Custom Molds, Inc

Presented by:
Ghaith & Ghaith &
Inas
Contents:
 Introduction
 Problem
 Recommendations
 Conclusion
 Custom Molds Inc.
 Founded in 1987 in Tucson Arizona by father
and son- Tom & Mason Miller
 Tom Miller- Mech. Engineer w/20+ yrs exp @ Amp
Inc.
 Mason Miller- AZS U. Joint degree in chemical and
chemistry engineering.
 Manufacture custom made molds for;
 Plastic parts
 Plastic connectors for the Electronics Industry
High Quality & Custom Designed Molds
 Process Structure in Services
 1.) Customer Contact High
 2.) Customization High
 3.) Process Characteristics
 High levels of customization; test, pilot, large
scale production
 Flexible Flows in customer interaction with
development of products & highly customized
service
 Customer Involvement

 Advantages
 Better
quality, faster delivery, greater flexibility
and lower costs.
 Disadvantages
 Can be disruptive
 Stronger interpersonal Skills
 Quality Measurement becomes more difficult.
 Resource Flexibility

 Resources= Workforce + Equipment

 PlantMaster Scheduler
 Design Engineer/ Team
 Master Machinist (1 of 13)
 Somewhat flexible
 HighPrecision Machinery
not so flexible
 Reeling in the Years

 Reputation of Custom Molds begins to grow to

higher levels

 Led to expansion of limited manufacturer of

plastic parts.
 Ingredient mixing facilities and injection molding
equipment added resulting in the company becoming
a supplier by the mid 1990’s
 Continued

 2000- CM Inc. now involves 2 distinct production

processes
 Fabricating Molds
 Plastic Parts
 Both different but essentially linked
 Customer ordering both a fabricated mold and necessary
parts to go along with it.
 Both produced in a singe facility
Facility Layout
 Molds Processes

ORDER
ORDER DESIGN
MATERIAL &
RECEIVED REVIEW
TOOLING

TESTING & M & T RECEIVED

MOLD
INSPECTION FABRICATION
FABRICATION
SCHEDULED
PASS
FAILS

PACKING &
CLEAN & POLISH
SHPPING
 Parts Processes

PART & R. MATERIAL &

ORDER R. MATERIALS
MATERIAL PRODUTION
RECEIVED RECEIVED
REVIWED SCHEDULED

MOLD SECURED FROM SLURRY MATERIAL WET MATERIALS DRY

INVENTORY OR TRANSFERRED MIXED INTO MIXED &
FABRICATION TO HOLDING SLURRY BLENDED

INSPECTION
(ASSEMBLY
PARTS CUT AND TRIM NEEDED) NO PACKING &
MOLDED OPRERATION SHPPING
NO

ADDITONAL
ASSEMBLY
 The Changing Environment

MOLDS # OF ORDER PARTS # OF ORDER

ORDER 2006 2007 2008 ORDER 2006 2007 2008
SIZE SIZE
1 80 74 72 50 100 93 70

2 60 70 75 100 70 72 65

3 40 51 55 150 40 30 35

4 5 6 5 200 36 34 38

5 3 5 4 250 25 27 25

6 4 8 5 500 10 12 14

7 2 0 1 750 1 3 5

8 10 6 4 1000 2 2 8

9 11 8 5 3000 1 4 9

10 15 10 5 5000 1 3 8

TOTAL 230 238 231 TOTAL 286 280 277

Recommendations:
 Evaluate the market and decide, based on
the changes in the needs of the market,
whether to concentrate on parts OR
molds.
Recommendations:
 In mold fabrication:
 Focus on many, small-capacity, specialized
machines with more workers to oversee
settings.
Recommendations:
 In parts fabrication (injection, assembly,
cutting & trimming):
 Focus on few, large capacity specialized
machines with fewer workers, as there are
few settings-changes to oversee.
Recommendations:
 Testing area:
 Should be moved to a central location. This
will cause:
 More time-efficient movement of goods back and
forth.
 Increased, easier communication between testers
and office and manufacturing areas so that
problems that caused defects can be quickly
recognized and fixed.
Recommendations:
 Office:
 Placement of orders should be based on
ability to complete product requested in time
promised (Should be done through
communication with other departments).
Conclusion:
 This case study shows us that it is a
requirement to put in consideration the
needs of the market and the effect the
changes will have on finances while doing
such a business.
Questions