Back Together Again at Amerimold 2021: Quality Conversations and Connections

Amerimold 2021 live and in-person

The anticipation is over for the first in-person moldmaking event since 2019.

The trumpet call officially opens Amerimold 2021.

MoldMaking Technology Editorial Director Christina Fuges welcomes attendees to the free Tech Talk programming.

A jammed-packed schedule covered hot topics from 3D printing and simulation to hot runners and mold maintenance.

Conversations focused on business challenges and product enhancements and innovations.

The number of mold builders exhibiting their expertise and services continues to grow.

Software advancements could be found throughout the show floor to solve complex part design and tooling issues. Also highlighted was parametric CAD/CAM to simplify mold design, a visual search tool and a standard engineering tool for mold designers.

Mold builders showcased their complete mold management solutions.

Injection moldmakers promoted their turnkey operations.

A variety of micro molds and micro-molding capabilities on display.

A myriad of hot runner solutions were on display from modular temperature controllers to diffusion-bonded manifolds to direct-gated valve gate components.

Mold component products were aplenty—from servo-controlled mold actuation units, undercut release systems and latch locks to core pins, remote date stamps and special springs.

Laser welding machines were ready for demonstration each day of the event.

3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions focused on the mold builder including new metal AM materials.

This additive venting exhibit was a show stopper.

Hybrid AM solutions piqued the interest of attendees.

A lively Leadtime Leader Awards ceremony was much needed after two years of being apart. Here, Don Dumoulin of MMT’s 2020 winner gets ready to pass the torch to our 2021 winner, Ray Coombs, president of Westminster Tool.

You could feel the emotion in the room! A great way to end day two of Amerimold 2021.

MoldMaking Technology’s Editorial Advisory Board had a chance to meet in person and then grab dinner and drinks to get to know each other while talking some shop.

Can’t forget the creative “liquid” marketing!

MoldMaking Technology Editorial Director Christina Fuges welcomes MMT 30 Under 30 Honoree John Ziegenhorn (and his nominators) of Matrix Plastic Products during a special happy hour for our next generation of moldmaking professionals.

It was wonderful to see our next-generation pros from X-Cell & Mold, Wise Plastics and Progressive Components meet up.

Young employees from Best Tool and Westminster Tool connected over a few beers.

Christina Fuges holds up our 2021 Top 10 Reasons to Be a Moldmaker t-shirt. The number one reason—“Moldmakers are machinists on steriods!”—was submitted by Ed Sikora of JATCO Machine & Tool.

A ‘lights out” networking party set a playful mood.

Attendees and exhibitors walked away from the event with quality discussions and new connections.

We get to do this all again March 29-31, 2022 in Chicago for our inaugural Plastics Technology Expo (PTXPO), which will house the Moldmaking Pavilion, presented by Amerimold and MoldMaking Technology.

Amerimold 2021 was a fresh start. It brought the community back together in person to collaborate, innovate, share and learn—something long overdue.

Despite slower-than-usual traffic, both attendees and exhibitors shared that quality was winning over quantity this year. People at the show were seeking connection, information and solutions—and that is what they got! There was deeper engagement. People needed to be there.

Take a peek at the quick slideshow above to see a few of the show’s highlights. ^{(All images are courtesy of Grace Nehls, Katie Arnold, Kate Billberry, Sarah Barnett and Julia Hider).}