Mold Builders Turn Challenge into Change Amid the Coronavirus

Amid all of the negative headlines, stories and effects of the coronavirus so far this year, there is positive news. At the risk of sounding trite, “With every cloud, there is a silver lining.” “Every negative has a positive.” “Look for the best in the worst rather than the worst in the best.” and “There is no great loss without some gain.” These are all true, and we are pretty much living them out these past few months.

As soon as the virus hit the states, I connected with shops across North America to gauge the mood and current impact on business levels. What struck me was not the insight they provided each time I checked in but their readiness and willingness to help and their consistent look on the brighter side. They were focusing on opportunity and turning challenges into future change. All the while, they were leveraging their networks to take on work aiding in managing the crisis, and documenting their journeys and what they were learning along the way.

For example, most believe that once we get to the other side of this:

• Manufacturing will be busy
• The world will have confidence in plastics again
• Moldmaking will have a new face
• Manufacturing will rethink and reorganize its supply chain
• Recycling will increase (and not just products but the packaging, too)
• Technology that we’ve talked about for years will be more strongly considered and even implemented (such as additive manufacturing, lights-out machining, Industry 4.0, etc.)
• Businesses will implement new ways to communicate, collaborate, learn and increase efficiency.

And all of this is what great stories are made of, which MMT cannot wait to share with you in the months to come.

Lastly, in my opinion, the often unsung and unseen heroes of manufacturing are mold builders, and I think I can safely say that the past five months have put them and the work they do in the spotlight. Their importance to the products we use every day cannot be more emphasized than with vital medical products and equipment that are urgently needed in a time of crisis. That message is the same one we used back in 2015 for our MoldMaking Matters Recruitment Video. Maybe it’s time to shoot an updated video! Any interested participants?