Pre-Loaded Ball Bearing Bushings

I received a unique tooling question the other day… Rachael I am considering the option of purchasing pre-loaded ball bearing bushings for a new tool. Are there any drawbacks to this option? My Response Such bushings are a great option for the longevity of your tooling. These demonstrate significantly less wear when compared to regular […]

Compensating for Barrel Residence Time…

I got this question regarding a situation many small-part molders find themselves in… Arturo Our Maintenance crew came up with the idea of putting E-Dart systems on our presses. Some of our presses are running with less than 20% barrel capacity. What do you think about this plan without any change in the barrel capacity. […]

Scheduling OJT

I was talking with a Human Resource Manager the other day and got this question… Frank My boss wants me to do all the training on-the-job. Unfortunately, this is a scheduling nightmare. What is the best way to do this? My Response First, OJT is the most direct method of instruction, but it is not a good training […]

Machining Core Threads With a Lathe…

I just received this unique question from a toolmaker in China… Dodge We’re trying to make a collapsible core with threads using a CNC lathe.  The specification requires the thread start at half way around the circumference, which is impossible because the lathes have to complete a full circle before making a screw thread.  Is […]

Compensating For Material Variability…

I received this e-mail from a medical molder who is encountering complications with maintaining process controls within their validated standards… Steve We a medical molder and monitor and record part weight as a control during production runs. On a particular component the spec is 31.165g +/- 0.045g on a 16 cavity mould and was determined from […]