2017 Leadtime Leader Winner Accepts Award at Amerimold
Graphic Tool demonstrates that size does not matter when it comes to bringing home MMT's annual Leadtime Leader Award.
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“A lot of companies build molds. We like to say that we build the Formula One race car type of molds," says Graphic GM Don Smith. He says it's the processes that drive the people, not the people who drive the processes. "We set objectives, together with each employee, so that that they are agreed on and ultimately measured.”
I notified Don of their win a few months ago, but the team just recently heard the news. He told me he made the announcement during the company's Memorial Day lunchtime BBQ. They passed out all of the MoldMaking Technology gear we sent out to the company, and then proceeded to litter the shop with MMT/Leadtime Leader-themed magnets and t-shirts. Then last week they held a "banner raising" to hang up the 2017 Leadtime Leader sign we sent, creating a visible symbol of their win.
"Everyone is very proud of their achievement’s with building a 'new' foundation, but they also know that this is just the beginning. Continuous improvement is just that: continuous," Don told me.
Graphic Tool Corp.
Leadership:
Donald J. Smith, President/General Manager
Tim Bandurski, Plant Manager
Jerrie Delaney, Finance Manager
John Gallo, Planning and Scheduling Manager
Metrics:
• Annual sales: Less than $10 million
• No. of employees: 32
• Facility: 17,500 square feet
• Average on-time delivery: 85.19 percent, with 7.41 percent delivered early
• Lead time: four to six weeks on one- and two-cavity molds; six to 10 weeks on four- and eight-cavity molds; 10 to 14 weeks on 16- to 24-cavity molds; 12 to 16 weeks on 32- to 64-cavity molds; and 16 to 20 weeks on 64-cavity and larger molds
• No. of molds/year: Capable of building 25-35, depending on complexity
• Associations: American Mold Builders Association (AMBA),
Technology and Manufacturing Association (TMA)
End Markets:
Medication Packaging
Cosmetics/Beauty Packaging
Caps/Closures
Personal Care Dispensing
Capabilities, Products and Services:
Design and build state-of-the-art, high-cavitation, hot runner molds for parts with complex geometries and tight tolerances.
Value added services include in-house mold flow analysis and design for manufacturability and assembly (DFM).
Equipment (highlights):
CNC Mills:
DMG MORI DMC 75V-Linear five-axis machining center with 60-toolholder capability and FANUC R-2000 robot with multi-pallet system
Makino: V33iGr graphite machining center with Nikken CNC 202 fourth axis, SN64 graphite machining center. Both linked with toolholders, pallet systems and Erowa robots
Mazak: Nexus 530c VMC, Nexus 6800-II HMC, Nexus 4000-II HMC, VQC 30/50B VMC, QTN 30 turning center, QTN Smart 350 turning center with Mazatrol smart control
Hurco: (2) VM10 machining centers, (2) KM-3P VMCs
EDMs:
Makino: EDNC43S ram sinker HQSF with 100-position carousel and Erowa robot, (2) EDNC43S ram sinker HQSF, EDNC43 ram sinker, EDNC64 ram sinker
(2) FANUC 1IC, four-axis Robocut CNC wire
Current EdmDrill ST300 small-hole drill
Surface Grinding:
Okamoto: Grind-X ACC 24-40 CA1 and Grind-X ACC 20-40 DX 6 × 12-inch machines with Dedtru and Optidress
Chevalier 12 × 24-inch machines
Mitsui: 6 × 18 with Optidress, (7) Mitsui 6 × 12-inch hand-feed grinders
Gallmeyer and Livingston ID/OD grinder
Related Equipment:
Giddings and Lewis 3-inch horizontal boring mill
(2) Brown and Sharp Micro Excel coordinate measuring machine
Special Equipment:
Engel 300-ton injection molding machine with 10-ounce barrel
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