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The amerimold expo opens in less than 3 weeks, and so far we have seen great interest and activity in attendee registration.

The amerimold expo connects buyers and sellers of products and services used for designing, building, processing, maintaining and repairing molds.You want to know who's checking out amerimold next month? Here is a look at some of the companies that have pre-registered for free to attend amerimold 2013 to research everything from horizontal machining centers to 3D scanners; cutting tools to simulation software. Register Today!

Then take a peek at some of the technology and services to be on display in the exhibit hall next month.

Mold Maintenance Training—ToolingDocs LLC, Booth 721
High-Speed Milling and Cost-Effective EDM—GF AgieCharmilles, Booth 205
CAD/CAM /CAE Software—TST Tooling Software Technology, LLC, Booth 113
Mobile Laser Welding System—O.R. Laser, Booth 532
Mold Polishing and Coatings—Bales Mold Service, Booth 210
Graphite Grades, Diamond-Like Carbon Coatings—Poco Graphite, Booth 132
Hybrid Tooling—JMMS, Booth 623
Two-Speed Sequential Valve Gating Technology—Synventive Molding Solutions, Booth 529
Die Sinker EDM—Absolute Machine Tools, Booth 507
Multi-Channel Optical Touch Probe System—Marposs, Booth 427
Modular Water Manifold—PCS Company, Booth 407
High-Feed Quad Cutters—Ingersoll, Booth 429
Nozzles for Cold Sprue Applications--Incoe, Booth 536
Polishing Media—Boride Engineered Abrasives, Booth 401
Software Extension for Designing Core Cavity Blocks—Top Solid/Missler Software, Booth 236
High-Speed Machining Center—Hurco, Booth 247
Alignment Locks and Other Devices—Progressive Components, Booth 105
Optimized Coolant System—Haimer, Booth 129
Updated CAD/CAM Software—CGS North America Inc., Booth 119
Industrial Moldmaking Supplies—DME Company, Booth 305
Tight-Tolerance Injection Molds—Mold-Tech, Booth 114
Aluminum Mold Plate Alloys—Clinton Aluminum, Booth 425
Nozzles for Side Gating—Ewikon, Booth 110
Automated Sharpening—Darex LLC, Booth 139
Micro-Welding Laser System for Mold Repair—LaserStar Technologies, Booth 601
Solid Carbide Ball-Nose End Mills—Data Flute, Booth 526
Integrated Electrode Solution for EDM—Delcam, Booth 419
Hydraulic Locking Cylinder—DMS, Booth 517
 

I got to see and hear firsthand last month what it's like to be "green" during a visit to Downers Grove, IL to check up on long-standing amerimold and MMT supporter Bales Mold Service ... and yes, it does have something to do with this photo.

Although this photo looks like something out of a horror movie, it is actually a photo showing the craftmanship at Bales, which has helped them to be one of the leaders in their field offering cutting-edge engineered coatings and finishes while also handling intricate applications.

Harry (Raimondi) and Sara (Bales Mortensen) toured Claude (MMT Publisher) and I around their facilities, explaining their various surface finish technologies and techniques as well as giving us the lo-down on their efforts to "go green".

Those efforts have paid off in a few ways, one being the first recipient of an award from the Village of Downers Grove’s new Green Business Recognition Program last week by Mayor Martin Tully.

According to the Village’s website, this Program was formed “to encourage businesses within Downers Grove to adopt environmentally sustainable practices, such as waste reduction, conservation of water and energy conservation."

Bales has done so by:

• Installating solar tracking skylights and standard skylights on the shop floor that reflect light into the building and regulate when the lights turn on
  
• Practicing shutdown procedures
  
• Installingmotion sensor lights
  
• Replacing all incandescent bulbs
  
• Using light timers to reduce unnecessary energy usage throughout the plant
  
• Establishing a program to collect shredded office paper to use as packing material
  
• Reusing boxes and packaging material for outgoing shipments
  
• Collectiing scrap material for recycling, repurposing of machinery, recycling old computer equipment and supplies whenever possible.
  

Bales is also a zero discharge facility and uses an environmentally friendly citric passivation solution, plus the Company is actively involved with industrial trade organizations where resources are provided that helps Bales implement new standards for chemical treatment and housekeeping practices.

You can come hear Bales speak on Maximizing Mold Production and Protection at 2pm on June 13 on the amerimold expo show floor. Learn how to get the best out of molds with the right coatings to protect from corrosion and wear; and, how to use coatings and finishes to increase mold longevity and production. Regsiter today!

It has now been four years since the U.S. economy emerged from the Great Recession, and the best way to describe the current economic situation is that we are holding steady. For the past four years the rate of growth in the U.S. GDP has been right around 2% per year. This is the longest period of sub-3% annual growth since the Great Depression started in 1929. But I do not expect a recession anytime soon. In fact, I expect growth to accelerate.

Our latest forecast for GDP in 2013 calls for a growth rate just a tad higher than 2%. This will result in about 2 million new jobs being created. In other words, things this year will be the same as the year before and the year before that. In 2014, GDP growth will elevate to over 3%.

Despite the recent sluggishness, the resilience of the U.S. economy over the past few years is reason for optimism. The growth rate has been sub-par, but there have been many restraints and hurdles to overcome. A weaker economy would likely already be in a recession. The predominant obstacles this year are the increase in payroll taxes, the decrease in government spending, and weak export demand from our major trading partners in Europe. Fortunately, the negative effects of all three of these issues will moderate as we go forward. The second and third quarters of this year will be the weakest in terms of overall economic growth. The growth rate will gradually increase in the fourth quarter and beyond.

But though we expect the economy to gain momentum in 2014, it does not mean there will be no obstacles or headwinds to overcome next year. Healthcare reform is looming out on the horizon. This will result in a large period of adjustment in the labor market. The labor market is already struggling with the problem of the skills gap, and this problem is not going to be resolved any time soon. These issues will ultimately put a ceiling on just how fast the economy will be able to grow in the long run. There is also the issue of how the Federal Reserve Board is going to unwind its unprecedented and massive program known as Quantitative Easing, but I will save that discussion for a later time.

All of these issues notwithstanding, our outlook calls for steady improvement in the U.S. economy and the U.S. manufacturing sector through the middle of this decade. The first test will be this summer when the full effects of the sequester start kicking in. This will also be about the time that Congress has to raise the debt ceiling again. Other threats include: the possibility that the economy in the European Union could collapse; and tensions with Iran could escalate as a result of their nuclear program. But assuming we can get past these tests, the U.S. economy is poised for a period of more rapid recovery through the middle of this decade.