american

www.amba.org
the

mold builder
Volume 24 No. 1

speak out
a message from our president
Steve Rotman

IN THIS ISSUE:
Fall Conference Recap
W
e’re back from a very exciting, successful Fall Conference in Washington
DC. To all of you who took the time to make this worthwhile journey, I
would like to say Thank You! We appreciate your willingness to take time
out of your busy schedules to make our industry and business issues known
to our elected officials. Kudos to Melissa and the rest of the AMBA staff for all their hard
work and dedication to making the conference go smoothly as well as organized. The 58
congressional meetings were very impressive and required a lot of effort and dedication to
assemble. I am sure that we learned a lot of “dos” and “don’ts” for future D.C. meetings.
The biggest lesson to remember is that we have to keep ourselves in front of the politicians!

Business Forecast Results During the conference our southeast delegation waited in Senator Hagan’s office for ap-
proximately 20 minutes. While waiting we watched as three young internists answered the
constantly ringing phones. We could tell that the calls were from constituents asking the
AMBA News status of certain benefits controlled by the government, and then the questioning of either
the Senator’s help or stand for an upcoming vote. We have got to be that same incessant
voice that keeps the plight of small business, as well as manufacturing in the forefront as
the answer to the high unemployment figures that are plaguing any sort of economic re-
Chapter News covery. The opportunity to be heard is at the best level that I have seen in the past 10 years!!

Business Success Strategies
Shifting forward, it seems that mold orders are starting to trend upwards, and
that is a welcome relief to all of our membership. Our trend in this industry has al-
ways been very forward looking in the economy and this bit of news is a strong in-
dicator that there is a potential upswing coming. Not exactly sure how long
it will be there, but we must take the good and try to build on it, being wary
of the other issues that might be negatively affecting any sustained recovery.

Plans continue to firm up for the 2010 annual convention in Orlando, Florida. Me-
fall 2009

lissa and staff are again aggressively looking to bring value and content to the program
with subjects that will bring up interesting challenges, as well as discussion with fellow

(continued on Pg 8)

2010 AMBA Annual Convention

Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa
Orlando, Florida
March 21-25, 2010
 “Progressive has brought us
innovations that
“No slide should beimprove
held the
performance of ”our tools.”
by anything else.
Steve Rotman—
President, Ameritech Die & Mold, Inc., Mooresville, North Carolina
Etiam dui orci — Venenatis Tortor

just because molds

do the same thing over,
not just clean rooms,
and over, and over,
but dirty rooms, too!
doesn’t mean we have to.

advance tooling standards

Repetition and molds just make sense. It’s what they’re supposed to do.
But that doesn’t mean that approaches in mold design should be repeated
infinitely. Instead, Progressive innovations, along with progressive minded
mold designers, combine to evolve and improve production tooling:

• Improve mold performance with SRT Slide Retainers, Needle Bearing

Locks, Collapsible Cores, Roller Pullers and exclusive mold cooling items

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• Achieve total mold control with MoldTrax and ProFile software and
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Join those who are evolving their tooling practices of the past.
Questions? Call Tech Support at 1-800-269-6653 to discuss.

Visit www.procomps.com/demo
to see our components in action

2 AMBA
 October’s issue of Moldmaking Technology magazine
showed that for the first time in two years, their Mold The official publication of
Business Index has climbed back above the 50-line.
What this indicates is that the industry recession is American Mold Builders Association
ending and activity for moldmakers will gradually Leading the Future of U.S.
improve. I’ve been in this job for two years and am
excited to see what this means for our members and for the AMBA! Mold Manufacturing
So now that business is getting better, what are you going to do with
it? Are you prepared for the future of our industry? I urge all of you to
come to Orlando in March 2010 for our Annual Convention. Our theme
is “Mold the Future of Your Business”, and we have a phenomenal
lineup of speakers. Our speakers are going to discuss the state of our
industry, show you what to do to diversify your business into new
industries, keep you updated on tooling trends, and give you tips to 3601 Algonquin Rd, Suite 304 • Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
manage your business. You will not get this type of information in a phone: 847.222.9402 •fax: 847.222.9437
single event anywhere else. email: info@amba.org • website: www.amba.org

The value of this convention and its inevitable return on investment

Officers and Board of Directors
make this 2010’s can’t miss event! If you’ve never been to an AMBA
convention, make an appearance in Orlando. I guarantee you won’t be
disappointed! See everyone in Orlando! President
Steve Rotman, Ameritech Die & Mold, Inc.
Vice-President
Melissa Millhuff Mike Armbrust, Mako Mold Corporation
Executive Director Secretary
Shawn McGrew, Prodigy Mold & Tool
In this Issue: Treasurer
Fall Business Forecast Survey...............................................................................4 Kent Hanson, H.S. Die & Engineering, Inc.
AMBA 2009 Fall Conference Recap......................................................................7
Executive Director
2010 AMBA Convention Preview
Melissa Millhuff
Manufacturing a Better Future for America.........................................10
Future of the Workforce.........................................................................12
Association Legal Councel
The Flexibility Imperative......................................................................14 Richard N. Mueller & Associates
What Are Banks Looking for in Today’s Economy?..............................16
Progressive Partnerships........................................................................20 Board of Directors
Registration is Now Open for the AMBA Michael Armbrust, Mako Mold Corporation
2010 Annual Convention...................................................................21 Shawn McGrew, Prodigy Mold & Tool
Convention Registration Form.........................................................23 Kent Hanson, H.S. Die & Engineering, Inc.
10 Things Most People Do Not Know About Injection Mold Making..............24 Justin McPhee, Mold Craft
AMBA News.........................................................................................................25 Robert Earnhardt, Superior Tooling
Member News.....................................................................................................27 Todd Finley, Commercial Tool & Die
AMBA Welcomes New Members........................................................................29 Dan Glass, Strohwig Industries
Chapter News......................................................................................................29
Chapter Spotlight - Wisconsin Chapter.............................................................31
Scott Harris, Harris Precision Mold
West Michigan 2nd Annual Chapter Golf Outing...............................................32 Roger Klouda. M.S.I. Mold Builders
Minnesota 14th Annual Chapter Golf Outing..................................................33 Donna Pursell, Prestige Mold, Inc.
AMBA Partner Spotlight: Welcome New Partners!...........................................34 Scott Phipps, United Tool & Mold
Partner News.......................................................................................................34 Robert Vaughan, Dauntless Molds
News for Die Casters...........................................................................................35 Mike Walter, MET Plastics
Gibson Insurance
The WARN Act ......................................................................................37 AMBA Staff
Pandemic Preparedness . .......................................................................38 Melissa Millhuff, Executive Director
Good Housekeeping...............................................................................38 Sue Daniels, Member Services Coordinator
Putting Their Best Foot Forward: Shannon Merrill, National Chapter Coordinator
Keeping Worker’s Feet Safe on the Job.................................................39
Kim Cobb, Administrative Coordinator
Human Resources
Keeping Employees Happy - The American Mold Builder is published four times annually in spring,
While Tightening the Benefits Budget..................................................41 summer, fall and winter by the American Mold Builders Association.
Staffing Up - Staffing Right....................................................................41 Editor: Melissa Millhuff; Assistant Editor: Sue Daniels; Contributing
Protecting Personal Information...........................................................41 Author: Clare Goldsberry; Layout & Design: Controlled Color, Inc.
Managing Performance..........................................................................42 phone 630/295-9210; Publishing: Independant Print Services,
Business Success Strategies phone 847-397-1701; Copy deadline: 25 days preceeding publication
There Is Value in Struggle .................................................................42 date. Contact AMBA at 847/222-9402 or email info@amba.org for
In the Safe Zone: Parking Lot Safety.....................................................42 advertising information, article submission ideas, or a subscription.
How Business Credit Ratings Are Determined..................................43
Corporation’s Annual Meeting and Corporate Minutes ..................44 Opinions expressed in this publication may or may not reflect the views
AMBA Answers....................................................................................................44 of the Association, and do not necessarily represent official positions or
Classified Corner.................................................................................................45 policies of the Association or its members.
Tech Corner.........................................................................................................45
AMBA 3
Fall Business Forecast Survey Showing
Continued Improvement
The Fall 2009 Business Forecast of the AMBA shows continued
improvement, but companies overall are expressing guarded optimism
about any significant recovery to bring on large mold programs from
their customers. The quarterly survey revealed that current business
conditions have again improved over the past three months, with 7%
of the respondents saying that business is Excellent - up from 5% of
respondents in the Summer survey. That’s an increase of five percentage
points from the Spring survey.
Current business conditions are Good for 23% of the respondents
(unchanged from the Summer survey). Fair business conditions exist
for 38% of the respondents, up from 34% in the Summer survey,
and Poor for 27% (compared to 26% in the Summer survey). Bad
conditions exist for only 5% of the respondents, a huge improvement
from the 12% reporting in the Summer survey and 11% in the Spring
survey.
Projections for business over the next three months show a continued
lack of optimism of future mold programs among respondents with only
8% of the respondents expecting business to Increase Substantially,
although that is up from 5% in the Summer survey. However, 44%
of the respondents expect business to Increase Moderately, up
considerably from the 28% in the Summer survey. Only 25% expect
business to Remain the Same, compared to 51% in the Summer survey,
indicating an expectation of some movement. Respondents expecting
business to Decrease Moderately dropped slightly to 11% compared to
13% in the Summer survey. There were fewer respondents that expect
business to Decrease Substantially (2% in the Fall survey vs. 4% in the
Summer survey), offering some optimism.
When asked to compare their company’s current level of business with
that of three months ago, responses indicate some measure of stability:
Quoting activity is Up for 38% of the respondents, compared to 34% of
respondents in the previous survey; the Same for 42% compared to 37%
in the Summer survey; and Down for only 20%, compared to 29% in the
Summer survey. The uptick in quoting activity might indicate that some
company’s engineering staffs are using up their 2009 budgets prior to
putting in their 2010 budgets.
Shipments are Up for 29% of the respondents compared to 25% last
quarter, a slight upturn from the last survey, but still significant upward
movement from Spring’s 10%. Shipments stayed about the Same for
43% of respondents compared to 32% in the Summer survey; and Down
15 percentage points to 28% of the respondents compared to 43% of the
respondents in the Summer survey and 59% in Spring survey, indicating
continued positive activity.
Backlog is Up for 31% of the respondents, another nice jump from the
24% in the Summer survey and up significantly from 11% in the Spring
survey. Backlog remained the Same for 33% (up from the 24% in the
Summer survey); and Down for 38%, an improvement from the 52% in
the Summer survey, and a big improvement over the 66% in the Spring
2009 survey. These responses would indicate that a nice percentage of
the AMBA shops are busy and things are moving in the right direction
after a very gloomy Spring outlook.
Profits in the Summer survey are rising nicely, with 15% reporting an
increase in profits compared to11% in the Summer survey, and a healthy
4 AMBA
increase from 7% of the respondents to the Spring survey. Profits are the
Same for 47% of respondents, compared to 32% in the Summer survey
and 30% in the Spring survey, which is a positive signal. However,
profits are Down for 38% of the respondents, compared to 58% of
the respondents in the Summer survey and 63% in the Spring survey,
perhaps an indication that many moldmaker’s get-tough attitude with
customers as well as continued fallout of many Tier 2 suppliers, is
having a positive effect.
Employment is Up for 22% of the respondents compared to just 12%
of the Summer respondents, and 7% of the respondents to the Spring
survey. It the Same for 47% (up slightly from 41% in the Summer
survey); and Down for 31% of the respondents, compared to 47% of
respondents in the Summer survey, indicating continued hiring activity.
However, the current average number of shop employees remains at 21,
with the current average number of design and engineering employees
moving up by one to five. Work-week hours for shop employees are
up for the second consecutive quarter to an average of 43 hours for the
Fall survey; and for design and engineering employees the hours also
increased for the second consecutive quarter by one hour to an average
of 43 hours.
While the outlook is fairly positive for most respondents, answers to the
question for this quarter, “Have you been experiencing more pressure
for ‘low cost’ from your customers recently?” would indicate that
pricing pressures from customers continue. A total of 109 respondents
answered the question, with 80% saying Yes, they are experiencing
more pressure for “low cost” molds.
Comments to this question included, “Very hard to collect on invoices.”
And, “Pressure is not only from overseas but also from hungry domestic
shops,” said another, adding, “We have seen quotes as low as $40/hr
from other shops.”
“Everyone wants Chinese pricing, with North American quality and
delivery,” commented another respondent.
“Problem quoting against shops that take jobs at a loss,” a challenge
noted by more than one respondent. “Some competitors are getting very
aggressive in quoting jobs – even to the point where they are probably
taking a loss on the jobs,” said another respondent.
“While many AMBA member companies continue to struggle with
pricing and demands for lower costs, we are seeing a lot of positive
signs out there, as this survey reflects,” said Melissa Millhuff, Executive
Director of the AMBA. “We’re optimistic that 2010 will prove to be a
better year for the moldmaking industry, and especially for our member
companies.” o
Do you Want Company Exposure
in Industry Magazines?
Contact AMBA’s Marketing Consultant, Clare Goldsberry, and she
will write a FREE press release to help promote your company’s
services, products, equipment & special milestones to industry
magazines and local newspapers. Clare has a BA Degree
in Journalism, and is the senior editor of Modern Plastics
magazine. She also offers marketing assistance in developing
company marketing plans, brochures & customer lists. Contact
her at (602) 996-6499 or email clarewrite@aol.com
 AMBA Fall 2009 Business Forecast Survey Results

The AMBA Business Forecast Survey was developed to provide AMBA members with information
on the current business conditions and a projection of the upcoming months. The Fall 2009
Survey resulted a response rate of 44% from AMBA members. Business remains "Good"
for 23% of the respondents, and for 7% of the respondents it is "Excellent."

AMBA Members Current Business Projection of Business Over the Next 3

Conditions Months Increase
Substantially
23% 38% Excellent
44% Increase
Good Moderately

Fair Remain the

Same
Poor
Decrease
8% Moderately
7% 27% Bad 35%
5% 2% 11% Decrease
Substantially

Current Level of Business in Last 3 Months

50%

45%
Quoting
40%

35% Shipments
30%
Backlog
25%

20% Profits

15%
Employment
10%

5%

0%
Up Same Down

Current Work-Week Hours Current Number Plant Employees

50 50

40 40
Plant Employees
Work Hours

30 30

43 43 20
20
21 5
10 10

0 0

Average Shop Hours Average Design & Engineering Hours Average Shop Employees Average Design & Engineering Employees

Have you been experiencing more pressure for "low cost" from your customers recently?

20%

Yes
No

80%

AMBA 5
 AMBA 2009 Fall Conference
Washington, D.C.

6 AMBA
Another Successful AMBA Fall Conference
in Washington, D.C.
The American Mold Builders Association roared into Washington, D.C.
on September 13, on the heels of one of the biggest Tea Parties ever held
that took place on September 12. Many of the AMBA members arrived
a day early in order to attend the Tea Party along with an estimated
1.2 million others. The Fall Conference was a huge success, with 57
attendees meeting with 58 Senators and Representatives from the various
states and districts of members in attendance.
On Monday, September 14, Melissa Millhuff, AMBA’s Executive
Director, opened the morning session with enthusiasm. “It’s exciting to
be here to do something positive for our industry,” she said. “Talking to
congresspeople is what makes a difference for U.S. manufacturing, and
especially for our member companies.”
AMBA president Steve Rotman, (Ameritech Die & Mold Inc.) spoke to
the attendees and encouraged them to help keep the American Dream
alive of owning one’s own business so that future generations can
follow in the footsteps of his generation. “For those coming up behind
my generation, it’s becoming harder than ever for them to sustain that
American Dream, take the risks and become successful,” Rotman said.
“That’s why we’re here in Washington – to let our elected officials know
what’s happening to the American Dream, and why we need to keep the
entrepreneurial spirit alive: because it’s the life blood of this country.”
Special guest speakers Alan Tonelson of the U.S. Business and Industry
Council and Lloyd Wood of the American Manufacturing Trade Action
Coalition kicked off the conference with statistics and other information
to help AMBA members approach Congressional people with the issues.
Tonelson agreed with Rotman’s assessment. “The health of the U.S.
mold industry is an indicator of the health of U.S. manufacturing
overall,” he said. “You are all at ground zero of the efforts to strengthen
U.S. manufacturing.”
Tonelson noted in his report that the recession has hit manufacturing
especially hard. “Whereas the entire economy grew by 0.74% in
real terms in 2008, the non-bubble-ized manufacturing shrank by
2.74%,” Tonelson said. “Manufacturing’s output losses so far in this
recession (down 16.7%) already exceed even those of the 1973-1975
recession (15.32%) – formerly the worst U.S. downturn since the Great
Depression.”
AMBA vice president and incoming president, Mike Armbrust of
Mako Mold, commented in his remarks, “Unless we come here and tell
them the challenges we face in our businesses each day, they are so far
removed from the mainstream that they don’t understand the plight of
manufacturers in this country.”
Tonelson’s remarks supported Armbrust’s. “Congresspeople have no
idea how to create wealth, capital, productive industry, and yet it’s the
productive sector of the economy that must be revived if we are to
restore this country’s economy,” he said.
Tonelson pointed to some successes over the past year including getting
“Buy American” language for government procurement for the Stimulus
Act, “but this needs to be expanded upon,” he said. Also, Free Trade
agreements are “going nowhere – that’s good,” he stated. “There’s no
support in Congress for this.”
Additionally, stated Tonelson, “After years of being ‘out’, talk of U.S.
manufacturing in now ‘in’. Revitalizing U.S. manufacturing has gotten
their attention, and they are at least talking the talk, and now we have to
hold their feet to the fire and make them live up to what they’re saying.”
AMBA
However, Tonelson added, “There are still constant challenges that
confront us in spite of the fact that manufacturing is once again cool.
The national governing class doesn’t get it yet. Obama is getting it.”
Tonelson pointed to some struggles such as a China currency bill to get
to peg the Yuan to the dollar. “There’s no zeal for this,” he said. “With
respect to trade policy, I worry that they will game us forever. Trade-law
cases have their use, but most others have limited utility. We can’t win
fast enough [for it to help us].”
U.S. manufacturing is not unified enough to have an impact, Tonelson
said. Cap & Trade, which is essentially a tax on businesses in the House
Climate bill, doesn’t seem to have much support with Obama or the
Senate.
Lloyd Wood of the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition
said he agreed with everything Tonelson said. “Some things out there
are truly shocking,” he stated. “U.S. manufacturing never came out of
the 2000 recession and was only made worse a year ago. We produce
less today that we did 10 years ago, but demand has increased. That is
absolutely stunning.”
Wood also pointed to job losses in manufacturing. “Manufacturing
employment is at its lowest level since May 1941 – yet the population
has doubled and demand is up 10 times. Productivity gains don’t answer
the problem.”
Wood encouraged attendees to “Tell your Congressmen and women
that we must get people to invest in the U.S. to manufacture here. We
need a strategic plan to attract investments. That’s an enormous problem
- there’s just no game plan to attract investment. If the U.S. wants to
be rich, we all need to produce something – we can’t all be bankers or
waiters.”
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8 AMBA
Wood confirmed Tonelson’s statement about Congress not being in favor
of doing anything about the China currency issue. “A lot of people in
this administration aren’t in favor of this,” Wood said. “Congress won’t
actively do anything. Because of the massive amount of debt we can’t
subsidize industries like China subsidizes industries. How can we attract
productive investments? Perhaps a value added tax, because 90% of the
countries have a VAT. China has a 17% VAT. We don’t have Uncle Sam,
we have Uncle Suck.”
Tonelson added that the big problem with China is that “it’s tough to
pressure your banker.” Yet, he noted that “we’re still in the cat bird’s seat
with China’s leaders because they need our market. If unemployment
goes up in China, there’s trouble and we have leverage. However, the
less credit worthy we become and roll over, this leverage is going to
shrink. The Chinese are not the only holders of our foreign debt, and
others might decide to cut us off. I worry that at some point they no
longer have choices between good and bad outcomes, but between bad
and worse outcomes. The longer we proceed down this road, as bad as
it would be to cut us off, it would be worse for them to keep us on life-
support.”
Wood concurred. “The U.S. is the goose laying the golden eggs for
China,” he said. “The number one political issue for China is political
stability. A million jobs a year need to be created just to keep the
growing population employed. If their export markets dry up, their
economy is hurt far worse than if ours dries up.”
In the afternoon, all eight AMBA delegations headed off to Capital
Hill to begin a full schedule of meetings. Rotman said that his group
had a total of nine meetings representing the southeast. “We found
great discussions from both sides of the political spectrum, and felt
that we were able to articulate the concerns of plastics manufacturing,
moldmaking, small businesses, and the overall concern of how to get
the economy going again. Everyone is our group feels that the time they
invested was well worth it, and they hope to participate again.”
On Tuesday, the meeting schedule on Capital Hill began early in the
morning and continued through late afternoon.
“With all of the changes that have been made, or are being considered,
there has been no time like the present to get engaged and active,” said
Rotman. “Without public participation, our politicians are not sure what
we like and what we don’t like. This experience continues to bring out
how proud and blessed we are to have the freedoms we enjoy every day.
To see our government up close and personal is an experience I will
never forget.” o
Speak Out: A Message From Our President
(Continued from front cover)
shop owner/managers. The pricing has been kept low, and it will be one
of the most affordable annual conventions in years. The accessibility of
Orlando to all major airports will keep the travel costs at a minimum.
This convention can not be a success without your participation! The
interaction between the convention attendees as well as the different
thoughts and discussions with fellow mangers and shop owners create
a total package of value. Our association continues to be a leader in
retention and positive influence amongst the membership, and that is due
to everyone participating in the chapter level and national level events.
I’ve been privileged to have spoken with quite a few of the first-time
attendees during the last annual convention and Fall conference. Each of
those people expressed the great value they experienced, the networking
that they enjoyed, as well as their intentions to continue to pursue it. I
look forward to seeing YOU in Orlando, you will not want to miss it!
Fighting for the right/opportunity to manufacture in the United States of
America! o
 2010 AMBA Convention Preview

Mold The Future

of Your Business
Do you have the ability to mold
the future of your business?

Are you being blown around

by the economic storms?

Where will your business

be a year from now?

Where will your business be

five years from now?

If you can’t answer those questions,

then you need to join the
American Mold Builders Association
for the 2010 Annual AMBA Convention!

For more information, visit www.AMBA.org

AMBA or call 847-222-9402 9
 2010 AMBA Convention Preview
Manufacturing a Better Future
for America
By: Scott Paul, Executive Director, Alliance for American
Manufacturing and presenter at the upcoming 2010 AMBA Annual
Convention in Orlando, FL
We’ve been privileged at the Alliance for
American Manufacturing to visit with tens
of thousands of workers and hundreds of
manufacturers to see what’s happening
on the ground firsthand over the past two
years. As you can imagine, the news is
grim. That’s because for manufacturing,
this recession began about a decade
ago. But recently, this decline has been
turbocharged. It’s clear that bold solutions
are required to revitalize manufacturing,
which is why we have sought to collect the
wisdom of innovative thinkers around the Scott Paul
nation.
To that end, we published Manufacturing a Better Future for America.
With contributions from ten leading academics and experts, the
book takes a comprehensive look at some of the major issues facing
manufacturing today: international trade, an array of subsidies
offered by our global economic competitors, the consequences of the
offshoring of research and development, the shocking lack of support
for investment in advanced manufacturing, the appalling state of skills
and training programs, the challenges for domestic manufacturers in
globalized supply chains, and the consequences of deindustrialization
on society, communities, and our defense industrial base.
Even without reading this book, we all know that something has gone
terribly wrong with the U.S. economy. But chalking up the blame to a
few bad apples on Wall Street and their risky financial instruments, and
responding by simply providing appropriate regulation in the financial
services sector, will ultimately be unsatisfying. There are much deeper,
structural issues which must be urgently addressed. Otherwise, the
absurd positive feedback loop between consumer debt, subsidized
Chinese imports, American job loss and factory closures, the growing
U.S. current account deficit, and burgeoning Chinese currency reserves
reinvested in American debt, thus inflating new bubbles, will only be
reinforced.
Some of us warned that this day would come. We knew that an
economic strategy predicated on replacing wage growth with debt and
credit to maintain a certain standard of living was doomed to fail. We
knew that this nation could not replace manufacturing jobs and their
multiplier effect, as well as their positive impact on the trade balance
and wealth generation, with lower-wage service and retail jobs. We
knew that our national security would begin to suffer if we did not have
a vibrant enough manufacturing base to resupply our troops and provide
the armaments for the future. We knew that if our leaders viewed
international trade as a foreign policy tool and a path to cheap imports,
rather than as an essential element for economic growth and domestic
production, the consequences would be disastrous.
The warnings came not only from labor leaders, domestic
manufacturers, and an insightful group of elected officials—they came
also from very traditional economic quarters. Well before this new,
great recession began, Warren Buffet said “Our trade deficit has greatly
worsened, to the point that our country’s ‘net worth,’ so to speak, is
10
now being transferred abroad at an alarming rate. A perpetuation of
this transfer will lead to major trouble.” Martin Feldstein—former
Chairman of President Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisors—said,
“The present level of the current account deficit is enormous, it is
unprecedented and I believe it is unsustainable.”
The consequences have been dire. More than 50,000 manufacturing
facilities have shut their doors over the last decade. They weren’t
making buggy whips; they were manned by some of the most efficient
workers in the world. Now, we already have large and growing trade
deficits in sectors such as advanced technology and clean energy, even
though these supposedly represent “new economy” sectors and the jobs
of the future in the eyes of many.
The failure of our domestic and international trade policies to support
manufacturing must be quickly reversed. We urgently need a national
manufacturing strategy. The idea of a manufacturing strategy or
industrial policy is hardly a radical concept. Alexander Hamilton
constructed America’s first industrial policy in 1791. Setbacks during
the War of 1812 due to a lack of domestic capacity to build naval
vessels and military equipment cemented the determination of the
federal government to grow manufacturing, a policy that continued until
the end of World War II. Globalization and economic approaches such
as a strong dollar policy favoring domestic consumption have helped
to steadily erode manufacturing as a percentage of Gross Domestic
Product, private sector employment, and other key measures. If today’s
leaders spent more time focusing on Hamilton and less time on Adam
Smith and David Ricardo, I don’t think we’d be facing the prospects of
a jobless recovery.
The idea of a manufacturing strategy is also not a partisan one.
President Reagan—spurred on by a Democratic Congress—adopted a
flurry of measures to counter a grossly imbalanced trade relationship
with Europe and Japan in the 1980s. The Plaza Accords, which raised
the value of currencies in Japan and Europe relative to the dollar in
a managed way, had a positive effect in lowering our trade deficit.
Key government investments in the semiconductor industry and
other technologies spurred their development and commercialization.
President Reagan signed into law enhanced Buy America requirements
for certain infrastructure projects to boost domestic employment. His
Administration implemented the Market Oriented Sector Specific
– or MOSS talks – with Japan that focused on market access with
measurable results.
Apply those principles to the economic challenges of today, and
you have the foundation of a manufacturing strategy: raise the
value of China’s yuan to market-based levels, invest in value-added
manufacturing such as clean energy and industries with strategic
significance, and engage in serious bilateral talks with China to ensure
that it honors the commitments it made upon entry into the WTO in
2001 to eliminate its myriad mercantilist and protectionist policies.
Finally, keep Buy America requirements in place so that tax dollars
are re-invested in our economy and the employment benefits of
infrastructure spending accrue not only to the construction industry, but
also to our manufacturers.
But a successful manufacturing strategy must go deeper than that.
We must provide access to much-needed capital for small- and mid-
sized manufacturers to help capture new clean energy markets, both
here and abroad. At a time when access to capital is still very tight, a
public commitment like this is essential. Moreover, those who say the
market alone should dictate winners and losers forget three important
lessons. First, some of the greatest innovations since World War II—
AMBA
the semiconductor and the internet—were developed with public
assistance. Second, our policies already pick winners and losers, but
we tend to pick the wrong winners—those who profit through selling
cheap, subsidized imports, or those companies heavily invested in fossil
fuels. Let’s pick winners in more productive, sustainable, and wealth-
generating activities like domestic manufacturing instead. Third, other
nations are aggressively supporting emerging industries like clean
energy. Unless we want green manufacturing jobs created in Shanghai
instead of Cincinnati, or Dusseldorf instead of Denver, we must support
domestic development of these industries.
A key component of any manufacturing strategy must be public
investment, especially in infrastructure. The American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act made a down payment on infrastructure investment,
but our nation will still be hampered by what the American Society
of Civil Engineers estimates is a $2.2 trillion deficit in infrastructure
investment over the next five years. Improving our infrastructure
provides a greater return on investment for taxpayers than tax cuts
and virtually every other form of spending. In the process, it boosts
construction jobs, stimulates demand for manufactured goods, and
improves productivity and economic growth by making transportation
more efficient. According to a recent study by economists at the
University of Massachusetts at Amherst, ensuring that the materials
purchased with tax dollars for infrastructure projects are sourced
domestically creates 33% more manufacturing jobs.
The cost, supply and composition of energy resources consumed by
our manufacturers must also be considered, especially in the context of
federal and international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
It would be a grave mistake to put our energy intensive industries at a
AMBA
competitive disadvantage as an unintended consequence of seeking to
control greenhouse gas emissions. America can lead on climate change,
but only if we can also prevent job and carbon leakage which would
make our economic and environmental challenges even difficult.
We must also look at changes to the federal tax code to incentivize
domestic production, allow hard-hit manufacturers to make investments,
and explore a Value Added Tax structure to give our exports a boost.
Finally, our skills and training system has been decimated. We need to
invest in a seamless, four year program of high school vocational and
technical programs and community college-level technical training to
prepare young people for manufacturing careers.
Does anyone still believe it is a good thing to outsource not only our
manufacturing but also our debt financing to China? Revitalizing
manufacturing, reducing our trade imbalances and bringing down our
public debt are interconnected. We need a results-oriented trade and
manufacturing policy. Let’s put our ingenuity and innovation to work,
and let’s get government policy working for us. o
Why I Joined the AMBA:
“We joined AMBA because of the involvement with Congress
on issues such as free trade, and their meetings with the U.S.
International Trade Commission. We wanted to be part of the
more local and national involvement in the issues that affect our
industry.” 
Matt Metcalf, VP/Finance, Colonial Machine Co. , Kent, OH
11
 2010 AMBA Convention Preview
Future of the Workforce
By: Ryan Pohl, President, Expert Technical Training, and presenter
at the upcoming 2010 AMBA Annual Convention in Orlando, FL
As this article is being written headlines
are running across a variety of news
sources proclaiming the ‘end of the
recession’. Please forgive my cynicism but
it is clear these people are not looking at
the tooling industry to get their numbers.
Of course if the overall economy is doing
better that is a great thing for us, but the
numbers for our industry have remained
in a consistent downward trend since the
late 1990’s. Projected decline for the tool
and die industry in the U.S. according
to the Department of Labor Bureau of
Ryan Pohl
Labor Statistics (BLS) still shows an almost
10% industry reduction by 2016. This is obviously due to a number of
factors, foreign competition not being the least of them. Regardless, if
you’re in the tool and die industry in this country ‘business as usual’ is
business in decline, and it could be that way for a while yet.
Despite all this I look to the future with a great deal of optimism. I have
yet to find a single report, even one survey from OEM’s, government,
or anyone else that has proclaimed the tool and die industry in America
officially dead. In fact, a recent study done by the Harbour-Felax Group
out of Detroit indicates there could be substantial opportunity for select
companies to experience growth within the next five years, provided
they have done the right things for their businesses to lay a strong
foundation. In spite of the projection of an overall industry decline,
those that make the right moves now may even thrive.
It has been my pleasure and honor to get to know a number of
moldmaking companies that have responded appropriately to
the variety of challenges the current market has presented. Many
moldmaking companies have invested heavily in the latest CNC and
design technologies. They have also taken the time to implement Lean
initiatives; thus helping them eliminate waste, increase productivity
and ultimately reduce their lead-times by as much as 30% or more.
These efforts have served them well; not only are they still in business,
but they are even managing to turn a profit. The company that has
the foresight to invest when the time is right will be one of the select
companies poised to take advantage of opportunities for growth when
they arise.
There is, however, one investment that continues to be overlooked as
part of a growth strategy; the investment in employee training and
education. When the moldmaking industry was experiencing growth
it was easy to assume there would be a competent workforce available
because the industry was heavily supported by our education system. I
can tell you from experience, the money for public education programs
follows growth industries. It is simple; someone at the Department of
Education that knows very little about a specific industry looks at the
BLS projections and drives their fiscal plans based on those projections.
When an industry grows, they serve it. When it shrinks, they back away.
They give no thought to the long-term implications of the decision, or
the foundational importance of many of the industries they decide to
stop feeding.
So in the last 10-15 years as the moldmaking industry has been in
decline, public education has responded the way they historically do
12
– they have backed away from us. There have been other reasons for
backing away too. The technology has advanced over a short amount
of time and it has been very difficult for schools to keep up. The new
technology is extremely expensive, and requires a lot of specific
training for the instructors to know where to even begin teaching it.
These issues, coupled with a diminishing public perception of the
industry, have made it very easy for educational administrators to cut
moldmaking feeder programs whenever they get the chance – and they
are doing it at an alarming rate.
So here we are, on top of the countless other struggles tooling
companies are faced with, there is a dangerously low amount of people
entering our industry with the requisite skills to be successful. In 1998
the BLS rated the average age of tool and die workers at 47. The BLS
hasn’t updated that statistic since ‘98, but reports from a variety of
independent sources estimate an average age currently at anywhere
between 53-60 years old, depending on the region. If an industry is
doing a good job of talent management as a whole, the Department of
Labor indicates that the average age of the worker should be around 38.
This would mean there is a healthy entrance of workers as others exit.
Our great moldmaking industry simply does not have a healthy
replacement rate. Some projections estimate that over 35% of our
workforce will either change careers or retire within the next five years.
This means, even if the tool and die industry shrinks by 10% that still
leaves approximately 25,000 jobs available, simply due to attrition.
Considering the public perception of our industry, and the fact that
moldmaking related education programs are closing all over the nation,
it is an understatement to say we need to have a plan to deal with this.
We are talking about numbers that cannot only restrict growth, but may
affect long-term survival if left unaddressed.
As most in this industry are used to by now, nobody is going to bail us
out. We are going to have to handle this problem ourselves. There are
two things that I believe moldmaking companies should start working
on today to prepare for this challenge, if they have not started already.
First, start developing an internal training program that specifically
meets your needs. A good training program covers four primary bases:
1. Worker recruitment and hiring. You must have established criteria
for where you are going to find future workers and what attributes those
workers must have to start at your company.
2. Structured new employee training plans. You must know exactly
what your new employees are going to do when they arrive. The days of
“go work with Bob over there, he’ll show you the ropes” are long gone.
Training should be viewed as a controlled process just like anything
else in your shop. You do not want to spend six months with a new
employee before you find out s/he does not have what it takes.
3. Existing employee training. You need to make sure your existing
employees have the top-of-the-line skills they need to make your
company successful. A common mistake companies make is buying all
the latest and greatest technology but fail to invest in the people running
it. A million dollar high-speed mill will not make you any money if it is
run like an old duplicator. Your existing employees need to be trained to
use the technology. They will not learn by just being around it.
4. Continuous-education plans. To compete in manufacturing,
companies must continuously improve. This means the workers must
continuously learn. Put a plan in place that forces your employees
to learn something new regularly, this will keep their minds flexible
AMBA
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 2010 AMBA Convention Preview
and adaptable. Continuous education is like doing maintenance on
machines. If you fail to do it, you will not feel the effects until it is too
late.
The second thing I would like to recommend is that you get involved
with the AMBA immediately. Working together as an industry is
much more powerful than working as a single shop. The AMBA board
recently formed an education committee, call Melissa Millhuff, the
AMBA Executive Director and volunteer your help. I guarantee you
are doing things that can help others, and it is time we share our best
practices. We are in this together.
It is not too late to tackle this issue. The writing is on the wall for those
that choose to read it. The only real question remaining is what will
be done about it? With great challenge comes great opportunity, and
it is my hope that through working with the AMBA, we will all work
together to develop a resolution that is the model for other industries to
follow in America.
I am looking forward to expanding on this topic in Orlando at the 2010
AMBA annual convention. I hope to meet many of you there so we
can discuss your ideas for conquering this challenge. And please, go
to my blog and contribute your thoughts on how to restore the public’s
perception of the work we do: www.changetheperception.com
For more information, contact: Ryan Pohl, President, Expert Technical
Training at 616-785-5733 or by email at ryan.pohl@expert-technical.
com. Visit his website at www.expert-technical.com . o
The Flexibility Imperative
By: Laurie Harbour-Felax, President, Harbour Results, Inc. and
presenter at the upcoming 2010 AMBA Annual Convention in
Orlando, FL
The automotive industry is revisiting
how it makes decisions to determine if
design differences unseen by the customer
really matter to the marketplace. As
design complexity grows so do the cost
of achieving the same. Managing the
intersection of design and build decisions
is pivotal in achieving cost objectives
while delivering value to a challenging
marketplace. Moldbuilders live at this
intersection and are pivotal in the success
of the automotive industry.
Laurie Harbour-Felax
Complex products, diverse and global
markets, increased competitive brands, segments, and models have
made production and delivery flexibility an imperative in today’s
challenging vehicle marketplace. As the global economies struggle
to find their balance, with diminished sales in virtually every product
line targeted at specific markets, the need for dedicated high volume
manufacturing capabilities is quickly vanishing.
The automotive industry understands that it can no longer invest in
high-volume production capacity and large dealer inventories believing
that all that it makes will sell. It requires flexibility, where production
resources such as people, materials, equipment, tools, methods, and

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14 AMBA
information technology must demonstrate a high level of adaptability
required of matching supply to demand exactly. The cost of missing the
target in today’s marketplace is not just a local profit and loss debate,
but quickly escalates into an industry and global economics conundrum
with heads of state and industry leaders all struggling for solutions.
Flexibility definition
Flexibility is “the organizational ability to adapt to changes in the
marketplace with the goal of matching supply to demand exactly.”
Demand defined as the point of consumption, where the product is used
for its intended purpose by the customer. It requires that all entities
involved in the design, build, delivery and service of vehicles are to be
engaged.
In the flexibility value chain raw materials are procured and processed
by tiered suppliers which produce parts, refine materials, assemble
subsystems, and so on, eventually being assembled by vehicle OEMs,
for sale to dealers who in turn resell the vehicle to the intended end-
user, in this case the public consumer. This value chain has been built
over a century of emerging production, business, and societal practices
and continues to transform itself today.
Achieving flexibility
Bringing all value chain resources together to achieve flexibility
requires remarkable foresight and strength of leadership. The
Manufacturing Integration & Flexibility model guides a process that
begins with a clear understanding of market and customer requirements,
product designs that flex at customer decision points and commonize
where practical, adaptable manufacturing processes that match capacity
availability to demand, and ends with a synchronized supply chain.
Product & loyalty planning
OEM’s make choices as to what markets and customers they intend to
deliver their vehicles. Conversely markets and customers make choices
as well. The flexibility model requires a fundamental understanding of
market and customer permission; permission to sell specific products
and permission to sell to me specifically. The fragility of these choices
has been tested in the current economic and political climate.
When developing a product and loyalty plan consider the following.
Listen to the market with the intent to understand. Define customer
wants and needs using broad market information and subsequently
refining it into specifics. Detail customer requirements by translating
customer wants and needs into product characteristics. And manage
demand by accurately forecasting demand and using this information to
drive production, procurement, and logistics activities.
Design & product development
With design characteristics in hand, the flexibility challenge begins…
How can product designs meet customer expectations and at the same
time be built and delivered profitably without constraining production
and supply chain operations? The solution we believe lies in making the
right design decisions with the right resources.
Develop a Common Bill of Design which consists of the associated
product requirements, specifications, models, prints, and so on, as
well as the engineering practices to achieve the best possible design.
Define Common Platforms where practical. A common platform
is essentially the underbody in which a vehicle rides on and shares
common principle locating points (PLP) that enable the multiple vehicle
designs to shingle together in a uniform manner. Define and deploy a
Common Architecture that addresses the entirety of the vehicle design
and is inclusive of common platforms. Establish Common Global
AMBA
Components that integrate with common platforms and architectures.
Ensure that product development leads supplier selection. With
common architectures, platforms, components well defined, world class
“flexible” companies utilize their product development teams to lead the
supplier selection process.
Manufacturing engineering
The path to flexibility passes through manufacturing engineering,
but how it does so can make or break a company. Manufacturing
engineering practices must not diminish the value of the product, nor
should they add unnecessary production costs to the vehicle. Right
thinking must precede right doing; flexible manufacturing practices
must be driven by the “lean” paradigm supported by capable resources,
which produce and deliver products to match supply to demand exactly.
Apply lean manufacturing – very few would question that the tenets
of lean manufacturing built around the Toyota Production System
as the right paradigm. Inclusive of lean activities, organizations
should develop a Bill of Process as a practical realization of the lean
manufacturing strategy. Clearly define the Bill of Resources for each
process to achieve the desired capability and capacity. Inclusive to
the bill of resources is the Bill of Equipment whose primary goal is to
achieve common equipment, plant to plant. This must be an ongoing
and integrated effort.
Supply chain integration
Historically achieving flexibility meant outsourcing work or purchasing
parts, and requiring the source of supply to flex at a moment’s notice.
This hasn’t changed. Suppliers still need to flex at moment’s notice, but
they need significant help from the OEMs to do it in the most effective
and cost efficient manner. Several factors impact supply flexibility.
Earn supply loyalty – customers make choices, OEMs make choices,
and to be certain suppliers make choices. They can choose either to
closely align their capabilities to one or more customers, focusing on
delivering value throughout the design-delivery cycle, or simply adopt
a “capacity” for hire business model. Achieve business integration by
fully connecting business practices and enabling technology in terms of
Product Development, Manufacturing Engineering and production in
order to achieve flexibility vis-à-vis match supply to demand exactly.
Require early supplier involvement as a key to building supplier loyalty
and driving flexibility in production practices. Consider supplier
involvement 3- 4 years before the start of a new vehicle. Assign design
responsibility where it makes sense ensuring that suppliers work in
partnership with OEMs to achieve common platforms, architectures
and components. Define commercial relationship based on value, trust,
and fairness, while rewarding on the margins not price. Together create
value by continually improving “intangible” organizational capabilities
and “tangible” products.
Manufacturing integration & flexibility
At its core flexibility requires a clear understanding of market and
customer requirements, product designs that flex at customer decision
points and commonize where practical, adaptable manufacturing
processes that match capacity availability to demand, and a
synchronized supply chain. Consider these factors in making flexibility
a reality. Integrate the whole of the Flexibility Value Chain to ensure its
ability to effectively adapt to changes in the marketplace. Develop and
deploy flexibility analytics that drive the right decisions and behavior
throughout the value chain. Actively facilitate communication and
coordination with resources engaged at all points of consequence.
Leverage information technology at all points and intersections of
15
 2010 AMBA Convention Preview
collaborative communications. Apply the five rights to Flexibility What Are Banks Looking for in
Process activities by leveraging the right resources, right time, right
place, and right activities, in the right order. Integrate past, present Today’s Economy?
and future product and process designs when advancing flexibility By: Susan Raef
objectives and practices. Lastly and perhaps most importantly play
fair by understanding and applying the rules of value-based decision “The banking world works in cycles, just
making. like the economy,” said Patrick McNally,
partner in charge of corporate finance
Forward towards future flexibility consulting for Blackman Kallick in
Nothing is more inflexible than the past. As oft quoted by Sparky Chicago and presenter at the upcoming
Anderson, former Manager of the Detroit Tigers “I don’t live in the 2010 AMBA Annual Convention in
past, there is no future in it!” Achieving flexibility is a future oriented Orlando, FL. “For years, we were in a
proposition. True leaders understand how to respond to the ever- period of low interest rates and easy credit
changing needs of the market through measured and risk-based decision availability. But the world has changed.”
making that guide future investments and current practices.
On Wednesday, August 12, 2009 McNally
We believe that the automotive industry has a bright future; but not for and Michael Moran, principal/first vice
everyone and certainly not for the usual industry players. Both Honda president at American Chartered Bank, led Pat McNally
and Toyota having achieved unparalleled success against domestic an AMBA-sponsored webinar, “What Are
rivals using business and operational practices, repeatedly shared to the Banks Looking for in Today’s Economy?”
point of exasperation… don’t appear to be heeded by all. The domestic Here are some highlights from the online
model is broken not because it can’t design an appealing vehicle or seminar.
balance an assembly line. It is broken because it has not enjoined a
culture of value and loyalty, from its customers, its employees, and its “Collateral has become much more
supply base. important to bankers,” McNally
acknowledged. “The pendulum has swung
Flexibility requires not only integrated product, manufacturing, and quickly from good times to today’s tight
distribution processes that match supply exactly to demand, but credit market, and interest rates have
challenges leadership to build a culture or completely re-architect a nowhere to go but up.”
culture, where “we the producer” understand that our actions, impact
“we the consumer.” This unity in purpose is the societal balance that What has stayed the same in today’s
flexibility seeks. o economy? Michael Moran
“If you’re over-leveraged, it’s hard to get
MOLD AND DIE REPAIR financing—and it’s even harder now,” said McNally. “If you’re not
over-leveraged, banks still need to lend money to make money.
MICRO WELDER But banks need to lend people who will pay them back.”
Permanently Repairs Ferrous Metals with
A look at things from the banker’s perspective
Metallic Ribbon, Wire, Powder or Paste.
As the old saying goes, a banker is someone who will loan you an
P-20, H-13, 420SS, S-7, A-2, Nickel, M-2, etc.
umbrella on a sunny day and take it back as soon as it starts to rain. But
Parting Lines Corners / Edges if you need to borrow money, it’s important to understand the banker’s
Pin Holes Scratches / Dents side of the equation.
Design Changes D. C. Arcs
“Only a small percentage of a loan is the bank’s own money. The vast
Low Heat / No Shrink majority comes from depositors. Whether the borrower pays a loan back
Adjacent Surfaces Unaffected or not, the bank’s customers expect to get their money back.
Rotary Handpiece for
“If a bank makes one bad loan, they must make 19 good loans just to
Continuous Welds break even,” McNally adds.
Easy Operation - Portable
Minimal Finishing On Repairs Consider ‘patient’ sources of capital
McNally discussed several alternatives to bank financing. “There could
Fully Hardened Non-Arcing Welds be more patient sources of capital,” he explained, “but they expect a
higher rate of return and there could be hidden costs.”
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• Family or friends. “This could work well—or might place a strain
email: info@rocklinmanufacturingco.com MADE on the relationship,” said McNally.
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• Angel investors. “These investors may not expect to see a payback
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away forever.”

16 AMBA
 • Private equity. “Well-established companies can attract private
equity investors willing to wait five to seven years for a payback,”
said McNally, “but they also get equity in your business. These
investors might also want to exercise some control through board Hot Runner
seats or management.
Systems…
• Mezzanine financing. “This is a bit more like bank financing,
often with a three to five-year period,” said McNally. Mezzanine I Designed For Your Application
financing can be structured in many different ways. “For example,
monthly interest payments might be made at one rate while interest Direct-FloTM Gold Series Hot Runners
accrues at a higher rate. The additional accrued interest and I Opti-Flo® Technology
principal might be due as a balloon payment in three years. Cash I Unitized and Integrated Systems
flow demands can get heavy later in the life of the loan,” McNally
I Back-To-Back Valve Gate Systems
cautioned. “The loan might also convert to equity or options later
I 14 Gating Options
on.”
I Thermal, Valve and Multi Tip
• Factoring. “This option involving selling receivables to the Configurations
factors,” McNally explained. “But it’s very expensive—interest
rates are now in the teens.” Applications Expertise
I Automotive
• Purchase order financing. “This is one option to fund a project— I Closures / Packaging
but it’s very expensive,” McNally warned. I Medical Device
I Appliance
What are the options for bank financing?
I Technical
• Cash-flow lending—borrowing against the cash flow of the
business. “These loans are much harder to come by these days,” Control Technology
said McNally. I Temperature
I Valve Gate
• Asset-based lending. “The banker is looking at the cash flow of
the business, but also at the underlying collateral, such as accounts I Sequential
receivable and inventory or equipment” McNally explained.

Match the source of financing with its use

McNally stressed the need to choose financing according to your
company’s needs. “A start-up business is probably going to need patient
money,” he said. “Make sure the type of bank financing you choose
matches its use. Don’t allow yourself to get cash-strapped.

“The more you understand the kind of financing you need and what to
expect, the higher your chances of getting what you need,” McNally
advised.

“To increase your odds of getting financing, look at your business

through the banker’s eyes,” McNally added. “Banking committees
review loans regularly. It’s important to understand what they talk
about.”

What do bankers talk about in credit committee meetings?

Michael Moran explained that bankers focus on the five Cs of credit:

1. Character. “We want to know we’re dealing with people who have INCOE® Performance
...Right From The Start
...
integrity and are trustworthy,” Moran explained. “We gauge this
sometimes in subtle ways, like the way a business owner returns
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AMBA 17
 2010 AMBA Convention Preview
“Bankers want to look at your cash flow over the last one to two
years,” Moran explained. “We realize that projections are wrong
the minute you put them on paper—but we’re interested in the
assumptions that go behind them.”
3. Capital. “This is simply equity in the business,” said Moran. “The
bank wants to know you have money at risk. If a customer has
nothing to lose, they tend to take a lot more risk. The more capital
and less leverage you have, the more you can weather the storm.”
4. Collateral. “Banks have to be very conservative because of high
leverage and federally insured dollars,” Moran explained. “We
need two ways out of every loan. If cash flows are very strong, we
might be able to live with less collateral, or vice versa.”
5. Conditions. “By ‘conditions,’ we mean everything from the
general economic environment to the economy in your industry,”
said Moran.
What can you do to increase your chances of getting financing?
Moran offered several recommendations for improving your odds of
being approved for financing:
• Have solid financial statements. “Banks want to see that a
certified public accountant is reviewing your bank statements—or
even auditing your financial statements,” says Moran.
• Know your numbers. “If a banker asks you a question about your
financial statement, be ready with the answer,” Moran advised.
“Study your financial
19647_EDRO_AD 7/12/07statements.
3:42 PMHavePage
someone
1 play banker and
ask you questions.”
™ advised. “Telling them early can help build your credibility, and there
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Tel +49 (0) 7805 91579-0
email: royalloy@edro.com
www.edro.com
18
• Have well-thought-out plans and projections. “If your business
is changing—growing a segment, getting into a new product or
business line—do a short plan of how your business will change in
the next year or two,” Moran advised.
• Maintain capital/equity base/capital structure. “Build a cushion
by paying down the debt,” said Moran. “The bank will not finance
all your working capital growth. Retained earnings are very
important.”
• Have repayment sources. “These could include your accounts
receivable, cash flow and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation and amortization). Demonstrate that sources are there
to repay your loan,” Moran stressed.
• Have available collateral. “Collateral must be saleable,” said
Moran. “Be aware that equipment values have gone down
dramatically lately.”
• Stay well within covenants. “Banks use profitability and leverage
covenants,” Moran explained. “If you violate these covenants, the
bank may need to adjust your loan profile. Most loan covenant
violations are waived, with or without a fee.”
Communicate openly with your bank.
“It takes a long time to build trust, but only a short time to destroy
it,” said McNally. “If you think you’re going to be in a hard situation,
contact your bank up front and explain the situation and how you plan
to deal with it.”
What should you do if you’re experiencing financial problems?
“Communicate,” said McNally. “Good communication builds
partnership, understanding and credibility. At the first sign of a
problem—like losing a big customer—talk with your bank. Outline a
plan and discuss it with your banker.
“The bank is going to find out about the problem eventually,” McNally
might be something the bank can do at that point. If you wait, it might
be too late. Avoid an ‘us vs. them’ mentality. Banks want to work with
you if they can.
“Ask, ‘What can I do to improve the bank’s situation?’ You’re in
a partnership closer than ever before, especially if you’ve made a
personal guarantee,” said McNally. “And ask questions of the bank—
communication must be two-way. Find out what’s driving their
decision-making” Moran advised.
“If you turn your company around and begin making payments again,
take the pulse of banking relationship,” McNally advised. “Is there
lender fatigue? Are there bad memories? Is the relationship still
working? Even if you’re doing well, it might be time to start looking for
another bank.”
Want information on debt service coverage ratios?
In response to AMBA members’ questions, McNally and Moran have
prepared examples of debt service coverage ratios and an industry
financial ratio comparison for NAICS 333511—Industrial Mold
Manufacturing. To request a copy of this information, please email
McNally at pmcnally@blackmankallick.com or Moran at mmoran@
americanchartered.com. Questions? Call Patrick McNally at
312.980.2934 or Michael Moran at 312.492.1104 o
AMBA
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 2010 AMBA Convention Preview
Progressive Partnerships
By: Glenn Starkey, President of Progressive Components and panel
presenter at the upcoming 2010 AMBA Annual Convention in
Orlando, FL
Creative mold builders are emphasizing the
performance and service advantages that
they provide. Similarly, suppliers within
the industry are looking for ways to assist.
Too many / too similar
With continued input over the years from
the mold building community, mold design
software has advanced to enable a complex
tool to be designed in hours or days, rather
than weeks. Optimizing processes and
increasing machining speeds have slashed
mold building hours. The result is that we
Glenn Starkey
wanted: “Lean” – and we got it.
With global use of these mold design software tools and the global
use of optimized processes and machining techniques, there is now
a global overabundance of mold building capability. While there is a
range of differences in mold design ‘approaches’, and there is a varying
degree of accuracy and quality of the mold details themselves, one fact
stands out: The differences in the world’s tools from past decades have
narrowed as the world’s toolmakers now have similar technologies in
place.
With this glut of capacity, and narrowing differentiation of capabilities,
how can one better serve the injection molder and OEM? Faced with
pricing pressure, many mold builders emphasize reliable adherence to
delivery dates, while also stressing ‘quality’. But increasingly, mold
buyers aren’t differentiating quality, and instead are seeking an apples-
to-apples comparison of price and delivery, with a large number of
candidates to get bids from.
Communicating differences
Two differentiators that can still be harnessed are the tool’s production
performance along with the servicing of the tool. Together these factors
lower the tool’s lifetime ownership cost and maximize the return on the
tooling investment.
Challenging OEM customers to not simply procure “the same old same
mold”, and doing the math with them, isn’t easy. Some mold buyers
aren’t technical, and often the savings that could result, even if it is
exponentially positive, might not benefit the mold buyer’s budget. There
is often little interest level towards any bold new approaches.
Some new approaches have been developed by mold component
suppliers for improving a mold’s production performance, while other
suppliers have developed products for mold servicing. Both collaborate
with mold builders in order to communicate the savings with their
prospective customers.
Increased production performance
For decades, companies have specialized in unique technologies that
give mold builders a particular advantage over traditional approaches.
Some suppliers to mold builders for products such as collapsible cores,
unscrewing core systems, alternative mold cooling approaches, and
stack mold systems have partnered with mold builders to co-call on
the OEM. Through this collaboration, the mold cost is not the primary
focus, and instead the mold’s productivity is. One can ‘do the math’
20
with the OEM, and make a case that will be different than others
quoting the program.
Recently, a mold shop owner partnered with a supplier to assist in a
sales presentation to his customer. Facts were gathered on the approach
that was being quoted, and an alternative approach was formed.
Side-by-side, a 16-cavity unscrewing tool estimated at $170,000 was
compared with a 16-cavity collapsible core tool estimated at $175,000.
It showed that the cycle time was reduced on the collapsible core mold
by eliminating the time required to actuate gears and gaining the ability
to eject a “warmer” part through easier release from the undercut
compared to unscrewing molds.
Ease of maintenance then had a dollar figure associated with it, as well
as the savings of running in a smaller press. Annual savings could be
estimated at $32,000, and over the life of the tool an expected savings
arrived at over $150,000 – a compelling argument for how the mold
builder’s competitors were quoting the tool.
How often is a mold builder responding to a quote with an ROI analysis
showing savings over competing bids?
Selling a mold’s productivity performance is a clear differentiator from
others.
Service advantage
All mold builders service what they sell, and typically they are
addressing major repairs. Sometimes these are at a premium due to
clear abuse in the field. Other times, the root cause is debatable and
the molder often absorbs the costs due to this ‘gray area’ with their
customer.
There are now mold maintenance systems and software, as well as
training and services, available that are intended to eliminate ambiguity
and disputes over mold repair costs.
A mold builder teamed up with a mold maintenance expert to conduct
a maintenance capability assessment of his customer’s repair room.
Taking dozens of factors into account, a ‘1-5’ rating was arrived at for
seven key performance indicators and presented in a clear and concise
snapshot. An overall negative rating, such as below ‘three’, and lack of
clear documentation of diligent maintenance, can help a ‘verdict’ to be
delivered by an impartial source.
The molder can further develop its maintenance capability through on-
site training and exclusive certification of its maintenance technicians.
Rather than waiting for a dispute, a mold builder can proactively
recommend an assessment, and be the one to introduce the topic of a
mold warranty.
How often is a mold builder receptive to the topic of mold warranties?
The hesitancy towards this discussion is not due to a lack of confidence
in one’s mold. Rather, it is based on a lack of certainty towards the
conditions the mold will encounter.
Rather than warranties being of value for litigating any “gotchas”, what
is really being attempted is some advancement in eliminating the mold’s
downtime and expenses. Liability isn’t the priority, productivity is.
With that in mind, the mold builder can work together with the customer
while armed with systematic processes and training to arrive at the best
AMBA
possible maintenance practices and the most appropriate maintenance AMBA featured convention topics and speakers are:
plan for the tool.
AMBA Status Report
Mold builders looking to utilize ‘service’ as a differentiator can access The American Mold Builders Association
companies for software installation and training, assessment of their has worked hard over the past year to
repair system capability, and certification of their repair technicians. A provide top-notch benefits and services
mold builder with a favorable MCA rating has a selling point towards such as webinars and lead lists, among
winning prospective customers for whom ‘servicing what we sell’ is a other unique benefits. Don’t miss this
high priority. informative report on your organization
as we seek to help guide the future
Home court advantage of mold manufacturing in the USA.
Melissa will provide an insightful look
Throughout the world there is a common supply of mold steels,
at the AMBA organization and its recent
components, and hot runner systems to tool builders who are utilizing
accomplishments.
the same software and machine tools. This has made it difficult to
Melissa Millhuff
differentiate the mold itself from others.

It’s less easy for a faraway mold builder to match the factors that work
together closest to home. Pre-build consultation and performance Mold the Future of Your Business
optimization is difficult from a distance, while conscientious servicing AMBA’s President and mold
manufacturing company owner Steve
of the tool from a long distance is impossible.
Rotman will discuss the importance of
molding the future of your business and
When one thinks about what one is really providing for the customer what you can expect to gain from attending
– an optimally performing aspect of the OEM’s product development this years convention.
process – then tool performance and the servicing of it emerges as a  
differentiating advantage.

Glenn Starkey is president and co-owner of the Progressive

Components group of companies, which includes ToolingDocs LLC,
Roehr Tool Corporation and AST Technology GmbH. Email Glenn at
Glenn.Starkey@procomps.com, or call him at 800-269-6653. o
Registration is Now Open for the AMBA
2010 Annual Convention
Steve Rotman
Manufacturing a Better Future for America
Richard McCormack and Scott Paul, our Keynote Speakers, will
take pages from their newest book; “Manufacturing a Better Future
for America ,” and present attendees with a look at what American
manufacturers need to do to create a better future for ours and future
generations.

“MOLD THE FUTURE OF YOUR BUSINESS” 

March 21-25, 2010
Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa , Orlando, FL Richard McCormick Scott Paul

Do you have the ability to mold the future of your business?

Richard McCormick, is the editor and publisher of Manufacturing &
Or are you being blown around by the economic storms?
Technology News, a publication he created in 1994.
Where will your business be a year from now?
Where will your business be five years from now?
Scott Paul is the founding Executive Director of the Alliance for
American Manufacturing. Their combined expertise and knowledge will
If you can’t answer those questions, then you need to join the American
bring a new perspective on how we can help ensure the success of the
Mold Builders Association for the 2010 Annual Convention and learn
moldmaking industry and manufacturing in America.
how to “Mold the Future of Your Business”! 

AMBA 21
 2010 AMBA Convention Preview
The Future of the Mold Industry
Are you concerned about the industries you currently serve? Looking
for new business in new markets? Don’t miss these panelists as they
provide analysis and commentary on these markets to help you decide
in what direction your company needs to move.
This expert panel will provide unique insights into these three major
markets that mold manufacturers serve:  Training Coordinator at Commercial Tool
Jack Shedd Laurie Harbour Jerry Siedelman
Appliance Market: Jack Shedd, Vice President Marketing & Sales,
Hoffer Plastics Inc.
Automotive Market: Laurie Harbour-Felax, President of Harbour
Results Inc.
Medical Device Market: Jerry Seidelman, Sales & Marketing
Manager, Tech Mold Inc. 
Strategically Planning Your Future
Patrick F. McNally, a partner of Blackman
Kallick’s Corporate Financing Group, has
provided the AMBA members with much
valuable advice over the years.
His insights into financial issues, business
valuations, and what to do when your
customer files bankruptcy have proven
helpful to many of our members.
McNally’s presentation will give you the
answers to all those questions you’ve Pat McNally
wanted to ask – answers that will provide
you strategic direction to help you formulate your future.
Building a Sales Team for Your
Companies Future
After years of working with mold
manufacturers and seeing a need for
better structure in their sales efforts, Scott
Smith, Managing Partner of SalesPro Inc.,
realized that many mold manufacturing
companies lacked an understanding of
what it takes to develop a sales team that is
truly effective.
Based on Scott’s many years as a
successful sales person, his presentation
Scott Smith
will provide tips on how to develop long-
term goals in sales organizations, how
to accept rejection and overcome objections, and teach people to be
22
“relationship” sales people to make the sales team more effective and
the company more profitable.
Preparing Your Employees for
the Future
Ryan Pohl’s Expert Technical Training
practice evolved from his work as the
and Die in Comstock Park, MI . 
“We must start laying the groundwork
for building the next generation of skilled
workers,” Pohl states. “A renewal of pride
in workmanship, updated training content
and methods, as well as careful planning
can secure our futures as leaders in the Ryan Pohl
industry.”
Ryan’s presentation will raise awareness in our industry of the coming
skilled-labor shortage and how it has the potential to dramatically
hinder future sustainability and growth
Building Strategic Relationships with Suppliers
Todd Schuett of Creative Evolution, Scott
Fernandez of Vega Tool, Rob Esling of
Industeel, Glenn Starkey of Progressive
Components, all suppliers to the mold
manufacturing industry, can help you
secure your future in many ways.
The days of the supplier and the
moldmaker being on opposite sides of the
fence are over.
Learn how you can work with your supplier to promote the value of
your business to your customers, how your suppliers can help you
provide more value to your customers, and how together we can all
come out winners!
At the 2010 AMBA Annual Convention you will:
* Network with Peers and Suppliers
* Get new ideas
* Learn new business strategies
* Find the information, and the people you need to “Mold the Future of
Your Business!”
You can’t afford to miss this opportunity to learn about best business
practices, new mold manufacturing technology that is coming to your
future, and hear solutions to finding skilled employees, implementing
training programs, and how to keep your business growing and thriving! 
 
Join us in Orlando in 2010 to “Mold the Future of Your Business”!
For more information go to www.amba.org/event_calendar. o
Why I Joined the AMBA:
“I joined because AMBA is the largest and best lobby group
fighting for us!”
Doug Northup, CEO, A&O Mold and Eng., Vicksburg, MI 
AMBA
 AMBA 2010 Orlando Convention
Registration Form
ter by
Regis and enter Member ________________________________________________________________
2010
12/11/ grade
e Up
Non-Member ____________________________________________________________
a Suit awing! Spouse/Guest ___________________________________________________________
Dr Children (names & ages) ___________________________________________________
Company name __________________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________________________
I would prefer:
City ______________________________________ State __________ Zip ___________
King Bed
Business Phone __________________________________________________________
Two Beds (queen)
Hotel will do its best to honor your Email ___________________________________________________________________
request. All rooms are non-smoking.
Convention March 21-25 No. of People Total
Is this your first AMBA Member $1899 x __________ ___________
Convention? Non-Member $2399 x __________ ___________
Yes No Spouse/Guest $399 x __________ ___________
Child 12-18 $355 x __________ ___________
Child 3-11 $255 x __________ ___________
Men’s T-Shirt Size:
Medium Large
Optional: Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa Extra Nights
X-Large XX-Large (Choose from March 18,19,20 or March 25,26,27)
_______________________________ $235 x __________ ___________
Woman’s T-Shirt Size: Dates No. of Nights
Small Medium
Large X-Large
Monday, March 22 -
The Art of Dipping Strawberries $30 x __________ ___________
Children’s T-Shirt Size:
Disney By Design Tour $99 x ___________ ___________
(Check all that apply) (must be 16 years old)
2 4 6 8
Tuesday, March 23 –
10 12 14 16 Spirit of Aloha Luau Adult $69.99 x ___________ __________
Child (3-9) $39.99 x ___________ __________
Please: One registration form per
room, copy if you need additional
forms. Reservation will not be TOTAL ___________
accepted without deposit payment.
Deposit of $1200 per room by December 31, 2009
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations Check enclosed (Please make check payable to AMBA)
must be made in writing. For
cancellations made after December
31, 2009 a minimum two-night Credit Card # _________________________________________________________________
penalty will result along with other Visa or MasterCard ONLY Expiration Date 3-digit Security Code
convention penalties. The
convention package is non- Name on Card ____________________________________________________________________
refundable as of February 1, 2010.
Billing Address ___________________________________________________________________
American Mold Builders
Association Billing Phone ___________________________________________________________________
3601 Algonquin Road, Ste. 304
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 Signature ___________________________________________________________________
Phone 847-222-9402
Fax 847-222-9437
Balance due to AMBA by January 31, 2010.

AMBA 23
10 Things Most People Do Not Know About
Injection Moldmaking
By: Randy Hough
Over the course of the last 30 years I have
only met a handful of people outside the
manufacturing community who know
anything at all about plastic injection
moldmaking. I still find this surprising;
why should something as essential to
our modern way of life be so unknown?
Some comments I have heard when I tell
people that I’m an injection moldmaker are
downright comical!
Randy Hough
Here are 10 things that most people just
don’t know about this interesting and essential trade.
1. A typical injection mold might take well over 1,000 hours to
manufacture. This always draws a frown, how could it take so
long? Many jobs run well over 2,000 hours. All this for a cell
phone or medical device that is just taken for granted!
2. A mold might cost anywhere from $20,000 to $500,00! It’s a
wonder things don’t cost more than they do! It also helps to
explain why the wages do not really reflect the skill level of
the worker.
3. The individual components of the mold all fit together
extremely accurately: typically all the pieces are within a
tolerance of .0002 in/.005 mm. This doesn’t mean much, until
it is put into perspective. Just imagine taking a cigarette paper
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24
and splitting it along the thickness. Now split it again and you
have a thickness of .0002 in. That is small!
4. A moldmaker must have a very wide range of skill and
experience. Trigonometry, geometry, metallurgy, computer
skills, hydraulics, electronics, hand working skills, and an
almost endless amount of machining skills. It literally takes
years to acquire the knowledge to master the many facets of
injection moldmaking.
5. Many moldmakers have completed two years of technical
school, after high school. This is just to get hired as an
apprentice. The normal apprenticeship lasts at least three more
years. This is a rather intense learning period, after which he
is becomes a journeyman. This means he is supposed to know
most everything, but really, it is just enough to get into a lot of
trouble! It takes a lot of concentrated effort to truly master the
skills required.
6. Some of the smartest people you will ever meet work
as moldmakers. Some of these guys do things like build
airplanes in their spare time. The nature of the trade is to be
inventive, so, if they ever have any spare time, you can be
sure that most guys are busy making electrical generators
powered by the sun or a river, building race car engines, or
building a timber-frame house by hand.
7. The typical moldmaker works a 10 hour day, and often five
hours on Saturday. Despite the fact that a Chinese tradesman
will do approximately the same thing for about $2 per hour,
there is still a huge amount of work in certain markets, such
as medical.
8. Injection moldmaking is incredibly global. It is normal to
use tools and components from the U.S., Europe, and Japan.
It is truly remarkable that you can use a machine made in
Switzerland, use tooling made in Sweden, cutters made in
Japan or Korea, steel made in the U.S., and it all works, very
well.
9. Moldmaking has never been successfully unionized. This
is highly unlikely in the future either. Most moldmakers are
highly independent and not the least bit interested in a union.
This is a good thing for the consumer, otherwise things made
of plastic would be much more expensive!
10. Moldmakers are the types of people that would stop to help
you, if you had a flat tire on the highway. Not only that, but
if you had no jack, they would give you their own! Next
time you use something made of plastic, thank an injection
moldmaker! o
AMBA Fall Conference Testimonial:
The Fall Conference in Washington, D.C. was a great move in
empowering the members that the competitor might not be
overseas, but in Washington trade policies, and we need a
strong and compelling voice. We need to learn how to
play politics.
Sean Shafer, Makino
AMBA
 AMBA News
Annual Convention Registration
Now Open!
March 21-25, 2010, Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa, Orlando, FL
Register now and learn how to “Mold the Future of Your Business”!
Visit the AMBA event calendar online at www.amba.org/event_calendar
for more information.
Nominate the 2010 Mold
Builder of the Year!
Nominations are now being accepted! The AMBA
Mold Builder of the Year Award was instituted to
recognize outstanding contributions made by an
AMBA member. The recipient of this prestigious
award will be an outstanding business leader,
dedicated to the industry, and an active member of
the AMBA.
If you believe, and you are very proud that you have built a good solid
business: a company that is doing positive things in the industry...we
encourage you to nominate yourself! Do you work hard toward business
growth? Try to find new ways to be competitive? That’s what it takes to
be the Mold Builder of the Year! Tell us about it and why you believe
you deserve to be the award winner.
Previous Mold Builder of the Year Award recipients are:
• 2009 Bill Mach, Mach Mold
• 2008 Pete Manship, Mold Craft
• 2007 Jim Florian, QME, Inc. - Quality Mold & Engineering
• 2006 Roger Klouda, M.S.I.Mold Builders
• 2005 Bill Kushmaul, Tech Mold
• 2004 Donna Pursell, Prestige Mold
• 2003 Olav Bradley, PM Mold Company
The 2010 AMBA Mold Builder of the Year Award recipient will be
announced during the Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida, March
21-25, 2010 at the Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa. Announcement
of the award recipient will be made to local newspapers, national
industry publications, AMBA’s publication, and posted on the AMBA
website. This years award recipient will also choose the industry-
related educational program or students(s) that will receive a $5,000
Progressive Components scholarship grant.
Contact the AMBA National office at 847-222-9402 or sdaniels@amba.
org for more information on the Mold Builder of the Year Award.
AMBA
Dates To Remember
AMBA EVENTS
AMBA Annual Convention
March 21-25, 2010, Orlando, FL.
Save these dates!  Registration now open!
INDUSTRY EVENTS
Automotive Plastic Part Design
November 16 - 18 - Dearborn, MI
This three-days in-depth automotive seminar will provide
information on material selection, design procedures, processing
techniques, and the assembly methods required when designing
with plastics in the automotive field.
EuroMold
December 2 – 5, 2009 in Frankfurt, Germany
The 16th EuroMold is the world-wide leading trade fair for
Moldmaking and Tooling, Design and Application Development. 
As the international meeting point of the industrial sector, it
presents products and services, technology and impulses for
tomorrow’s market
PLASTEC West  2010
February 9-11, 2010 - Anaheim, CA
Plastics News Executive Forum 2010
March 7 - 10 - Tampa, FL
Plastics News is pleased to announce its renowned Executive
Forum conference will return to the Saddlebrook Resort next
March 7-10, 2010. The event, previously held at the resort in
March 2008, combines 2-1/2 days of conference sessions led by
industry experts with prime networking opportunities including
evening receptions, breakfasts, lunches and more.
PLASTEC South 2010
April 28 - 29, 2010 - Charlotte, NC
PLASTEC East 2010
June 8-10 - New York, NY
The largest advances in primary processing machinery, computer-
aided design and manufacturing, production machinery, contract
services, materials, molds and mold components, automation
technology, materials handling/logistics, enterprise IT...and much
more.
PLASTEC Midwest 2010
September 28-30 - Rosemont, IL
SOURCE the latest technologies and ideas in primary processing
machinery, computer-aided design and manufacturing, production
machinery, contract services, materials, molds and mold
components, automation technology, materials handling/logistics,
enterprise IT…and much more. o
25
 • (2) New series of slides
• A total of (18) new sizes
• In stock ready to ship
• CAD files are available on our website
• Call for more information

OMNI Mold Systems customers have been asking for more size options for our Versa-Slides®.
We have listened and are now stocking two new series (45 series) and (55 series).
• The (45 Series) will fill the gap between the 40 and 50 series slides with a 4.375”
slide face width.
• The (55 Series) will fill the gap between the 50 and 60 series slides with a 7.125”
slide face width.
That’s 18 new sizes in all! No more need to custom build those in between sizes.
Proudly made
in the USA
OMNI MOLD SYSTEMS™
Toll Free Ph 888-666-4755 www.omnimold.com
Toll Free Fax 888-816-2850 sales@omnimold.com
26 AMBA
Nominate the 2010 AMBA Chapter
of the Year!
The AMBA Chapter of the Year Award was
established to recognize those chapters that
have made outstanding contributions to the
moldmaking industry.
AMBA chapters may nominate themselves or be
nominated by individuals outside the chapter. The
award recipients will be the chapter as a whole.
If you believe that a particular AMBA chapter is
doing positive things in the industry...we encourage you to nominate
them! Does the chapter work toward implementing or maintaining
apprenticeship programs? Or does your chapter work to promote
moldmaking in your state and nationally? Those are some of the things
that we’re looking for from the Chapter of the Year! Tell us about it and
why you believe your chapter deserves to be the award winner.
The 2009 AMBA Chapter of the Year Award will be presented during
the Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida, March 21-25, 2010 at the
Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa.
Announcement of the winning chapter will be made to local
newspapers, national industry publications, AMBA’s publication,
and posted on the AMBA website. A representative from the winning
chapter is highly encouraged to attend the convention.
The Chapter of the Year award winner will not only be presented with
the prestigious Chapter of the Year Award, but the winning chapter will
also choose the industry-related educational program or students(s) that
will receive a $5,000 Progressive Components scholarship grant.
Contact the AMBA National office at 847-222-9402 or sdaniels@amba.
org for more information on the Chapter of the Year Award.
Nominations are Now Being Accepted for
AMBA National Board of Directors
If you are interested in serving on the national board or wish to
nominate another person, please contact the
AMBA national office for a nomination form
and return it to Melissa Millhuff, executive
director, by FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2009.
Board members serve for a three-year term.
Nominations received after this date
will not be accepted. All nomination
applications received by the deadline will be submitted to the respective
local chapter board for review. In the case of non-chapter members,
nomination applications will be submitted to the chairperson of the
Nominating Committee for review. Any nominee to be considered for
the national board must receive chapter board approval, or in the case of
non-chapter members, approval by the Nominating Committee.
The Nominating Committee will also have the responsibility of
preparing the slate of directors and presenting it to the general
membership via fax or email for a ballot vote not less than 21 days prior
to the date of the annual meeting.
The newly elected national board of directors will be announced during
the annual business meeting to be held at the Buena Vista Hotel & Spa,
Orlando, FL on Wednesday, March 24, 2010. Full convention dates are
March 21-25, 2010. o
AMBA
Member News
Commercial Tool & Die, Inc., (Comstock Park, MI )
Commercial Tool & Die, Inc. of Comstock Park, Michigan has
achieved AS9100:2004 Rev B registration as certified by Perry Johnson
Registrars, Inc. of Southfield, Michigan. 
The AS9100 standard was established by the International Aerospace
Quality Group (IAQG) for the purpose of achieving significant industry
improvements in quality and safety, and reductions in cost throughout
the value stream. This standard includes ISO9001:2000 requirements
and specifies additional requirements which help the organization focus
on the rigorous expectations and requirements of the aerospace industry.
Commercial Tool designs and builds medium to large plastic
injection molds for the Automotive, Furniture, and Appliance
industries. Aerospace registration means Commercial Tool can also
perform aerospace-related manufacturing.
The scope of Commercial Tool’s AS9100:2004 Rev. B registration
includes the… (Manufacture and Repair of Tooling, Machined
Components, Plastic Injection Molds, and Plastic Injection Molding for
Aerospace, Aviation, and Defense Markets. )
Craftsman Tool & Mold (Aurora, IL)
On September 22, 2009 representatives from AMBA member company
Craftsman Tool & Mold (Aurora, IL) attended a manufacturing
roundtable organized by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. It was
held at Aurora Metals Division in Montgomery, IL. 
There were eight manufacturing companies in attendance, in addition
to Mark Denzler who is in charge of government affairs for the IMA,
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27
 Illinois State Representative for the 83rd District, Linda Chapa Lavia,
and Illinois State Senator for the 42nd District Linda Holmes. The goal
of the roundtable was a chance for local manufacturers’ to voice their
issues and concerns to their representatives. 
 
All manufacturers present had experienced a downturn in business over
the past year. Some the issues discussed were: 
• What is being done about Illinois being one of the only no-
fault states for Workman’s Compensation? 
• Where can we find trained employees? 
• What is being done to keep manufacturing alive? 
• In general, what is the benefit of owning a business in
Illinois? 
 
Both State Representative LaVia and State Senator Holmes seemed
to understand the plight of manufacturing in today’s market, but also
expressed the frustration of politics. Mark Denzler indicated that State
Senator Holmes has really been a champion for manufacturing and for
business owners. He also indicated that real change in Illinois politics
will not occur without a strong governor. They asked him who we
should vote for in 2010. He indicated that Kirk Dillard would be his
choice for Illinois Governor!

Electroform Company (Rockford, IL)

A manufacturer of high-end injection molds and molding cells, has
added another press to its R&D facility, bringing the total to eight and
ranging in clamp size from 30-300 tons. The new press, an Arburg
Allrounder 520A, is a 165-ton all-electric equipped with an Arburg
MultiLift robot and an integrated Electroform inmold label-loading
station. Arburg and Electroform displayed a similar cell in Chicago
in June during the NPE2009 tradeshow, where toy cars were molded,
inmold-assembled, and inmold-labeled.
The new machine is the second Arburg that Electroform owns; the
first was for a turnkey two-shot project. “Many of our customers have
Arburg machines and Electroform has become a technical resource
for complete manufacturing assistance including molding, tooling and
automation,” said Wade Clark, president of Electroform. “It benefits
us to have Arburg equipment to provide that level of expertise as a
manufacturing cell integrator.”

Clark adds, “Our offerings go way beyond making molds for our
customers. We help customers become knowledgeable about new
manufacturing processes, machinery technology and auxiliary
equipment so they can optimize their manufacturing and reduce costs,”
he said. “Having the molding equipment in the R&D facility, and our
ongoing development of future tooling technology, allows us to show
customers what new  manufacturing methods are available to them, how
they operate, and answer their questions with respect to optimizing their
process.”

Mach Mold, (Benton Harbor, MI)

Mach Mold has announced that it has been approved for Tool and
Die Recovery Zone status. The highly-talented and respected
shop specializes in the build of custom molds such as thermoplastic
injection, compression and extrusion blow molds. o

Show Your Patriotism and Support U.S. Manufacturing.

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28 AMBA

_Engraving.indd 1 10/23/08 1:33:02 PM

AMBA Welcomes New Members
We want to welcome the following new members the AMBA:
Cape Fear Mold & Tool, (Wilmington, NC)
Robert Rockwell founded Cape Fear Mold & Tool in March 1996,
after moving to Wilmington from northwest Massachusetts in search of
warmer weather near the ocean. The company specializes in small to
medium-sized multi-cavity, hot runner molds for the medical and fire
arm markets and employs 10 people. In addition to moldmaking (70%),
Cape Fear Mold & Tool provides some molding services including
sampling of all the molds the company makes, and short production
runs. Bob’s affiliation with Carolina’s chapter president, Scott Phipps
got him interested in the AMBA, and he’ss looking forward to being
active in the AMBA Carolina’s chapter.
Select Tool & Die Inc., (Baroda, MI)
Select Tool & Die is a small tool shop specializing in the building of
new tooling, and repair and maintenance of existing die cast dies and
plastic molds for the automotive, electronic and furniture industries. The
company also does prototype tooling for the automotive industry. Select
Tool was founded in 1995, and currently has eight employees, operating
in a 7,500 square foot facility. Michael J. Conrad is the President and
owner of Select Tool.
Eifel Mold & Engineering, (Fraser, MI)
Eifel Mold & Engineering began life as Eifel Pattern & Model, founded
1973 by Josef Hecker, a master pattern and model maker. Eifel is
named after a mountainous region in Germany. In the late 1980s, as
the industry changed and the need for patterns diminished, Josef’s
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son, Richard, joined the company. Richard holds a BS in Mechanical
Engineering from Michigan Tech, and had worked for a period of time
at General Motors as an engineer. During the 1990s, Richard turned the
company toward CAD design and making injection molds. Today, Eifel
offers product development, mold design, prototype molds, production
molds and fixtures for the medical, automotive and aerospace industries.
The company is ISO 9001-2000 certified and is working toward AS
9100 certification. Eifel Mold has nine employees and operates in
10,000 square feet.
Welcome Back!! Industrial Perfection Mold & Machine, formerly
Industrial Molds, in Twinsburg, OH. o
Chapter News
California
The chapter met for a general meeting on August 20th. Speaker, Bud
Guitrau of Makino did a presentation titled, “The Care and Feeding of
EDM’s”. There were 17 people in attendance.
The California chapter board held a lunch meeting on October 1st to
discuss the next general membership chapter meeting.
The chapter met on November 10th for a general membership meeting.
AMBA Executive Director Melissa Millhuff was in attendance at the
meeting. Speaker Clare Goldsberry, discussed “U.S. Manufacturing
Survival: Outsourcing to China Losing its Luster.”
Carolinas
Members of the Carolinas chapter met in conjunction with the South-
Tec 2009 show on October 7. There were 13 people in attendance. The
29
 speakers at the meeting were chapter members that had attended the
recent Fall Conference in Washington, D.C. They reviewed the events
of the meeting with members that were not able to attend.

Chicago
The chapter is welcoming its new chapter
coordinator Karen Norville. Her duties
will include, coordinating board meetings
and general membership meetings for the
chapter, creating a chapter newsletter and
more. Karen Norville has worked for the
past eight years as a program coordinator
for an after-school enrichment program
which she developed with parents and
teachers. She also organizes student tours
for schools. In her many volunteer roles,
Karen has planned large- and small-scale Karen Norville
events, published newsletters, developed
new programs, and written several grants with successful outcomes.
Karen feels all of these skills and experiences will greatly benefit her as
the new Chicago Chapter Coordinator. Karen resides in Homer Glen, IL
with her husband and two sons. She looks forward to getting to know
the members of the AMBA Chicago Chapter.

The chapter also met on October 7 with a cocktail hour sponsored by

AMBA Partner Vega Tool Corporation. The chapter heard a presentation
called, “Marketing Tactics for Mold Builders”, by Kent Gladish,
Marketing Director of the TMA. There were 43 people in attendance – a
great turnout! Attendees of the recent Fall Conference in Washington,
D.C. discussed with the group what meetings they had with their
Congresspersons and what their stance was on manufacturing.

The next meeting will be scheduled in late November/early December.

A round table of mold buyers will be held, discussing what they look
for when choosing a mold builder. More information will be sent when
available.

30 AMBA
Florida
Florida AMBA members met on November 12 for a general meeting,
and to discuss finalizing details for forming a Florida chapter. The group
heard a presentation called, “Design Flexibility and Increased Profits
Using Collapsible Cores and Expandable Cavities”, by Al Hikock of
Progressive Components. AMBA Executive Director Melissa Millhuff
was also in attendance.
Minnesota
The Minnesota chapter held their annual fund raiser Golf Outing at the
Oak Glen Golf Course on July 23rd. See more detail and photos of this
event on the Minnesota Golf Outing page. UltraPolishing AMBA Ad 2009.pdf
10/6/09
The Minnesota chapter board of directors held a meeting on October
15th to discuss the next general meeting.
Pennsylvania
AMBA’s newest official chapter will meet on December 1st. Members
will hear a presentation by Evan Howell, Regional Manager at Makino,
discussing “True Five-Axis Machining for Die & Mold Applications”.
AMBA Executive Director, Melissa Millhuff, will attend.
West Michigan
The chapter hosted their 2nd Annual Golf Outing on September 18. The
chapter raised $6,000 towards our AMBA scholarship fund. As always
the money will be given in scholarships to the children of employees in
West Michigan chapter shops. See more detail and photos of this event
on the “West Michigan 2nd Annual Chapter Golf Outing” page.
The chapter also met on November 10th with guest speaker, Ryan Pohl,
of Expert Technical Training. He spoke on “Workforce Development
in Trying Economic Times”. Ryan Pohl will also be presenting at the
upcoming 2010 AMBA Annual convention.
Speakers discussed the impact of the financial crisis and offer
strategies to help identify and seize opportunities in this changed
economic environment. It was an all-day meeting, running from
9am - 4pm.
Additionally, the Wisconsin Chapter of the AMBA has joined the
Wisconsin Precision Metalworking Council that also consists of
the NTMA and the TDMA. “Between these groups we have about
five people that get involved each month to discuss issues pertinent
to the metal-working business,” said Glass. “We try to team up
with other groups with like interests and by consolidating our
efforts and
collaborating
3:02:05 PM on issues; we hope to be more effective
in Wisconsin.” o
Why I Joined the AMBA:
“One of the big benefits of being an AMBA member is networking
with other shops. For a couple of years, we were really busy and
we were able to sub-contract work to other AMBA member shops
that had machine time. Now, we’re on the other end. We have
machine time on some of our equipment and AMBA member shops
in the area are sub-contracting work to us. I’ve learned some new
machining processes and new technologies from networking with
other shops. This is an opportunity I wouldn’t have had without my
membership in the AMBA.”
Ed Siciliano, President, Circle Mold and Machine Co. Inc.,
Tallmadge, Ohio, and president of the AMBA Ohio Chapter.

Wisconsin
The chapter met on October 13th for a general membership meeting.
Eleven people were in attendance. The group heard a presentation
called, “Design Flexibility and Increased Profits Using Collapsible
Cores and Expandable Cavities”, by Al Hikock of Progressive
Components. o
C

Chapter Spotlight - Wisconsin Chapter

M

Y
The Wisconsin Chapter President, Dan
Glass of Strohwig Industries (Richfield,
CM

WI) says that while attendance at

MY

the Chapter meetings has been down

CY

lately, they always plan educational

CMY

and informative events. The meeting

on October 13 featured Alan Hickok
K

of Progressive components, discussing

alternatives to traditional tooling such as
unscrewing molds or slides, and looking at
collapsible cores and expandable cavities.
Dan Glass
To help boost attendance at their respective
meetings, the Wisconsin Chapter has been collaborating with the
NTMA. A joint meeting was scheduled for November 10 at the
Waukesha County Technical College, Navigating the New Landscape.

AMBA 31
 West Michigan 2nd Annual Chapter Golf Outing
By: Andy Baker, Byrne Tool & Die, West Michigan Chapter
The second annual West Michigan AMBA Golf Outing took place on
September 18, 2009. It turned out to be a beautiful day with a cool
start and plenty of sunshine, much nicer then the soggy weather we
experienced last year. Attending the outing were a record 88 golfers
representing 10 member companies and 20 different vendors!
We were truly amazed at how this community came together for a
good cause. Even in Michigan’s challenging economic climate our
members and vendors came out to support our AMBA scholarship
32
fund and ultimately the employees of our member shops. We feel
truly blessed that we raised $6,000 towards our AMBA scholarship
fund. As always the money will be given in scholarships to the
children of employees in West Michigan chapter shops.
We would like to personally thank everyone who helped make this a
great event. When you come across one of our sponsors or golfers,
we ask that you do the same. Without the support of our vendors and
members, this outing would not have been such a great success.
Thank You!
AMBA
 Minnesota 14th Annual Chapter Golf Outing
By: Justin McPhee, Mold Craft, Minnesota Chapter
The AMBA Twin Cities chapter in Minnesota had another
successful annual golf outing. All Twin City chapter shops
and suppliers were invited to attend the July 23rd, 2009, 14th
Annual, four-person, Best Ball Scramble at Oak Glen Golf
Club in Stillwater, MN.
Each year the local shops come together for an afternoon of
golf, raffles, door prizes and a wonderful meal at the end of
the day. There was a turnout of 76 players from nine shops
and 14 suppliers. The local chapter would like to thank all
the shops that participated including: Mo-Tech, Mold Craft,
Isometric Tool and Design, Metro Mold and Design, Dynamic
Engineering, Tooling Science, Twin City Tool, Mold-Tech &
Imperial Tool.
The golf outing is the #1 event for the Minnesota chapter
AMBA
to raise money for educational scholarships. This was a
successful year as we were able to raise enough money for
the (four) $1000 scholarships that are donated each year
to applicants who are pursuing careers in the moldmaking
industry. We would also like to thank the suppliers and
sponsors that helped make this possible by graciously donating
generous prizes for the raffle.
Metal Treaters, EDM Sales, A. Finkl, Stone Machinery,
Progressive Components, Schmoltz & Bickenbach, Bohler
Uddeholm, Midland Tech, Productivity, Machine Tool Supply,
Precision Punch & Plastics, Capitol Machine Solutions, DMG
American, Open Mind Software & EDM Tech Center.
The AMBA Twin Cities Chapter would also like to thank Tom
Nielsen and his staff at Mo-Tech Corporation for donating
their time and resources to organize this event and helping to
make this another successful year.
33
AMBA Partner Spotlight – (+/-.0002”) at deeply discounted prices.  OCB is also ISO9001:2000
certified and offers our volume UPS shipping rates to all. Visit them on
Welcome New Partners! the web at : www.ohiocarbonblank.com

The AMBA Partner Program is rolling along full speed, and this quarter
we’d like to introduce you to these new partners and encourage you to
get to know them:
JMF Precision Welding
Dacula, GA
Micro laser and micro TIG welding for the molding and plastics
industries. Visit them on the web at www.jmfmicroweld.com
Mold Surface Technologies
Rockford, MI
MST is a full service mold texturing facility. Specializing in new mold
texturing, refurbishing textures, repair of mold surfaces, benching,
polishing, engraving, and full glossing. For more information contact
them by phone at 616-863-2100, or on the web at
www.moldsurfacetech.com.  Makino
Ohio Carbon Blank, Inc.
Willoughby, OH
Ohio Carbon Blank Inc. (OCB) is celebrating 30 years as a full service
graphite products manufacturer specializing in the production of
precision blanks for electrical discharge machining (EDM) applications.  “I think it’s amazing they put on the event in the first place, given
We offer rectangular, round, hexagonal and special CNC milled shapes
in several material grades including copper impregnated graphite.  Corey Greenwald, an attendee of the Expo and owner of Hard Milling
Graphite taps, metallics, including multi-channel tubes, tungsten-
copper rods, EDM wire and diamond coated cutting tools are also
offered.  OCB’s standard is same day shipment on most orders.  An
online graphite store now offers over 500 standard size precision blanks
SalesPro, Inc.
Farmington, NY
SalesPro, Inc. was founded in August 2009 to provide sales tutelage
and strategies to American mold builders. By utilizing state of the
art technologies and machinery, moldmakers have been creating
masterpieces for years. Unfortunately, sales have never had the same
focus for some smaller companies. SalesPro, Inc. was formed to help
bridge the gap between shop and sales during these very challenging
times. Ten hours a week can yield high rewards for those whom
dedicate themselves to the program. Visit them on the web at www.
salespro-inc.com. o
Partner News
Makino’s 2009 Advanced Manufacturing and High-Precision
Technology Expo held at the Auburn Hills, Michigan Tech Center
provided industry leading advice and innovative machining solutions
from Makino and other prominent companies.
how bad the economy has been to the die and mold industry,” said
Solutions of Michigan. “I think it shows Makino’s commitment to
the industry--bringing in top-notch speakers to help us understand
the economic situation we’re in and where it’s going, putting over 20
machines under power to show off new technologies, and presenting on

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Hot Edge Gate,
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34alba-ad-oct2008.indd 1 AMBA
10/7/08 9:27:27 AM
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C M Y CM MY CY CMY K

topics like micromachining and automation to help us succeed and be

more efficient.”

Several hundred shops attended the event, and a number of select

manufacturers also exhibited products at the Expo.

Mold-Masters Ltd.
Mold-Masters Ltd. (Georgetown, ON) announced the acquisition of
PMS Systems Ltd. (Hereford, UK). The combined businesses will
become one of the world’s largest hot runner controller manufacturing
companies, and the global leader in hot runner control technology, said
Mold-Masters in its announcement.

“Mold-Masters and PMS have worked together for many years in

the development and supply of the highest-quality and -performance
microprocessor-based temperature controllers,” said Jonathon
Fischer, president and CEO of Mold-Masters. “This seamless working
relationship has enabled our two companies to take the next natural
step and become a single company. We believe strongly in the strengths
of PMS and together we will create additional value for our growing
customer base.”   

Bruce Catoen, Mold-Masters’ VP of marketing and product

development, told PlasticsToday earlier that the acquisition has great
potential for customers. “We know the PMS control technology very
well. It’s excellent and a great complement to Mold-Masters’ hot
runner products. Extending its reach through our global distribution and
support network is both a logical move for us, and a definite benefit to
customers.” o

News for Die Casters

Composite

NADCA Board Approves Discounted Membership Rates for

2010
The NADCA Board of Governors, at its October 2 meeting,
unanimously approved a 25% reduction in the original Corporate
dues rate for 2010, and individual dues will be decreased to $75
for 2010. This reduction in dues follows the pattern of 2009,
for which the Board had approved dues reductions up to 50%.
The purpose of this dues reduction is to help retain membership
during the economic challenges facing the industry.

Also at this meeting, future Board terms and positions were

decided. Chairman Mike Stroh resigned his position in
September due to business reasons, and Leonard Cordaro took
over as acting chairman through the end of 2009. Cordaro was
also elected as the chairman for 2010. Vice chairman for 2010
will be Bob Dathe and secretary/treasurer will be Eric Treiber.

Also, the 2010-2012 slate of Corporate Board members was

approved: re-elected for a second term – Hal Gerber, Doug
Harmon and Eric Treiber; selected for first term – John Littler,
Rick Rogel and Doug Taylor. Chapter Board member nominees
that were approved are as follows: re-elected for a second term
– Bob Worthy and Mel Koenig; selected for a first term – Larry
Larsen and Tom Troxclair.

AMBA 35
36 AMBA
Seeking Candidates for 2010 Award Nominations
Once again, the North American Die Casting Association
will recognize individuals and companies for their significant
contributions to NADCA and the die casting industry. A broad
range of these prestigious awards will be presented at the
International Reception and Awards Ceremony during CastExpo
‘10 in Orlando, FL.
Nominations for the awards are welcome from die casting
industry professionals. They will be forwarded to the NADCA
Awards Committee for consideration. A special nomination
submission form appears below.  Those wishing to mail/fax can
download the award nomination form. For 2010, the Committee
will present the following awards:
Austin T. Lillegren Award: Presented to members in
recognition of loyal and extraordinary service, this award was
established in 1960 in memory of Austin T. Lillegren, whose
devotion and leadership exemplified unselfish service.
Doehler Award: Presented for outstanding contribution to
the advancement of the die casting industry or to the art of die
casting as represented by:
• Technical Achievement
• Advancement in Plant Operations
• Other Activities
Edward A. Kruszynski Supplier Excellence Award:
Recognizes a supplier to the die casting industry that has
demonstrated a long-standing record of NADCA membership,
participation in and furthering of NADCA’s education efforts,
longevity as an exhibitor at the Cast Expo and advertiser
in Die Casting Engineer magazine and participation in
NADCA committees and boards. Originally introduced as the
Achievement Award in 1960, it was renamed the Edward A.
Kruszynski Achievement Award in 1987, and given its new
designation as a Supplier Excellence Award in 1991.
Gullo and Treiber Award: Presented for marketing or sales
activity expanding the knowledge of die casting. Established in
1969 by Chicago White Metal Casting Inc.
Nyselius Award: Presented for the contribution to the industry
of a significant technical accomplishment or device. Established
in 1965. o
The WARN Act
During these challenging economic times, it’s important to
remember the exposures to liability for Employment Practices that an
employer can inadvertently escalate under the pressures of the day.
If it is essential to reduce your workforce, be aware of and abide by
regulations that apply to that difficult decision. The Worker Adjustment
AMBA
and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) became effective on February
4, 1989.
WARN offers protection to workers, their families and communities by
requiring employers to provide notice 60 days in advance of covered
plant closings and covered mass layoffs. This notice must be provided
to either affected workers or their representatives (e.g., a labor union);
to the State dislocated worker unit; and to the appropriate unit of local
government. In general, employers are covered by WARN if they have
100 or more employees, not counting employees who have worked
less than six months in the last 12 months and not counting employees
who work an average of less than 20 hours a week. Private, for-profit
employers and private, nonprofit employers are covered, as are public
and quasi-public entities which operate in a commercial context and are
separately organized from the regular government. Employees entitled
to notice under WARN include hourly and salaried workers, as well as
managerial and supervisory employees.
What triggers notice
Plant closing: A covered employer must give notice if an employment
site will be shut down, and the shutdown will result in an employment
loss for 50 or more employees during any 30-day period.
Mass layoff: A covered employer must give notice if there is to be a
mass layoff which will result in an employment loss at the employment
site during any 30-day period for 500 or more employees, or for 50-
499 employees if they make up at least 33% of the employer’s active
workforce.
Notification period
With three exceptions, notice must be timed to reach the required
parties at least 60 days before a closing or layoff. All notices must be in
writing. Any reasonable method of delivery designed to ensure receipt
60 days before a closing or layoff is acceptable. The exceptions to 60-
day notice are:
1. Faltering company. This exception covers situations where a
company has sought new capital or business in order to stay
open and where giving notice would ruin the opportunity to get
the new capital or business, and applies only to plant closings;
2. Unforeseeable business circumstances. This exception applies to
closings and layoffs that are caused by business circumstances
that were not reasonably foreseeable at the time notice would
otherwise have been required; and
3. Natural disaster. This applies where a closing or layoff is the
direct result of a natural disaster, such as a flood, earthquake,
drought or storm.
Penalties
An employer who violates the WARN provisions by ordering a plant
closing or mass layoff without providing appropriate notice is liable to
each aggrieved employee for an amount including back pay and benefits
for the period of violation, up to 60 days. An employer who fails to
provide notice as required to a unit of local government is subject to a
civil penalty not to exceed $500 for each day of violation. Enforcement
of WARN requirements is through the United States district courts.
Workers, representatives of employees and units of local government
may bring individual or class action suits. In any suit, the court may
allow the prevailing party a reasonable attorney’s fee as part of the
costs.
Information
Specific requirements of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining
Notification Act may be found in the Act itself, Public Law 100-379
37
(29 U.S.C. 210l, et seq.) The Department of Labor published final
regulations on April 20, 1989 in the Federal Register (Vol. 54, No. 75).
The regulations appear at 20 CFR Part 639.
General questions on the regulations may be addressed to:
U.S. Department of Labor
Employment and Training Administration
Office of Work-Based Learning
(202) 219-5577 o
Pandemic Preparedness
As H1N1 flu cases in Europe and areas outside North America
mounted, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the global threat
level to six, proclaiming the world’s first flu pandemic in 41 years.
Although many health officials say that the further spread of the virus
is inevitable, it’s not at all clear how much threat it poses. While we’ve
seemed to dodge a bullet, the threat remains very real. Now is the time
to be vigilant, to prepare for the very real possibility that a stronger
strain will reemerge in a few months. Even if it doesn’t, there will be
something, sometime, for which your efforts to be prepared now will
pay off later.
Businesses will need the following:
• A crisis management plan that includes tailored elements for
pandemic, including policies for business travel, locating staff,
social-distancing, medical screening, and an extensive awareness
and communications plan and process.
• An alternative workforce or work-at-home policy and plan in the
event that a large portion of the workforce is or may be impacted
by pandemic.  Some of the benefits of good housekeeping are:
• A strategy for taking special precautions to assess the health of the
workforce and potentially turn back infected workers who report
for work.
• A process for dealing with emotional impacts of such events as
death on the individual’s family members and on the workforce in
general.
• A process for orderly shut down or reduced service delivery based
on reductions of customer demand, labor force, raw material
supply, or energy resources. 
• Continuity procedures for core functions that must be kept running.
• A process for working collaboratively with suppliers to maintain
critical flows of supplies, business services, and products.
Evaluate your firm’s risk management controls, human resource, and
other pandemic policies, as well as update crisis management plans and
crisis communications capabilities based on the threat of a pandemic.
Additionally, there are preventive and preparatory actions that can and
should be taken now, including:  hazards before starting work. A great practice is to clean as you go, and
• Prioritize business activities.
• Review and understand any potential impacts to your supply
chains.
• Review company travel, hygiene, medical screening, anti-viral
medications, and healthcare support policies.
• Provide anti-bacterial sanitizer and other materials.
38
• Identify possible social-distancing and other means to minimize
exposure and spread of illness within the workplace.
• Review methods for providing ongoing information about both
the pandemic threat and the status of the business to employees at
work and at home.
• Make sure the plans allow for staff to work at home where possible
and appropriate.
• Consider any vital processes that must be maintained at a central
location in a pandemic, such as call centers, health services, and
services vital to the vulnerable.
• Review the structure necessary to manage the crisis effectively.
This includes how to implement multiple business continuity
plans, cope with significant increases in the number of employees
working from home and substantial changes to the marketplace
and the supply chain.
Make sure crisis management and business continuity management
plans include pandemic scenarios and exercise the plans where possible.
Taken from the Summer 2009 Insurance Update newsletter from Gibson
Insurance. o
Good Housekeeping
Do you recognize the importance of good housekeeping practices?
Understanding the role of developing and maintaining good
housekeeping habits will help your organization identify and eliminate
potential safety hazards before they have a significant impact on your
bottom line.  
• Eliminates accidents and fire hazards
• Maintains safe, healthy work conditions
• Saves time, money, materials, space and effort
• Improves productivity and quality
• Boosts morale
• Reflects a well run organization
Some of the costs of poor housekeeping are:
• Slips, trips, and falls
• Fires
• Chemical and machine accidents
• Injuries from electrical problems
• Collisions and falling objects
• Health problems
Make time for housekeeping, evaluate your work space, and remove
never ignore a safety hazard. A simple daily check list:
• Floors
• Aisles
• Workstation
• Equipment
• Storage
• Waste disposal
AMBA
The benefits of good housekeeping do affect your safety culture and are
far reaching in every organization. Let each one of us ensure we have
established these practices for the benefit of our organization.
Taken from the Summer issue of Gibson Insurance Safety Network
Newsletter. o

Putting Their Best Foot Forward: Keeping

Worker’s Feet Safe on the Job
The simplest foot injury could leave one of your workers off the job
for days or even months and could cause other chronic issues down the
road. To make sure this doesn’t happen to one of your workers, you
need to make sure you know all there is to know about foot protection
so your employees start off each day on the right foot.

Each year thousands of foot injuries occur in the workplace. According

to the National Safety Council, approximately 500 foot injuries happen
per day in the United States. Improper footwear results in lost toes,
crushed bones, sprains, breaks, burns, punctures, and other injuries that
could be prevented simply by ensuring your employees are wearing the
right footwear for the job.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is any equipment or attire that

should be worn to keep workers safe on the job. Everything from eye
protection to gloves and hard hats helps keep employees from suffering
workplace injury. Foot protection is also a key component when
considering PPE and evaluating ways to protect your worker’s health.

Conditions requiring footwear safety

According to OSHA guidelines, foot and/or leg protection should be
worn when the following work conditions are present:
• When there are heavy objects such as barrels, tools, beams, bricks
or other objects that could roll, fall or be dropped on an employees
feet.

• When employees are working with sharp objects such as nails,

spikes, or tools that could potentially pierce the soles or uppers of
ordinary shoes.

• If employees are exposed to molten metal or other hazardous

chemicals that might splash on feet or legs.

• When a worksite contains hot, wet, oily or other slippery surfaces.

• If the job includes electrical hazards such as cables or wiring.

• When the work area has uneven surfaces or holes where workers
could easily twist or sprain their foot or ankle. Portable Non-Destructive Hardness Testing

Nearly all jobs require some sort of footwear precautions. Even the Equotip Piccolo 2
average person going out to mow his or her lawn should choose a For real-time monitoring and user specific conversions.
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purposes, footwear must not only be appropriate, it must also meet Greatest Accuracy and best Repetition Rate!
certain standards.
Contact Proceq to find out how we can solve
your application needs.
According to OSHA’s Personal Protective Equipment booklet,
“Safety footwear must meet ANSI minimum compression and impact
performance standards in ANSI Z41-1991 (American National Proceq USA, Inc.
Standards for Personal Protection – Protective Footwear.) or provide 117 Corporation Drive
Aliquippa, PA 15001
equivalent protection. “ Tel: +1-724-512-0330
Fax: +1-724-512-0331
info-usa@proceq.com
What to wear: some basics www.proceq.com
• Metatarsal guards: made of aluminum, steel, or plastic, they fit
over the toes of regular shoes and protect from impact. ... more than 50 years of know-how you can measure!

AMBA 39
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 • Safety shoes: These shoes can have impact-resistant toes, heat
resistant soles and metal insoles to protect the wearer against
puncture wounds and burning from hot surfaces, and prevent static
electricity in areas where there are electrical hazards.
Special purpose shoes include:
• Electrically conductive shoes
• Electrical hazard, safety toe shoes
• Foundry shoes, with built-in toe guards
Proper care and regular inspection of footwear are also important for
keeping your workers safe. All boots and shoes should be regularly
inspected for tears, holes or other damage. Footwear must be in good
condition in order for it to keep workers safe.
Make sure you are walking the walk when it comes to foot protection
for your employees.
Taken from the 3rd Quarter 2009 edition of The Worforce Forum. o
Human Resources
Keeping Employees Happy - While
Tightening the Benefits Budget
Within any business, the Human Resources (HR) department faces
unique challenges during trying economic times. The benefits budget
may be cut in order to help overall company finances leaving HR tasked
to motivate employees who feel the squeeze of any cuts.
What can an HR department do when faced with such a challenge?
Consider the following ideas for containing benefits costs and easing the
additional financial burdens today’s employees face.
• Offer qualified transportation benefits. Commuting costs are
becoming more burdensome for many employees. You can offer
qualified transportation benefits at little cost to your company through
a reimbursement arrangement funded with employee pre-tax dollars.
Qualified transportation benefits can include transit passes, qualified
parking, and rides to and from work in a commuter highway vehicle
(also known as vanpooling). This type of arrangement can save
employees money on federal, Social Security, and (in most cases) state
taxes, making it less expensive for them to commute to work.
• Consider implementing flexible work schedules, if this is an option
for your type of business. For example, consider four 10-hour work
days per week. This saves the business on energy costs and employees
on transportation costs. Plus, many employees will appreciate the
additional free day, whether it gives them a three-day weekend or a day
during the week for running errands or relaxing.
• Add voluntary benefits to your benefits package, or expand the
voluntary benefits choices you currently offer. Voluntary benefits
are paid in full by the employees who choose to enroll. They offer
advantages to employees over purchasing these benefits in the open
market: Employees typically enjoy some savings and convenience,
since they are purchasing the benefits at a group rate and paying for
them via payroll deduction.
AMBA
• Coverage summary for employees. Surprisingly, many employees
don’t realize the extent to which their employers are paying for these
benefits; they only know their own out-of-pocket costs. A brief, to
the point “Capsule of Your Benefits” can summarize coverage for
employees, and include the price tag being shouldered by the employer.
Taken from the Leavitt Group Summer 2009 Benefits newsletter. o
Staffing Up -
Staffing Right
By: Karla Dobbeck, PHR, Human
Resource Techniques
As business begins to be on the upswing,
many employers are finding the need to
increase staff. If you are in the staffing
mode, take the time to hire the right
people.
First, determine the criteria you will use
to sort through the resumes you receive. Pick four or five ‘musts’ and
then only contact those who meet that list. Examples include years
of experience, education level or experience with certain types of
machines, equipment or software programs.
Instead of doing most of the talking during the interview, try listening.
Asking open-ended questions can give you a good indication of how
that applicant will fit into your environment.
Make certain you ask all of the applicants for a position the same basic
questions and make sure those questions are related to the position.
Asking the same questions will help you determine which applicant has
the best set of skills and knowledge while ensuring equal treatment of
all applicants. Take notes!
Look at areas of the job that cause the most problems; perhaps
communication or cooperation is lacking in the department. If so, ask
for specific examples of past experiences of working through problems
with others or ensuring everyone was informed about production needs
and hot jobs.
For management or leadership positions, ask how the applicant
developed his/her staff in the past or what qualities the applicant looks
for when selecting new workers.
Even non-skilled labor applicants should be able to give examples of
work behaviors (attendance, teamwork, etc.) to ensure they will be
assets to your company.
Instead of comparing the applicants to each other, compare each to the
job itself. By working this way, you will more likely find the best person
for the job instead the best out of the applicant pool.
Over the past several months, savvy employers downsized by removing
the least productive employees. By taking the time to develop a process
for hiring right now, you will be more likely to re-staff with employees
who are right for the position and for your company! o
Protecting Personal Information
Many of you may have heard about the FACTA regulations governing
privacy issues for entities who allow credit or credit card use; or for
financial institutions. What you may not have heard is how these new
regulations are also affecting the employment relationship.
41

All employers are required to collect personal information about their
employees including the social security number, date of birth, address
and in some cases, driver’s license number. Employers also have an
obligation to keep this information private and put security measures in
place to ensure the information is not stolen.
Personnel files should be locked at all times with access only
provided to those with a need to know. For years, the law has required
that medical information is stored and locked separately from the
employee’s file (ADA) but there is no requirement to store other
personal information separately. To ensure complete privacy, consider
creating file folders within the employee’s file to separately store payroll
information, job related information and other personal information
such as mortgage verification and/or wage assignments. This way,
when a supervisor asks to see a file, you can be assured that the only
information he/she receives is information about job performance and
work behaviors.
Always file the I-9 Form separately and away from all other employee
information.
Next, develop procedures to ensure electronic employee data is kept
separately from other company data. Consider creating a wall or
separate drive within your server so that no one, except the person
authorized to have access, can get into the information.
Finally, develop procedures for destruction of old files and information.
Employers should retain the files of terminated employees for six years
and then burn, shred or deliver to a document destruction company
for final disposal. This procedure should be in writing and a statement
should be added to your employee handbook. o
Managing Performance
Many companies have experienced a slow down and wage cuts or
freezes. Don’t let this affect your decision to discuss performance
with your employees. Especially now, they need to know that you are
appreciating their work and their effort.
According to a recent report on the extent of typical supervisor-
subordinate misunderstanding, supervisors and workers don’t always
see eye-to-eye when it comes to what the job really is. In fact, they only
agree about 60% of the time.
To combat this misunderstanding, consider basing your performance
discussion on the actual job description. Doing so will ensure
everyone is talking about the same work and be able to better identify
performance issues.
In addition, look at what work behaviors are expected. These might
include clear communication, taking responsibility for one’s own errors,
leadership or ability to follow instruction.
Finally, look at skills needed for the position. These could include
computer or software/system skills, math, blue print reading, machine
knowledge, mechanical skills, professional continuation coursework,
etc.
If you currently use a rating system, reconsider your overall goal to see
if ‘rating’ your employees really helps you meet that goal. Most rating
scales are completely subjective and open the door for disagreement
and hostility. In addition, rating someone as ‘average’ or ‘meets
expectations’ might lead an otherwise good employee to begin doubting
his/her value to the company while giving out ‘excellent’ or ‘greatly
exceeds expectations’ gives the company no cover for performance
based decisions later! Remember, if your goal is to get your employees
to work harder, use tools that help, instead of hinder, that goal. o
42
Business Success Strategies
There Is Value in Struggle
By: Tom Reilly, Tom Reilly Training
“In order to succeed, people need a sense of self-efficacy, to struggle
together with resilience to meet the inevitable obstacles and inequities
of life.” Albert Bandura, Stanford University.
There is value in struggle. I didn’t say there was pleasure or enjoyment
in struggle, just value. The survivors of this Great Recession will
one day be able to tell their stories of struggle and success to new
generations of managers and salespeople.
By now, most companies have shed the inefficiencies and practices
that no longer add value. Most people have shed the excesses that have
defined lifestyles for many. Neither of these corrections is inherently
bad. Both are good for companies and individuals. Many have learned
there is value in struggle and have developed a sense of self-efficacy in
their efforts to prevail.
There is value in getting lean. Streamlining and returning to one’s roots
is invigorating. It’s the organizational equivalent to the vine dresser’s
pruning and prepping the vines for future growth. He removes the
unproductive branches so as not to distract valuable resources from
those that will produce.
There is value in being strong in weakness. It’s not so much the promise
of the philosopher, Nietzsche: “That which does not kill us makes us
stronger.” It is more about finding strength you didn’t know you had
prior to the struggle. Each of us possesses a wellspring of strength we
dip into when times get tough. The really good news is that the strength
is also there for good times.
There is value in the synergy one must find to prevail in tough times.
If energy is the resource for individuals, synergy is the indefatigable
resource for survivors. John Donne wrote, “No man is an island…”
Survivors understand the power of we over me. The wonderful part of a
support network is that when one is weak, another can be strong. That
reciprocity ensures someone is always willing to carry the load.
There is value in releasing the creativity and inventiveness that struggle
calls for. Is necessity the mother of invention? Maybe. Resilience
researchers at ASU found that survivors are inventive. They rely on
their resourcefulness to find a way out of their difficulties. They make
do with what they have.
There is value in the humility that accompanies adversity. Adversity
strips away façades and introduces to our naked and vulnerable selves,
generally the most likable part of any of us. It is in those dark moments
that we cry out for the help that only the humble can appreciate, “I can’t
do this on my own.” Then, miraculously, help arrives.
For those who read these Sales Bytes, you know my optimism is
relentless; I am always looking for the light. It sure beats sitting in
darkness.
Contact information: Tom Reilly Training, Chesterfield, Mo., 636-537-
3360 or visit them on the web at www.tomreillytraining.com. o
In the Safe Zone: Parking Lot Safety
Parking lots are a special issue for many employers: they’re a part of
everyday work life, but because most employees don’t do their work
there, they’re easy to overlook in terms of workplace safety. But they
can—and do—pose a real hazard for employees, whether as drivers or
pedestrians.
AMBA
More often than not, simple changes to a parking lot’s design and
maintenance can help improve its overall safety. For example:
• Traffic flow. Is it clear which way cars should move within the parking
lot? Are pedestrian walkways clearly marked? Cre­ating a predictable
flow of cars and people can help reduce parking lot accidents be­tween
cars, as well as those between cars and pedestrians.
• Snow and ice removal. Parking lots, by their nature, provide space,
and storing snow typically poses no problem. Still, it’s impor­tant to
take a close look at where that snow is piled. Does it block the view of
drivers or force pedestrians to walk in the road for an extended period?
If so, re-examine where snow is piled. And don’t forget to adequate­ly
sand or salt the parking lot and walkways on icy days to prevent sliding,
slipping and falling.
• Lighting. Adequate lighting is a normal part of parking lot design, as is
making sure the lights are on at appropriate times—taking into account
the changes in sunset and daylight savings time. If your employees
work different shifts, or if they can come in especially early or late,
consider lighting the parking lot throughout the evening.
• Landscaping. Your parking lot may contain trees or shrubs that
enhance the aesthet­icsof the area, but don’t forget that their untended
growth may affect the line of sight for drivers and pedestrians. You may
also want to examine the lot’s lighting as it relates to landscaping: does
it create shadowed, secluded areas that may affect the perception of
personal safety?
• Preventing falls. Getting to work from the parking lot is another area
where lot design can make a big difference. Locating speed bumps
away from pedestrian traffic and ensuring tire stops are well marked
AMBA
and maintained can go a long way toward pre­venting trips and falls.
Pay attention to— and quickly repair—any hazards such as broken
pavement or gratings to maintain a safer walking environment for
pedestrians. o
How Business Credit Ratings
Are Determined
Not unlike a personal credit rating, a business’s credit rating is a review
of the company’s transaction history. Such a rating is used to measure
the level of financial risk of the business to a lender and the probability
of the business defaulting on the loan.
The information used to create a rating is gathered from companies with
which the business has had financial relationships, such as suppliers or
other lenders. Additional data can be included from corporate finance
reports, business filings, or lawsuits, as well as liens and judgments filed
against the company.
Among the primary determining factors of a business’s credit report is
how prompt the business is in meeting its payment obligations, such as
paying suppliers, repaying loans, and paying monthly leases and bills.
Does it pay on time, or is it late with payments? What is the structure
of the company’s debt? Are loans secured or unsecured? How much
debt is the business carrying? Along with the payment history, strong
consideration is also given to cash flow, the financial resources of the
company, working capital, and net worth.
The fiscal information, however, is not considered in a vacuum. The
business profile is also factored in, including the business’s size,
history, and reputation, along with the background of the principals and
company stock, number of employees, and structure of the business. By
factoring in the business profile, the rating will also reflect the size and
scope of the business.
43
All these factors are included in a mathematical formula that comes up
with a credit rating. The credit rating illustrates whether a business:
• Is responsible in its payment procedures
• Has the assets to repay debts or provide collateral if necessary
• Has the character and background to stand behind its business
transactions
A good credit rating provides a company with the ability to obtain
the necessary funding for expanding or purchasing new equipment. It
can also help in matters of liquidity, ensuring that the business has the
necessary cash on hand for day-to-day operations.
In addition, a good credit rating can benefit your business if you’re
looking to:
• Partner with another company
• Increase your inventory
• Hold a special promotional event
• Increase your line of credit
• Attract new investors
• Sell the business
To enhance your chances of obtaining a higher business credit rating,
separate your personal credit from your business credit. This means that
you want your business to be structured as a corporation (an LLC is
most common for small businesses). Although one of the major credit
reporting companies now has a score that reflects the combined business
and personal credit lines of an entrepreneur, it’s best to separate the two
as soon as you can.
You’ll also want to make sure your business has all the necessary
licenses, and is registered with the major reporting companies such
as Experian and D&B. It’s important to do most of your business with
companies that will report to the major credit reporting agencies. After
all, you can have a marvelous track record for paying everyone on time,
but if it’s not being reported, then it won’t factor into your credit rating.
Taken from the August 2009 issue of the Stellar Risk Report & Journal. o
Corporation’s Annual Meeting and
Corporate Minutes
If you are operating a corporation (including an S-corporation) you
are probably aware that one of the requirements for maintaining a
corporation’s existence (and the liability protection that it affords)
is that the shareholders and Board of Directors must meet at least
annually. Although most view this as a necessary evil, it doesn’t have
to be a waste of time. In addition to being a first step in making sure the
corporation is respected as a separate legal entity, an annual meeting can
be used as an important tool to support your company’s tax positions.
The timing of the Annual Meeting should always be scheduled
within one or two months before the corporation’s tax year-end. This
allows the meeting to be used as a tax planning session; the current
year’s results and operations can be reviewed, a discussion on budget
items for the following year can be discussed, and the corporation’s
legal and tax advisors can meet together to ensure everyone is on the
same page.
A few other important items to be addressed at the meeting and
identified in the minutes include outlining the officers’ responsibilities,
skills, and experience levels along with assigning a reasonable amount
of compensation; buy/sell agreements should be reviewed; personal use
44
of company-owned assets (particularly automobiles); and how other
transactions between the company and its officers/owners should be
included.
Please be sure to contact your accountant if you have questions
about your company’s annual meeting and making sure tax-effective
minutes are prepared.  
Taken from the September 2009 issue of The Sunderland Group
E-Newsletter. o
AMBA Answers 
Have you used “AMBA Answers”? The AMBA offers
this unique networking option that you can use right
from your office! It’s located on the AMBA website
under “My AMBA”.
My AMBA is the “Members Only” section of the site. You can post a
question to AMBA Answers and your question will be broadcast to all
the AMBA members. If you have a question that you need assistance
with, please visit the AMBA Answers section of the website and post
your question! Your fellow members will be happy to help you out and
get you the answers that you need! Here are some examples of the kinds
of questions and responses you’ll find on “AMBA Answers.”:
Question:
Can we use titanium mold plate in a mold to save weight? How does it
machine? 
Answers:
• We’ve used titanium for several tools for different reasons. We
have not found it easy to EDM, machining it is not too bad. You
might want to talk to your tooling sales rep and see what types of
tooling is recommended for your application. Also, be aware of
what the cost will be for a plate of it. You might want to consider
other ways to decrease the weight of the tool other then this. 
• Titanium is considerable harder to machine. To save weight,
you would be better off Drill or wire cut out sections where ever
possible, waterjet cutting would also work.
• You “could” use titanium to save weight however it is very
expensive, somewhat “gummy” to machine, and difficult to bench
or polish. Why not simply use a nice grade of Aluminum (7075,
QC7, etc.) or with either steel or aluminum you could machine out
some pockets to remove excess material of weight is really that
critical of a concern. I think either would be more cost effective
than using Titanium.
Question:
What amount are you using to reimburse for travel expense(mileage)?
The IRS suggests an amount, but an employer can set the amount at
their own discretion. $.55 is the current IRS rate. 
Answers:
• We have a couple company cars that keep people out of their
personal vehicles for company business as much as possible. When
they do take their vehicle we pay mileage at the IRS suggested
amount that way there is no issue and everyone is treated fairly.
• We pay .45 cents per mile,  $.5.00 Breakfast, $10.00, lunch and
$15.00 for dinner, unless accompanied by a customer. We also
drive to destination if it is less than eight hours instead of fly.
• We stick with the IRS suggestion. It is generous but then again
there is a fair amount of hidden cost in a vehicle. o
AMBA
 Classified Corner
FOR SALE -  Herbert Devlieg Spiramatic 3H-48 Jig Mill
Description: Model: 3H-48   S/N 4-1707 Spindle Dia - 3” Spindle Taper
- #40 Table Size L x W - 48” x 35”   Horizontal Travel X - 48”Vertical
Travel Y- 36”  Spindle Bar Travel Z - 16” Table Retraction W - 16”   Price: $82,000 OBO
Spindle Speeds (16) - 25 - 1200 RPM Spindle Drive - 7.5HP Milling
feeds per minute - 16-.5-36 Spindle Bar Feed Rate (16) - .002 - .024
Overall Height 8’ 6”Length - 13’    Width - 11’ 7” Equipped with Digital
Readouts - X,Y - Newall Topaz Power Draw Bar, Mill reconditioned in
1996.
Contact Info: Jon Winter - 269-422-2137Quality Mold &  Engineering,
Baroda Michigan
Price: $7700.00  OBO
FOR SALE - Starrett Digi-Chek II, Master Height Gage, With Starrett
Digital Read-Out
Description: Starrett Digi-Chek II—Model 49, with Starrett Digi-Chek
Read-Out...1991 Measures up to 48” high, In Excellent Condition
It is Similar to the One on Page 126 on the Starrett Website—Under
Precision Tool/Height Gages/Digi-Chek, Except the Read-Out is
Different, probably due to the DRO’s age. We bought it from a
machine shop that recently shut down due to retirement, and we can
see that it was calibrated regularly, etc. It would be of good use to any
shop needing to measure a tall height accurately. It is a nice piece of
equipment.
Contact Info: Radius Precision Mold, LLC. kevin.jensen@
radiusprecisionmold.com K.C. Jensen, cell phone 801-518-3454
Price: $1,500.00 OBO
FOR SALE - (2) Charmille Bench Top EDM’s
Description: Radius Precision Mold, LLC...In January of this year,
RPM purchased two Charmille Bench Top EDM’s from a local machine
tool company. We purchased the following: Charmilles Eleroda 110
(Bench Top EDM )Erowa-Swiss Tool Holder Attached—With No
Tool Holders Available Orbiting Head Digital Read Outs Attached In
Absolute Excellent Condition. EDM Color is Green Sits on Top of a
Lista Work Bench (Green). Pictures are available. We were told that it
was in great working condition, but we never got around to hooking it
up and running it. However, we do a lot of business with the company
we bought it from and would have no reason to doubt them.Charmilles
D-10 ISOCUT (Bench Top EDM)Unique Tool Holder System—
Unknown to us: It came with a large variety of tool holders and
adapters, etc. Also, unique flushing systems with numerous fitting and
adapters for flushing, etc. Also, included was a lot of special fixtures
and tools, etc.Large Orbiting Head It appears to be in Great Condition.
EDM Color is Green and Tan. Has a much larger controller and setting
selection, than the Eleroda. Pictures are available. This EDM came with
the other, however they didn’t think it was in running order, but sold it
as a package deal. They said it could most likely be easily fixed, or used
for spare parts for the working EDM. Our plan was to get it running, but
again, we just didn’t get the time to hook it up and get it running. We
are trying to sell these items as a package deal. We are asking for $3,000
for the total package, or a “best offer.” We can crate/box them up and
pallet them, shipping them to wherever you need them. Buyer will need
to pay for the freight charges, but we will package them up nicely.
Contact Info: Radius Precision Mold, LLC  kevin.jensen@
RadiusPrecisionMold.com K. C. Cell phone 801-518-3454
Price: $3,000.00 Total Package
FOR SALE  - 2001 FIDIA  K165  3+2 Hi Speed CNC
Description: Bought this machine at the 2002 IMTS show as a demo
AMBA
model. All service records, recently upgraded FIDIA C-20 control.3,000
- 30,000 RPM Spindle. X- 1,000mm by Y - 600mm by Z -500mm. 1574
In/Minute feedrate  20 position tool changerHSK 50E Spindle   FIDIA
Laser Tool Measurement, Excellent condition - Fantastic finishes and
accuracy. Priced for QUICK sale! Have new machines coming in!!!! 
Contact Info: Steve Rotman    Ameritech Die & Mold, Inc   Mooresville,
NC
28117   704-664-0801 Office   
FOR SALE - Blanchard Grinder
Description: 20CD-36 38” swing 3/4” chuck life
Contact : Raymond Mueller III
Price: call 314-522-8080 
FOR SALE - Blanchard grinder
Description: 1993 model 54HD-100 100” chuck 120” swing 54”
segmented wheel 250hp soft start 3/4” chuck life
Contact Info: Raymond Mueller III
Price: call 314-522-8080
FOR SALE  - Kent Surface Grinder
Description: Model PFG200N, 6x16 Table, 3,480rpm Spindle Speed,
60Hz, 1KW-2P Spindle Motor, May be purchased with or without mag
chuck.
Contact Info: David Drawert, 480-921-9939, Tempe, Arizona david@
tmwinc.net
Price: $1,200 w/o Mag Chuck or $1,400 with Mag Chuck. o
Tech Corner
Makino Introduces V56i for Large Part
Hardmilling of 50+ HRc
Updated version of the popular V56 now available
Makino has upgraded its V56 vertical
machining center. The new V56i, designed
specifically for large part, high-speed
hardmilling, will provide users with tighter
accuracies, sustained dynamic performance,
superior surface finishes, and long hours of
continuous, unattended operation.
“Shops can’t afford to let an operator baby-
sit a machine because their machine loses
accuracy,” says Bill Howard, Makino product manager. “Our new line
of vertical machining centers, including the V33i and V56i, give shops
the confidence to run complex, long-running jobs in hardened materials
accurately, reducing scrap, reducing overhead, and making every job
more profitable.”
The V56i’s refined spindle provides increased stiffness and rigidity to
reduce potential chatter during machining of 50+ HRc materials. An
enhanced machine design reduces potential machine movement and
associated thermal growth, common errors that could induce inaccuracy
during long die and mold applications. These additional features help
retain superior accuracy during long periods of unattended operation.
Makino is a global provider of advanced machining technology and
application support for the metalcutting and die/mold industries, for
more information call 1.800.552.3288. o
45

Think_metric GB 3_75x4_875:Layout 1
Advertiser’s Index
Absolute Machine Tools, Inc........................... 19
Alba Enterprises, Inc ....................................... 25
Bico Steel Service Centers................................ 13
The Bodeau Group............................................ 24
Choice Mold Components............................... 11
Crystallume Engineered Diamond.................. 35
CVD Diamond Corporation............................. 46
DMS.................................................................. 40
Edro Specialty Steels, Inc. ............................... 18
A. Finkl & Sons Co........................................... 43
Gibson Insurance Group.................................. 48
Graphic Products North America.................... 39
Graphite Express.............................................. 14
28.04.2009 9:49 Uhr SeitHarroun Enterprises........................................ 30
Hasco America.................................................. 46
Incoe Corporation............................................ 17
Think metric – it’s time !

Kelbros, Inc. . ................................................... 28

M & M Tooling................................................... 7
Makino.............................................................. 47

 individual Millstar, LLC....................................................... 8

 reliable OMNI Mold Systems, LLC............................... 26
Osco.................................................................. 27
www.hasco.com
PCS.................................................................... 14
 professional Proceq USA, Inc. . ............................................ 39
 fast
Progressive Components................................... 2
Rocklin Manufacturing Co. . ........................... 16
Superior Die Set............................................... 35
Tarus Products, Incorporated.......................... 36
Ultra Polishing.................................................. 31
Your partner for Wisconsin Engraving Co., Inc. / Unitex.......... 28
intelligent standard
components and Yellow Transportation, Inc. ............................ 29
hot runner solutions

46 AMBA
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48 AMBA