The Business of Injection Molding: What It Takes to Succeed as a Custom Molder

by Clare Goldsberry

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• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0964257092
• ISBN13: 9780964257092
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Injection Molding Magazine
• Length: 206 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Do you know what it takes to succeed ?

Plastic injection molding is an exceedingly technical business. We turn small blobs of petroleum by-product into some of the finest artifacts of our technological society. To do so, we must manage skills from such diversified disciplines as computational geometry, polymer chemistry, and rheology. But we must never lose sight of the one overriding reality in today's global economy. We are in business to make a profit. We are in business . . . and our business is injection molding.Clare Goldsberry has written a fine book entitled The Business of Injection Molding: What It Takes to Succeed as a Custom Molder. The author focuses on exactly how one should open a molding operation and build up a profitable business.After a brief introductory overview, an in-depth description of the molding business follows. In Chapter 2 we learn the key differences between captive, custom, and proprietary operations, and the place of OEMs in the market. Other chapters cover those specific vertical markets of importance to molders. To service the medical industry, we discover, special investment must be made for cleanroom environments with air locks and special clothing for operators. These extra costs of production are frequently covered by the huge volumes of single-use devices constantly ordered by hospitals across America and the world. Similarly, each industry is analyzed in turn to aid the manager in search of a niche.There are chapters on material selection and moldmaking. The information here is not for specialists; see many of the other offerings in Injection Molding Magazine's IMM Book Club if you are the tooling guy at your plant. But for the perspective of management, Goldsberry presents a great overview and addresses issues relevant to working with vendors effectively and making the most of their expertise. The key business questions are discussed, for example: Should you make your own molds in-house? Why is there such a wide span of quoted prices for molds for the same part? How much quality is really necessary, anyway?More chapters cover setting up and running the business. Most of us feel pretty comfortable with our area of specialty, but how would we actually go about running the whole show? We would have to consider capitalization, equipment, personnel, plant layout, working with suppliers, scheduling, and managing cash flow-just to name a few. Goldsberry covers all of these topics at the managerial level.Perhaps the most interesting chapters in Goldsberry's book are the last three. There are two on evolution and trends in the industry, and one revealing sources for additional information. Some neat insights on strategic alliances and joint ventures are provided. The final chapter lists articles from past issues of IMM and references to books that can add more information about the topics covered in each chapter. Perhaps your interest is piques by the legal aspects of the business. You will know where to turn for