There is no need to dwell on the challenges facing today’s injection molding industry. In the last couple of years, injection molders have made sizable capital investments to improve quality and efficiency in an effort to counter competitive pressures as well as rising material and labor costs. New injection molding machines, advanced automation and inspection devices, to automated assembly machinery and sophisticated materials handling equipment have enabled molding plants to significantly increase output with a lower operating cost basis. As a result, they now enjoy the highest historical productivity rates.

However, in spite of all these advances, the injection molding industry faces its biggest challenge yet. To further optimize efficiency, there is a need for an integrated approach that guarantees a flawless execution from the conceptual stage of part design, to its high volume production, to its ultimate delivery to the customer. Unfortunately, the injection molding manufacturing process is a patchwork of disparate systems with which it is difficult to intelligently exchange data, making the planning, setup and ramp-up of new production lines time-consuming and plagued by inefficient trial-and-error and fine tuning methods.

Reprinted with Permission from www.moldflow.com