobacco cessation medications
within the health plan. Those who wish to quit find themselves
in an environment not supportive of change. On the converse,
an employer that has an effective HRM strategy has carefully
crafted a tobacco free workplace policy, reviewed all of the
tobacco cessation resources offered by its business partners and
within the community, aligned the employer-sponsored health
plan with the goal of removing barriers to tobacco cessation,
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AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 32
like covering pharmacy aids for tobacco cessation, and actively
promoted the benefit to its members.
HRM involves a proactive focus on improving employee
health and productivity through integrated benefits. It requires
business leaders to view the health of the workforce as vital
to the overall success of the organization. It also necessitates
that the culture within the workplace is one that values and
promotes healthy lifestyles.
Taken from the Winter 2009 Benefits Briefing Newsletter from
Gibson Insurance Group. o
Healthcare Fraud is Everyone’s Concern
Healthcare fraud contributes to the growing cost of healthcare
for everyone. A 2007 FBI report estimates that fraudulent
billings to public and private healthcare programs account for
3-10% of total healthcare expenditures.
Employer groups and employees can help stop health care fraud
schemes by reporting suspicious billing practices. Because
employees know what services they received and how they were
provided, they are the first line of defense against fraud.
Preventing fraud
Ask your employees to fight healthcare fraud by taking the
following steps:
• Guard sensitive personal information – such as insurance ID
number and date of birth carefully. They should not give this
information to health care providers offering free services,
door to door salespeople or telephone internet solicitors.
• Be informed about health care services received, maintain
good records of care and question providers whenever there
is a concern about services or bills. Employees should keep
detailed notes should they suspect something is wrong.
• Carefully review receipts and (EOB) Explanation of
Benefits received to make sure that the services being billed
were actually provided, on the date service was shown,
and by the physician or health care provider submitting the
claim.
• Report suspicious claims and suspected instances of health
care fraud to the employer or insurance provider.
Common health care schemes
Here are several common health care schemes to be aware of.
• Billing for ‘free’ services: Some health care providers
falsely claim to provide ‘free’ services, typically for medical
screening, as a pretext to obtain medical information. (If
the screening is free, there is no need to collect insurance
information) Such providers may provide unnecessary
medical services, waive the employee’s copayment and
deductible, but then bill the insurance company. Should
you receive and EOB for a ‘free’ screening, fraud may
have been committed. Employees should be suspicious
when a provider providing quick ‘free’ screenings asks for
insurance information or finds a problem with just about
every person screened.
AMBA
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 • Billing for services not rendered: some providers falsely
bill for equipment, supplies or services never provided.
Employees should keep track of services received and
inspect the EOB to see if non-rendered services have been
billed.
• Misrepresenting services: Reimbursement rates are
generally tied to the complexity and amount of time
required to provide a service, and the cost of supplies
and equipment needed. Some health care providers may
falsely bill for a higher level of service than was actually
performed. For example, a mental health professional may
provide group therapy, but then file claims for individual
therapy.
• Duplicate billings: Some providers try to get paid twice for
the same service by filing two or more claims, usually using
a false date of service (computer checks would otherwise
deny the claim as a duplicate.)
We encourage you to educate your employees on health care
fraud and how to protect themselves.
Taken from the BC/BS Winter 2009 Benefits Management
Breifing. o
Avoiding Slips, Trips and Falls
Q: No matter how many preventative steps we take to
avoid slips and falls at our business, we still have too many
incidents every year. What are some precautions we can take
to decrease injuries due to slips, rips and falls, especially in
icy conditions?
A: Rest assured, you’re not alone. According to National
Safety, Inc. slips, trips and fall account for 12-15% of all workers
compensation costs. Slips are primarily caused by a slippery
surface and compounded by wearing the wrong footwear. Certain
behaviors also contribute to slips and falls. Walking too fast or
running is one of the leading causes of a slip-and-fall injury.
Other problems include: distractions, not watching where you
are going, carrying materials that obstruct your view, wearing
sunglasses in low-light areas, and failing to use handrails.
The most frequent injuries that occur from a slip-and-fall
accident include injuries to the back, wrist, elbow, shoulder or
knee. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average
cost of a slip-and-fall injury is $28,000, including medical bills,
physical therapy and missed wages.
Brrr….it’s cold outside
In many areas of the country, winter brings lots of snow, ice and
treacherous conditions. Below are some simple tips that can help
to dramatically reduce slips and falls due to the cold.
• Wear boots and overshoes with gripping soles
• When walking, concentrate and put all your attention into
getting indoors safely
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AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 33
• Dress warmly. Being cold may cause you to hurry or tense
your muscles, which affects your balance
• Give yourself plenty of time
• Take short, deliberate shuffling steps in very icy areas
• Walk with your feet pointed slightly outward to improve
balance
• Do not walk with your hands in your pockets
• Don’t carry or swing heavy loads that may cause you to lose
your balance while walking
• Place five-gallon pails of ice melt or salt at the entrance
of each building. The building manager or custodial staff
should spread the salt several times throughout the day until
ice patches disappear.
• Keep up with housekeeping by keeping sidewalks and
parking lots well lit, removing obstacles from walkways and
placing doormats inside every entrance
• Follow designated walkways in parking lots
• Be wary of doorway thresholds where walking surfaces
change
Taken from the 4th quarter 2009 issue of the Workforce Forum,
from Accident Fund. o
Obesity has Growing Impact on
Workers Compensation
Sometimes being No. 1 isn’t always a good thing. That’s
definitely the case when it comes to America and obesity.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
our country has the most obese people in the world with about
32% of its population considered obese.
In the U.S. on a state by state basis, only Colorado has less
than a 20% of its adult population identified as obese. And this
sobering news not only has implications for our nation’s health,
but also for worker’s compensation industry, as obesity becomes
a risk-management issue for businesses.
A recent article in Best’s Review states that the increasing
numbers of obese Americans are impacting workplace and
worker’s compensation claims, with obese workers having
twice as many claims and seven times higher medical costs.
Hospitals and other health care facilities are experiencing the
obesity problem from a different perspective – seeing increased
injuries as a result of having to lift or move patients with obesity
problems.
Lost workdays, costs increase with weight
According to a study in the April 2007 Archives of Internal
Medicine, overweight people, those with a body mass index
(BMI) between 25 and 29.9, have four times as many lost
workdays than healthy weight workers, identified as people with
a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9. For those classified as obese,
the number of lost workdays escalates the more obese someone
is. The most obese, those with a BMI of 40 or greater, have a
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 staggering 13 times more lost workdays than healthy-weight
workers. They also file twice as many claims as healthy-weight
workers.
When it comes to indemnity claims, the costs are 11 times
higher for the most obese. How does that translate into dollars
and cents? The average cost of a workers compensation medical
claim for the most obese is $51,091 compared to $7,503 for a
healthy-weight worker.
Helping workers get healthy
As the obesity issue continues to grow, it will become important
for the stigma to be removed so that obesity can be discussed in
the workplace and regarded as the serious health problem that
it is.
Here are some tips to help you raise awareness and help keep
your health care costs down:
• Promoting a healthy lifestyle at work is one way employers
can help battle obesity.
• Having healthy options in vending machines and cutting
back on less-healthy snacks in the break room will
encourage healthy eating habits.
• Encouraging workers to walk or exercise during their
breaks and providing them with wellness materials and
other resources for staying healthy will also support
wellness at work.
Obesity facts
• America has the highest percentage of obese people in the
world.
• Obese workers cost employers significantly more in
workers comp costs.
• It takes obese workers longer to heal after and injury.
• On average obese workers have 13 times more lost work
days.
• Obese workers have twice as many claims and up to seven
times higher medical costs.
Taken from the 4th quarter 2009 issue of the Workforce Forum,
from Accident Fund. o
Tax & Business
Congress Extends Beneficial
NOL Provision
The rough economy has caused many businesses to operate at
a loss, also termed a net operating loss (NOL). As you would
expect, an NOL occurs when there is an excess of business
deductions (computed with certain modifications) over gross
income in a particular tax year. The good news is there generally
are no federal taxes due, and the current-year NOL can be
deducted through NOL carryback or carryover in another tax
year in which gross income exceeds business deductions (a
profitable year). In general, NOLs may be carried back two
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AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 34
years and forward 20 years. The NOL is first carried back to the
earliest tax year for which it’s allowable, and is then carried
to the next earliest tax year. Carrying back an NOL allows a
taxpayer to recover taxes paid in a prior period and improve
business cash flow. A taxpayer may elect to forgo the entire
NOL carryback period and instead carry it forward if it is more
beneficial to do so.
For NOLs arising in tax years ending after December 31, 2007,
small businesses can elect to increase the carryback period
for an applicable 2008 NOL from two years up to five years.
A small business for this purpose is defined as a corporation,
partnership, or sole proprietorship whose average annual gross
receipts for the three-tax-year period ending with the tax year
in which the loss arose are $15 million or less.
The recent Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance
Act of 2009 (Act) provides an election for even more taxpayers
(not just small businesses) to increase the carryback period
for an applicable NOL to three, four, or five years. For this
provision, an applicable NOL means the taxpayer’s NOL for
any tax year ending after December 31, 2007, and beginning
before January 1, 2010. Generally, an election may be made
only once. However, an eligible small business that elected
an NOL carryback before November 6, 2009 (the enactment
date), may make a second election in a subsequent tax year that
begins before January 1, 2010.
The Act limits the amount of the NOL that can be carried back
to the fifth tax year preceding the loss year to no more than
50% of the taxpayer’s taxable income for that fifth preceding
tax year. The amount of the NOL otherwise carried to tax years
after the fifth preceding tax year is adjusted to take into account
that the NOL could offset only 50% of the taxable income for
that fifth preceding tax year.
Example: Five-year NOL carryback. Justa Corporation
(Justa), a taxpayer averaging $200 million in annual sales,
incurs a $5 million NOL during its year ending August 31,
2009. During its tax year ending August 31, 2004, it had
taxable income of $6 million. If Justa carries its NOL back to
the 2004 tax year, it will only be able to apply $3 million of that
2009 loss against its taxable income in 2004 (because of the
50% limitation). The remaining $2 million can be used to offset
taxable income in years 2005 or later. By carrying the 2009
NOL back to prior profitable years, Justa can recover taxes paid
in those years, increase its cash flow, and use the proceeds to
meet payroll requirements, pay operating expenses, or purchase
necessary equipment.
Dealing with business losses can be a painful experience, but
NOL treatment and the subsequent recovery of taxes previously
paid can often substantially improve this trying situation.
However, the tax treatment of NOLs is quite technical, so
please your tax professional to discuss how you might benefit
from this provision.
Taken from the January 2010 issue of the Tax & Business Alert. o
AMBA
1/25/10 9:49 AM
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800-321-0983 800-962-4140 800-998-1025
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Fax: 864-574-4140
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35

AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 35 1/25/10 9:49 AM

 Taxation of Bartering
Bartering is the exchange of property or services for another’s
property or services. During this difficult economic period,
many small businesses are facing cash flow issues due to
falling sales and tight credit. Given the tough economy, some
small business owners have found that bartering is a way to
increase sales and decrease excess inventory in exchange for
marketing and advertising, professional services, and goods and
supplies for their business. Bartering can be done individually
or through an organized barter exchange.
If examined by the IRS, business owners and individuals are
likely to be asked if they engaged in any bartering transactions.
This is because the fair market value (FMV) of the goods or
services received must be included in gross income on the
date received just as if it had been a cash transaction. A
business owner can offset bartering income with the cost
(not FMV) of any property exchanged in such a transaction,
as would be the case in an ordinary sale of inventory. Taxpayers
who trade services, instead of property, can offset the income
with any expenses that would normally be deducted against
income generated by producing that service (e.g., supplies,
telephone, etc.).
A bartering transaction may actually consist of two
transactions. The first is the receipt of income, equal to the
FMV of the goods or services received. Next, if the goods
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AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 36
income-producing activity, a deduction should be available,
just as it would be if the goods or services had been obtained
with cash.
Example:  Bartering transaction. Courtney is a self-
employed attorney. She exchanges her services for a painting
worth $5,000 that she displays in her home. She must include
the value of the painting ($5,000) in income. She can deduct
only the out-of-pocket expenses incurred to furnish the legal
fees. This is the same result as if she had collected $5,000 in
cash and used the cash to buy the painting.
Variation: Assume instead that Courtney exchanged her legal
services for two months rent (worth $5,000) for the office
space where she conducts her legal practice. Here, she would
have $5,000 income, but also a $5,000 deduction for rental
expense on her tax return reporting income from her legal
practice. Again, the result is the same as if she had received the
$5,000 in cash and used it to pay the rent on her office space.
Please call your tax professional if you have questions on the
reporting requirements of bartering transactions or any other
tax compliance or planning issue.
Taken from the January 2010 issue of the Tax & Business
Alert. o
Uhr Seite
Business Gifts - Watch Out for the
Limitations!
This time of year it is very common to send your clients and
colleagues gifts for the holiday season. What most do not know
is that the amount that a business may deduct for tax purposes is
very limited! Back in 1962, the IRS enacted a business gift limit
of $25 per person. Guess what the limit is today - 57 years later?
Yep, it is still only $25!
While $25 doesn’t even buy flowers or candy these days, the
limit has remained the same in response to taxpayer concerns
about lavish gift giving by big business. Big business continues
to make gifts in excess of the $25, but the deduction isn’t as
important to the executives as the goodwill that they hope an
expensive gift creates. Unfortunately, there is no hope in sight
for any increase to the gifting limit.
 
If you’ve sent gifts to clients and/or colleagues this year and
were unaware of the limit, please discuss this with your tax
preparer.
Taken from the December 2009 Sunderland Group Tax
E-newsletter. o
AMBA Member Benefit:
Quarterly Business Forecast Survey – Provides a snapshot
of current and anticipated business conditions so you can
see how your business stacks up against your peers and the
industry to help in your marketing and sales planning. 
AMBA
1/25/10 9:49 AM
 IRS Announces 2010 Standard
Mileage Rates
The Internal Revenue Service today issued the 2010 optional
standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs
of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or
moving purposes.
Beginning on January. 1, 2010, the standard mileage rates for the
use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:
• 50 cents per mile for business miles driven
• 16.5 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes
• 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations
The new rates for business, medical and moving purposes are
slightly lower than last year’s. The mileage rates for 2010 reflect
generally lower transportation costs compared to a year ago.
The standard mileage rate for business is based on an annual study
of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile. The
rate for medical and moving purposes is based on the variable
costs as determined by the same study. Independent contractor
Runzheimer International conducted the study.
A taxpayer may not use the business standard mileage rate for a
vehicle after using any depreciation method under the Modified
Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) or after claiming a
Section 179 deduction for that vehicle. In addition, the business
standard mileage rate cannot be used for any vehicle used for hire
or for more than four vehicles used simultaneously.
Taxpayers always have the option of calculating the actual costs
of using their vehicle rather than using the standard mileage rates.
o It’s difficult for me to say what follows: Any claim that a
What is the Estate Tax Trap Most High-Net
Worth Business Owners Fall Into?
If your net worth is high enough to be subject to the evil estate
tax, chances are you worked your tail off all or most of your
adult life to accumulate your wealth… But draw your last
breath and the estate tax monster wants to devour about half
your wealth. Not a pretty picture.
It’s sad. Worse yet, the complete failure of almost all
professional advisors to take you, your family and your
business out of the horrible estate tax picture. Die and your
estate pays… but fortunately, you – with the right tax planning
– don’t have to lose any of your wealth to the estate tax
monster.
Do you have enough wealth to be clobbered by the estate
tax?... Then read every word of this article. You’ll learn how
to keep your wealth. But first I must ask you to open your
mind, because we are about to kill some sacred cows (really
conventional wisdom of how almost all estate planning
advisors, inadvertently, make you a victim of the estate tax.)
AMBA
AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 37
What exactly are these advisors guilty of doing?... Traditional
estate planning.
What is “traditional estate planning” (TEP)?
A TEP is the plan that most advisors use for a married couple.
Chances are if your estate plan is done, you have a TEP (and
that’s good). A TEP uses a rather simple will, called a “pour-
over will” and an irrevocable trust. The will gathers any assets
not in the trust when you die and pours these assets into the
trust. All your assets are now in the trust, which contains your
estate plan. The trust is commonly called an “A/B trust” or
“family /residuary trust” or something similar.
Is there anything wrong with a TEP?... absolutely not, assuming
it is properly drawn. Then what’s the problem?... The TEP is
normally the only plan, and a TEP is not designed to save estate
taxes. If you are married, it does many other things (which
makes a TEP a good
start for your estate plan). A TEP does have two minor estate
tax tricks: (1) the marital deduction defers any estate tax until
the second death of the husband and wife (but when the second
one dies, the IRS gets its pound of flesh); and (2) the so called
“unified credit” (in 2009 was $3.5 million per person that
passed free of the estate tax or $7 million for a married couple;
the exact amount at this writing – early January, 2010 – is
unknown until Congress acts.)
Let’s summarize: If the unified credit continues at $3.5 million
(or whatever Congress finally blesses us with as estate tax free),
the best a TEP can do – as far as saving you estate tax – is to
save you tax on the $3.5 million for the first spouse who dies.
That’s it.
TEP can save you even a dime in taxes, over and above the
unified credit is a myth, hoax and total illusion. If your estate
plan consists of a TEP and only a TEP (or even includes an
irrevocable life insurance trust [ILIT]), chances are you’ve
been duped.) If your advisor claims otherwise, challenge him
or her to show you where and how in the document that the
savings are created.
Yes, the above are tough accusations. Some of the accused
will come after my scalp. But most will read what follows and
improve the way they do estate planning. How do I know?...
Two reasons: (#1) Over the years I have talked to dozens of
estate planning advisors after their clients asked me to review
their estate plans…. I am only talking about those plans that
used only a TEP (or on occasion added an ILIT). In every case,
except two, the advisor welcomed my input and supported the
suggested additions to the client’s estate plan.
Now reason #2: For 22 years (starting in the 80s) my assistant
scheduled from 18 to 24 estate planning seminars from coast
to coast (mostly trade association meetings). Every year 3-5 of
those seminars were given to “estate planning councils” (EPC)
(attended by experts in estate planning and primarily lawyers,
CPAs, financial advisors and bank trust officers). Always
37
1/25/10 9:49 AM

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AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 38
challenged each EPC audience to list the ways a TEP saved
estate taxes. Never, but never, could any of those audiences
add to the two tax tricks described above.
Then, I would spend about 2½ hours teaching my estate
planning system (some of which follows in brief) to my want-
to-learn audiences.
My motivation for this article was and is the following
email received from a reader (Joe) of this column, “I am
working with a law firm… designing a will and trust [a TEP]
and would like you to review the documents.” After a few
questions, I agreed to review the documents if Joe would send
along three items: two financial statements (a personal one and
his last year-end for his business, Success Co.) and a family
tree (name and birthday for Joe, his wife and four kids).
Three days later Joe’s information package arrived. Here’s
a few things you should know about the information in the
package.
• A typical TEP was the entire estate plan.
• The lawyer (Larry) who drafted the TEP (it was very
well done) boasted on his stationery that he is “a Board
Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate
Law.”
• Joe (48 years old) owns Success Co. (an S corporation)
that he started from scratch, is very profitable and
growing. Joe likes Larry professionally, but feels
that somehow the plan Larry created falls short of
accomplishing Joe’s goals.
Without going into great detail this is what we (not only me,
but my network of experts) advised Joe to do:
1. Retain Larry and sign his documents, after one
suggested change.
2. Since the TEP does not legally speak until Joe dies
(when that will be is uncertain, but according to the life
expectancy tables, about 35 years) a lifetime tax plan
should be created.
So, simply put, everyone should have two plans: a death plan
(TEP) and a lifetime plan. The purpose of the lifetime plan (an
example follows) is to take such actions and employ various
strategies so that by the time you go to the big business in the
sky, the estate tax has been eliminated or you have created
enough tax-free wealth that any estate tax liability is covered.
Remember, it’s not what you are worth today that’s socked
with the estate tax, but the amount you (or your spouse) will
be worth after both of you have entered the pearly gates.
Also remember that Joe, like the typical guy, wants to control
his wealth – particularly his business – to the day he dies.
AMBA
1/25/10 9:49 AM
 Human Resources
Here’s the list of 10 Strategies (actually there are more) we
wove into a comprehensive lifetime plan for Joe, his family
and his business:
1. Asset protection strategies to protect Joe’s personal
assets and, separately, the business assets. By: Karla Dobbeck, PHR, Human Resource Techniques, Inc.
2. A management corporation (a C corporation) was set up
to provide Joe (but not other employees of Success Co.) Staffing Up? Consider the
with many tax-free fringe benefits (including long-term Following Options
care and deductibility of all – Joe, his wife and four kids
- medical expenses). Getting busy but don’t have enough
3. A family limited partnership for Joe’s investment assets. staff? Before staffing up, take a step
4. A non-qualified deferred compensation plan for his two back and decide what will work best
key employees (an easy way to prevents employees from for you.
leaving and competing with you).
1. Recalling workers – This option
5. A common paymaster to save significant amounts of
is great because you won’t need
payroll taxes every year.
to take time training or with
6. Create a plan to use a portion of the profits of Success orientation. Be careful though, if the employee coming
Co. to pay for the children’s college education. back is angry, he or she might look for ways to ‘get even’.
7. Transfer Success Co. to the children tax-free, yet Joe
maintains control. 2. Call your local temp service – with so many out of work,
8. Set up a family foundation and a charitable lead trust a temp service has a list of people with diverse skill sets to
as a tax-effective way to make substantial charitable fit your specific need. You will be able to ‘try out’ a new
contributions without reducing the children’s inheritance. employee before hiring on.
9. A strategy to save income taxes whenever a new unit of
Success Co. is opened. 3. Instead of calling back a laid off worker, consider asking
your temp service to provide payroll services for him/her.
10. How to make the insurance on Joe’s life estate tax-free
and buy over $3 million of second-to-die life insurance
using the government’s money.

And finally, a question clients always ask, “Irv, how do I know

when my estate plan is done and done right?”… Here’s a two-
point answer: (1) When your advisor can look you in the eye
and tell you – whether you are worth $5 million or $50 million
(or more) – that the estate plan created for you will eliminate
the impact of the estate tax. Simply put, if you are worth $11
million, $11 million to your family (all taxes paid in full), if
worth $44 million, $44 million to your family. Fill in your own
number. And (2) the advisor can explain in simple English how
each strategy works to save those millions.
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As always, any questions, call me (Irv) at 847-674-5295. o
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AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 39 1/25/10 9:49 AM

 Your AMBA Membership
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AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 40 1/25/10 9:49 AM

 That way, you avoid taxes, additional unemployment and
workers comp but get the benefit of someone who knows
your company. When the assignment ends, you won’t
need to ‘fire’ the person again because you are not the
employer!
4. Look for new talent – If before the slowdown your
company was lacking a certain skill set, look for it now
when staffing up. There are so many qualified candidates
available right now it truly is a ‘buyers’ market. You will
be able to find skills to compliment your workforce if you
take some time to analyze what you need.
5. Don’t forget your suppliers and customers – these folks
are a wonderful source for referrals. They may provide a
referral for you from their own ranks which can strengthen
your relationship with the customer or vendor in the long
term. It is quite possible that a candidate referred from a
customer will have valuable information to share helping
you to become a preferred provider as well!
Take time to staff up right. If you do, you might find the best
solutions to your immediate and long term needs!
HR Procedures Review for the New Year
As the New Year begins, it might be a good time for you to review
your procedures to ensure your supervisors and managers know
how to handle various situations.
Below are common practices that should be consistent throughout
your organization.
1. Hiring procedures – Is there one point of entry for your
organization? There should be! Make sure all supervisors and
managers know how to bring someone new into your company.
By developing a procedure, you can be assured that all paperwork
is completed, physicals or drug tests are administered consistently
and that unemployment charges are diminished. Consider using a
new hire checklist.
2. Accident reporting and investigation - When someone is
injured at work, what is your procedure? Having a written
procedure will help all supervisors make good decisions regarding
trips to occupational health, drug testing and completing
mandatory paperwork for the insurance company and State.
Developing an accident investigation report will help the company
to find ways to correct areas that lead to injury. Make sure to
look for ways to find the facts and not place blame on the injured
employee.
3. Discipline and terminations – Consider appropriate courses of
action for different infractions. Be careful not to tie your hands so
that you are free to take action based on the infraction and the overall
employment history of the employee. Remember that fair is not
always equal. Having one person in the company review a decision
before any action is taken will help to avoid claims of discrimination.
AMBA
AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 41
4. Leave requests – Consider developing a method for your
employees to request time off or to pre-authorize absences.
Having a form listing the various reasons for absences will
help you to ensure protected absences are granted and those not
protected are addressed.
For help in developing any of these or other HR procedures,
feel free to contact HRT at 847-289-4504. Checklists for hiring
and terminations and a pre-authorized absence request are
available at no cost simply by requesting them!
Time to Review Your
Employee Handbook
Over the past few years, many changes have been made to
regulations and now might be a good time to look at your
policies to make sure they are still in compliance. Below are a
few that have changed in the past few years.
• Family & Medical Leave
• Victims Economic Security & Safety
• Employee Classifications
• Equal Pay
• Time off to Vote
If you do not have a handbook, don’t worry since there is not a
legal requirement to have one. On the other hand, a handbook
does provide a roadmap for supervisors, managers and
employees when it comes to handling common
workplace issues.
How benefits work, what company policies must be followed,
what will lead to discipline and how administration works are
all important to include.
If you do have a handbook, a policy on discrimination,
harassment and sexual harassment is a ‘must include’. Other
policies that should be included are those that disclose the use
of drug testing, physicals, assessments and new hire reporting.
Also, the law requires employers to disclose the workweek
(168 consecutive hours) and where and when employees are
paid.
Don’t forget to include a section on safety and what happens
during an emergency situation such as a tornado or when an
evacuation occurs as well as your safety rules.
Make sure that your policies don’t tie your hands for
disciplining and give employees specifics to follow.
Lastly, make sure to make your handbook short and easy
to read. A lengthy document filled with legalese will not
be something your employees will use and if the goal is to
communicate effectively, this type of document will be
counter-productive. o
41
1/25/10 9:49 AM
 In Memory – Dave Leverenz
David Leverenz, 66, a long-time friend and employee of Tri-Par Die and Mold
Corporation passed away on December 30th, 2009. His illness of only four months
took him much too quickly. Dave will be remembered as having a ready smile and
quick laugh. He had a gentle, friendly personality that everyone loved. 

He worked as an estimator and purchasing agent and enjoyed his work as well as
all of the people that he contacted. His co-workers, family and friends will miss
him greatly but are forever grateful for having known him. He is survived by his
wife, three children and many grandchildren.

In Memory – Steve Bales

Bales Mold Service Carries President’s Vision Forward
Steven J. Bales, president of Bales Mold Service, Inc. in Downers Grove, IL, passed away
suddenly on November 18, in Harlingen, TX. He was 53. Steve will be missed, but his vision
and dedication is being carried on by his family and many long-time, loyal employees who will
continue to serve the moldmaking industry.

Bales Mold Service was founded by Steve and his brother, Mike, in 1978, initially providing
diamond polishing and hard chrome plating for plastic injection molds. The company rapidly
grew over the years and became widely known for its engineered coatings and finishes as well
as many other products and services. The company regularly participated in major industry
trade shows such as the MoldMaking Expo and NPE and Steve was often a presenter at technical
conferences.

Harry Raimondi, who worked closely with Steve during his 13 years as Sales and Technical Services
Manager at Bales, said, “Steve was an innovator, and was always looking for new ways to advance mold
coating technology. While the majority of our business is in the plastics industry, Steve also made sure our company was
diversified in terms of markets served, focusing on stainless steel passivation for aerospace and leveraging our expertise
in coatings to many other industries. He was a leader, and an employer and friend who was loved and respected by his
employees.”

In 2001, Bales opened a second facility in Harlingen, Texas, enabling the company to address the coatings and finish needs
of customers in the southern U.S. and the Maquiladora region. In 2008, in time for the celebration of Bales Mold’s 30th
anniversary, construction of an addition to the Downers Grove, IL location was completed, expanding the capacity for
electroless nickel and hard chrome plating. A new, state-of -the-art wet chemistry lab was also added, with an enlarged
inspection area.

Following is a list of key staff members that Bales customers can contact for service or information:
Jon Bailey - General Manager
Jon, Steve’s nephew, has been at Bales Mold Service since 1994. He began as an apprentice to Mike Bales in our polishing
department. In 2000, he began to train next to Steve in the chrome and nickel departments and became General Manager in 2006.
Stacey Bales - Office Manager
Stacey, Steve’s daughter, began working at Bales 12 years ago. She worked in the nickel and shipping departments before
moving to the office. In 2002, she became the Office Manager.
Harry Raimondi -Technical Services Manager
Harry has been working at Bales Mold Service as our Technical Services Manager since 1996. Prior to working at Bales,
Harry was a moldmaker for 28 years. He has a vast knowledge of all of the company’s services.
Rich O’Brien - Customer Service Manager
Rich has been with Bales Mold for almost 15 years. He has worked in several departments, learning all processes, and has
moved into the role of Bales’ Customer Liaison.

Contact Bales Mold Service at 800-215-MOLD or visit www.balesmold.com.

42 AMBA

AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 42 1/25/10 9:49 AM

 Business Success Strategies
Alternative Ways To Market Minus The
Expensive Costs
By: Lynne Saarte
When marketing your business, you do not have to break the
bank just so you can have yourself a promotional campaign that
can generate leads. These are precisely the times to be conscious
of where your hard earned money is going. As such, you really
have to look into possible ways that you can save on costs on
your marketing efforts.
Times are hard and you might find yourself struggling to keep on
attracting new clients to your business. And although it is quite
tempting, do not even think about cutting your marketing budget
just so you can make ends meet. If you want to start losing
your client base then go right ahead and stop your marketing
activities. But if you want to survive these difficult times and
remain on top, you have to start thinking of clever ways to
promote your business.
You do not have to regularly come up with more costly
collaterals such as catalog printing or print brochures so that
you can have as many leads as possible. There are other cost-
effective ways to go about marketing other than your print
catalogs. Here is how:
1. Market with thank you note cards.
You can always purchase a pile of them at discount shops, and
then send them to your loyal clients just to let them know that
you appreciate the business they provide you. Handwrite the
message to make it more personal. And end with a wish for their
success and well-being.
2. Be an expert.
Write articles on your expertise. Since you are in moldmaking,
then write articles on topics of interest in moldmaking and then
submit these articles on websites or to your trade association
for publication. The more people who will be able to read your
articles, the more chances of your expertise to get you the leads
you need for your client base.
3. Share data and information.
This time, if you found a great article, you can share it with your
customers that will appreciate such information. It will show that
you are interested in them, so much so that you are keeping tabs
of what can provide them solutions to some of their issues.
4. Contact people. Talk to them.
This is the most basic means to get in touch with your target
clients. Just go ahead, pick up the phone and dial that number.
Ask for feedback on current marketing campaigns or the ones
AMBA
AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 43
you did for them last year. By getting in touch, you will be able
to generate new business and revive old ones in the process.
5. Network, network, network
Go to events and attend trade show exhibits. But bear in mind
that networking is not about getting as many business cards as
you can. Networking is about making connections and forming
working relationships that can help you grow your business.
There are lots more ways to market your business without
costing you an arm and a leg. You just have to be creative in
finding out the means to promote what you have according to
your budget to generate leads for your business. o
The Impact and Implications of
Losing Customers
• A lost customer can make our current customers skeptic
and to question their loyalty to us.
• A lost customer can degrade our image and reputation in
the marketplace.
• A lost customer forces us to undertake work and changes
we didn’t want or plan.
• A lost customer can be a wake-up call for us to get our
act together.
• A lost customer can have a harmful impact on our sales
projections, cash flow, receivables and payables.
• A lost customer can inhibit us from meeting our buying
commitments with suppliers and vendors.
Taken from Mike Hennings Family Business News & Insights,
January, 2010. o
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business success. Here is a neat website grader . . .
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you many tips about how to improve it! Besides providing tips
on SEO optimization, it also gives hints on converting qualified
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It’s quick and so simple and FREE: http://websitegrader.com. o
AMBA 2009 Fall Conference Testimonial:
I enjoyed myself thoroughly at Fall Conference. It was a
real eye opening experience, and I plan to be active with the
Carolinas Chapter and AMBA National office as much as
possible moving forward!
David Bowers II, JMMS, Inc.
43
1/25/10 9:49 AM
 AMBA Answers  Co. in Muskego,WI. They were very knowledgeable and we
Have you used “AMBA Answers”? The
AMBA offers this unique networking option
that you can use right from your office! It’s
located on the AMBA website under
“My AMBA”.
My AMBA is the “Members Only” section of the site. You can
post a question to AMBA Answers and your question will be
broadcast to all the AMBA members. If you have a question
that you need assistance with, please visit the AMBA Answers
section of the website and post your question! Your fellow
members will be happy to help you out and get you the answers
that you need! Here are some examples of the kinds of questions
and responses you’ll find on “AMBA Answers.”:
Question:
We are looking at putting a coolant maintenance program in
place and have a good opportunity to change coolant for the
entire shop.
Has anyone found a brand/type of coolant that really works well
they would recommend? What about a skimmer or coalescing
unit and did you have a mobile units or individual units for each
machine?
Answers:
• We have used Trim E206 for about three years now with
real good success. We were experiencing a lot of problems
with smelly coolant and complaints from toolmakers about
oily residues with the previous brand. We went from about
30 days tank life to well over a year. We have had no
complaints from toolmakers as far as smell or irritation.
Cutting performance seems to be good. We also installed a
RO water system for the coolant and use a mixer valve to
mix it from the barrel. These two things most likely made
the most difference in our coolant compared to what brand
we were using. We are currently looking for a good oil
separator for tramp oil so I am interested in what responses
you get on that. We have used a Safety Kleen unit for a
year with limited success. Matter of fact, we might sell it if
anybody is interested. We have a brand new model we got
as a warranty replacement.
• We have used Blaser 4000 Strong for our CNC Machining
centers and really like it. It doesn’t remove paint on the
machines and also doesn’t have problems with stinking if
you keep it maintained. We had one machine that had the
same coolant in it for 10 years and never had problems till
someone accidentally mixed in grinding coolant and messed
the whole batch up. It is also easy on the hands if the
operator gets into it. It also works well for lubrication. We
use a coalescer and aerator to get out the way oil which you
do have to keep on top of.
• We had problems in the past with coolant and I believe it
was more about implementation procedures than the
coolant. We now use a water soluble from S C Chemical
44
AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 44
now run relatively trouble free. We also use a filtering unit
from Crystal Kleen that removes tramp oil and helps aerate. o
Classified Corner
FOR SALE  - 2001 FIDIA  K165  3+2 Hi Speed CNC
Description: Bought this machine at the 2002 IMTS show as
a demo model. All service records, recently upgraded FIDIA
C-20 control. 3,000 - 30,000 RPM Spindle. X- 1,000mm
by Y - 600mm by Z -500mm. 1574 In/Minute feedrate  20
position tool changer, HSK 50E Spindle   FIDIA Laser Tool
Measurement, Excellent condition - Fantastic finishes and
accuracy. Priced for QUICK sale! Have new machines
coming in!!!! 
Contact Info: Steve Rotman    Ameritech Die & Mold, Inc,
Mooresville, NC,
704-664-0801
Price: $82,000 OBO
FOR SALE - Blanchard Grinder
Description: 20CD-36, 38” swing, 3/4” chuck life.
Contact : Raymond Mueller III
Price: 314-522-8080 
FOR SALE - Blanchard grinder
Description: 1993 model 54HD-100, 100” chuck, 120” swing,
54” segmented whee,l 250hp soft start, 3/4” chuck life.
Contact Info: Raymond Mueller III
Price: 314-522-8080
FOR SALE  - Kent Surface Grinder
Description: Model PFG200N, 6x16 Table, 3,480rpm Spindle
Speed, 60Hz, 1KW-2P Spindle Motor, May be purchased with
or without mag chuck.
Contact Info: David Drawert, 480-921-9939, Tempe, Arizona
david@tmwinc.net
Price: $1,200 w/o Mag Chuck or $1,400 with Mag Chuck. o
AMBA Member Benefits:
Annual Wage & Benefits Survey -  provides a 35-page analysis
of employee wage and employee benefits information for
the mold & die cast industry, broken down by geographic
location. This information is not available anywhere else, and is
consistently ranked by members as one of the top five member
benefits.
Your company listing on the AMBA website at www.amba.
org.  Featuring the FIND a MOLDMAKER online buyer’s
guide, to make it easy for OEMs and molders to find a mold
shop by geographic location, services and specialties. With
more than 120,000 hits per month, you’ll see an increase in
inquiries and RFQs!
AMBA
1/25/10 9:49 AM
 19647_EDRO_AD 7/12/07 3:42 PM Page 1

Tech Corner
21st Century Mold Management and ™
Storage Data Solutions
Your mold documentation travels Holder Steel for improved plastics mold tooling
with your mold, always. RedE Today, RoyAlloy™ Stainless steel is the preferred mold base steel
Innovations announces the launch of choice throughout North America. RoyAlloy™ demonstrates
of the new innovative mold data significant improvements, including enhanced machinability,
management and storage solution. improved stability, greater toughness, better weldability, and
more consistent uniformity and hardness when
The innovative RedE Vault system compared with 420F/1.2085.
allows a mold owner to securely
store important process parameters, mold repair logs, and
drawings while enforcing business practices, increasing mold
technician accountability and assisting in quality control and ISO
compliance directly on the mold. Using RedE Innovations data
services and software, mold owners are able to manage mold
data and provide a thorough status overview of multiple molds
through the redevault.com secure website.

The user friendly RedE Vault software is designed to help mold

owners secure and manage their mold data while allowing
Edro Specialty Steels, Inc.
for quick and easy access to templates, drawings and files, with California - Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
West: 800.368.3376
the administrative option to determine each user’s data access East & Midwest: 888.368.3376
Appenweier, Germany
permissions. Employing the RedE Vault mold management Tel +49 (0) 7805 91579-0
email: royalloy@edro.com
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data solution grants you peace of mind, knowing your data
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Contact Jim Stuart at jim@redeinnovations.com or Klaus

Wieder at klaus@redeinnovations.com.

High Efficiency Graphite Dust Filter

Designed specifically for graphite dust
control, the Wynn “G” series flanged
cartridges are directly interchangeable
with filters commonly used in vibrating
type dust collectors. These surface
loading, Merv 15 Nanofiber filters have
an open pleat design which allows for
superior dust release during the cleaning
cycle. The high filtration efficiency
guarantees minimal dust bypass and dust
release is so complete that there is no
need for wrap-around pre filters.

Filters for abrasive dusts are also available. Wynn Environmental

publishes prices on their website.

For more information contact: Richard R Wynn, Wynn

Environmental, Phone: (215) 442-9443,
email: Sales@wynnenv.com o
AMBA 45

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 Advertiser’s Index
Absolute Machine Tools, Inc........................... 20
Alba Enterprises, Inc ....................................... 22
Bico Steel Service Centers................................ 35
Crystallume Engineered Diamond.................. 13
DME Company................................................. 26
Edro Specialty Steels, Inc. ............................... 45
A. Finkl & Sons Co........................................... 28
First American Payment Systems................... 40
Gibson Insurance Group.................................. 48
Graphic Products North America.................... 45
Haas Automation, Inc...................................... 25
Hasco America.................................................. 36
Incoe Corporation.............................................. 7
M & M Tooling................................................. 39
Makino.............................................................. 30
Millstar, LLC..................................................... 38
Moldmaking Technology Magazine................ 15
OMNI Mold Systems, LLC............................... 47
PCS.................................................................... 23
Precision Punch ............................................... 10
Proceq USA, Inc. . ............................................ 13
Progressive Components................................... 2
Rocklin Manufacturing Co. . ............................. 8
Superior Die Set............................................... 35
Tarus Products, Incorporated.......................... 36
Ultra Polishing.................................................. 46
Vega Tool Corporation.............................. 18, 19
Wisconsin Engraving Co., Inc. / Unitex.......... 46
info@wi-engraving.com

46 AMBA

Wisc_Engraving.indd 1 10/23/08 1:33:02 PM

AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 46 1/25/10 9:49 AM

 • (2) New series of slides
• A total of (18) new sizes
• In stock ready to ship
• CAD files are available on our website
• Call for more information

OMNI Mold Systems customers have been asking for more size options for our Versa-Slides®.
We have listened and are now stocking two new series (45 series) and (55 series).
• The (45 Series) will fill the gap between the 40 and 50 series slides with a 4.375”
slide face width.
• The (55 Series) will fill the gap between the 50 and 60 series slides with a 7.125”
slide face width.
That’s 18 new sizes in all! No more need to custom build those in between sizes.
Proudly made
in the USA
OMNI MOLD SYSTEMS™
Toll Free Ph 888-666-4755 www.omnimold.com
Toll Free Fax 888-816-2850 sales@omnimold.com
AMBA 47

AMBA Nsltr_Winter_10.indd 47 1/25/10 9:49 AM

 American Mold Builders Association PRSRT
U.S. Postage
P.O. Box 404
PAID
Medinah, IL 60157-0404 Medinah, IL
(Change Service Requested) Permit No. 20

Insuring the AMBA

Leading Provider
Provider of
of
Insurance Commercial Insurance
Employee Benefits
Personal Home & Auto

Risk
Management
Claims Consulting
Loss Prevention
OSHA Compliance Consulting
Photo courtesy of PM Mold Company

www.gibsonins.com 800-814-2122
48 AMBA

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