The ABC of Tooling E-Book

Eduardo Medrano Escobar

• Herausgeber: VOS Ediciones SAS
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Serie: Teknika
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 267

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

"Technique" is the "art" (from the Greek root techne for both words) that makes possible the material culture of mankind. Every mold responds to the original form of the hand, which is the "instrument of instruments," says Aristotle. Eduardo Medrano in The ABC of Tooling brings us closer to the fascinating world of the people who manufacture and deliver molds and dies to their customers. He tells us about the world and national panorama of the companies in the sector, their defining concepts, how a business is model, and what an ideal workshop is like. This book is a guide for those who are starting out in this noble profession and for those who already know it and require specific guidance; it is a book for all those who are curious about the mother of all industries: that of molds, dies and devices.

Leseprobe

The ABC of Tooling

Or

iginal title: El ABC de moldes, troqueles y dispositivos

The ABC of Tooling.

A Growing Industry

© Eduardo Medrano Escobar, 2023

D.R. © Vos Ediciones S.A.S., 2023

Sierra Hermosa 137

El Refugio,Querétaro

C.P. 76146

México

Introduction: © Verónica Orendain de los Santos

First Edition: 2023

ISBN: 978-607-98781-8-4 (epub)

Collection:Vos Téknika

Collection in charge of: Francisco Vásquez Ponce

Collection design: Francisco Ibarra Design Studio

Cover design: Francisco Ibarra π

Editor: Uriel Carrillo Durán

Translation byVerónica del Carmen Orendain de los Santos

Interior layout: Adriana Flores (Corda ediciones)

Website:

www.vosediciones.com

You can find us at:

[email protected]

The external contributions appearing in this volume were managed in accordance with

the Federal Copyright Law in force.We thank Óscar Albin, Daniel Altimiras, Jorge Ayala,

João Faustino, Christian Dihlmann, Carlos Mortera, Silvia Ortiz, Eduardo Tovar and Bob

Williamson, who generously participated in this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, processed or transmitted in

any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

Published in Mexico

Publicado en México

The ABC of Tooling

A Growing Industry

Eduardo Medrano Escobar

Eduardo Medrano Escobar,holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from

the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México,with a specialization

in senior management from

IPADE

. As a business leader in the global

manufacturing industry, he is a dedicated promoter of high technology

and knowledge transfer as a basis for the development of companies and is

the founder of the Mexican Association of Mold and Die Manufacturing

(AMMMT

),from where he has promoted the development of small and

medium-sized tooling companies in Mexico.

I dedicate this book to my beloved and beautiful wife Érika

Cecilia,who has driven me with her energy and optimism to

carry out projects that transcend. To my beloved sons Diego

and Eduardo, the greatest pride and satisfaction of my life.

My heartfelt thanks to my parents Eduardo and María Otilia

Margarita, for always supporting me in my projects.

To my dear friends who have contributed to my training and

career in this industrial sector:Fernando Domínguez,Esteban

Forcat, René Mendoza, Bob Williamson, Christian Kohler,

Sean Shafer,Hideinko Yamamoto,Mark Waymouth, Antonio

Mendoza, Jorge Ayala, Óscar Albin, Raúl Sánchez, Jorge

García, Verónica Orendain and Francisco Vásquez.

7

Index

Presentation by Bob Williamson,

9

Introduction,

17

Chapter 1. The Mold,Die and Fixture Industry, 21

Interview with Óscar Albin,

23

What We Know About the Tooling Industry,

25

The Relationship Between Machine Tools and Tooling,

28

Global Tooling Market,

30

Tooling Market in Mexico,

36

Economic and Technological Importance of the Industry,

42

Chapter 2.Tooling definitions, 45

Interview with Jorge Ayala,

47

Molds, Dies and Fixtures,

50

Types of Tooling,

52

Cross-cutting Impact of the Tooling Industry,

63

Stages of Product Design and Manufacturing,

67

Chapter 3.The Ideal Workshop for Molds, Dies and Devices, 73

Interview with Daniel Altimiras,

75

Description of the Ideal Workshop,

77

Diagnostic Tool for Tooling Companies and Tool Shops,

82

World-Class Manufacturing,

88

Leading Companies, the Path to Excellence,

91

8

Chapter 4.

Business Model, 93

Interview with Christian Dihlmann,

95

Commentary on Mold and Die Companies in Mexico,

98

Building a Business Model,

99

Customer Segments,

102

Value Proposition,

106

Customer Relations and Channels,

109

Source of Income

113

Key Resources,

119

Key Activities,

120

Key Partners,

123

Cost Structure,

125

Business Model for a Mold Prototype,

128

Chapter 5.International Projection of the Industry, 135

Interview with Carlos Mortera,

137

Importance of Trade Fairs,

139

International Trade Fairs,

141

National Trade Fairs,

146

The Importance of Business Associations,

153

Chapter 6. Challenges and Opportunities, 159

Interview with João Faustino,

161

The Major Impact of sars-cov-2 on the Industry,

164

Other Challenges for the Global Industry,

168

Industry Challenges in Mexico,

170

Conclusions,

179

References,

183

Audiovisual resources,

187

the abc of tooling

9

Presentation

In the form of an interview

with Bob Williamson,

Chairman of ISTMA

World

F

or this edition,

we have the participation of Bob Williamson,president

of the International Special Tooling and Machining Association,

ISTMA

,

to comment and enrich the work weare doing around the business

outlook for the Mexican mold, die and fixture industry.

This book is geared to help engineering students understand the busi

-

ness perspective,more from the commercial than the technical perspective.It

is also geared towards entrepreneurs who areexcited about investing in the

die and mold industry, and is also aimed at business owners who are working

to restructure and make shops more professional.

The book is enriched by Bob Williamson’s international and global

experience,because the tooling industryis interconnected and requires the

constant exchange of business experiences and technical best practices.No

countryis self-sufficient in the creation of high-performance machineryand

equipment,so it is essential for leading companies in technological develop

-

ment to be able to transfer their knowledge to companies in emerging eco

-

nomies.The task of linking organizations and experts is fundamental to ensure

the sustainability of both this industryand the rest of the manufacturing in

-

dustries.

Eduardo Medrano (EM):Dear Bob, thank you for the opportunity to talk to

you.The first thing I would liketo ask you is:why is tooling manufacturing

considered by most people as essential to the ecosystem of any manufactu

-

ring country?

Bob Williamson (BW):Eduardo,that’s an excellent question.I’m glad you

askedit.What people don’t quite understand is that oversixty percent of the

10

the abc of tooling

manufacturing price of any manufactured product is directly related to the

tooling used in the process.This means that a good mold is not a product you

buy off the shelf,it is very specific and customized.Molds must be tailored to

the manufacturing efficiency of the products;then,a bad mold will drive up

the prices of the products.This is a very simple truth,It is all about manufac

-

turing efficiency,not the cost of the mold,but how effective it is and how it

fits the production and the market.

EM:What are the opportunities and challenges for countries to counter the

phenomenon of “commoditization”,i.e.the attempt to make machine tools

generic by Asia?

BW:That’sa good question because that’sexactly the point of myprevious

answer.The mold is not something you can buy at the supermarket.It is

tailored to specific needs.The problem is that the manufacturing industry

or our customers do not understand the importance ofwhat weare talking

about.It is our job as industryrepresentativesto explain it in the best way. It is

not that the customers’purchasing department is trying to get something for

nothing or to drive mold prices down.It is just that they do not understand

that they are focusing on the wrong part oftheir job bycoming to us asking

for a mold price reduction instead of demanding the best possible mold for

their process.This is the message we need to get across to young students,

because if they understand this,we actually begin to solve the problem.

EM:Weknowthat there is a technological transformation in the making,for

example with the manufacture of electricvehicles.What are the technologi

-

cal changes needed for the tooling industry?

BW:I am not sure if I understand your question correctly. But if I understand

it correctly, weare talking about using or adapting our products or molds to

this situation.Adapting to the available technologies of the target market of

the mold is an important consideration.It is absolutely useless to design a

high-tech mold and ship it to,say,an isolated undeveloped part of the world,

11

presentation

where they do not have the capability to supportit or use the mold in the

best possible way. Again,I go back to what I said in the first place,mold de

-

sign is about tailoring;or understanding the needs of the market,understan

-

ding the price at which you want to produce an item and also understanding

the capabilities of those who are going to use that mold.

EM:Maybemy question needs to be more specific. Wehave seen a conver

-

sion now to electrification of vehicles and companies that normally did ma

-

chining,say for a crankshaft.Nowthey will have to look for another business

because in the future there will not be much need for this product.Will this

situation reduce the opportunities for our industry? What is the future of

emerging technologies and what is the role of machine tools?

BW:Okay. NowI have abetter understanding of your question.I think It is

about the mold maker understanding or focusing on the business they arein.

That business is product design and mold production.Or is it about provi

-

ding your customers with the best manufacturing solutions?

Wemust recognize at the outset that a mold is only one answeror one solu

-

tion.This means that a moldmaker must be awareof emerging technologies

and ready to use them as they emerge or become available.For example,

today a mold maker maybe a designer and producer of molds and tomorrow,

himself,he mayuse more advanced3D printing machines to produce the

item itself instead of the mold.It is really about understanding the space and

its circumstances.

EM:With newmanufacturing trends,particularly the additive manufacturing

industry, 4.0 and circular economy, what is the tooling industry’svision for

the future?

BW:First,I would liketo makea clarification.The most recent industrial re

-

volution is a development,of course.What is happening with Industry4.0 is a

reaction of Germany to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the central part

12

the abc of tooling

of their strategy with respect to the introduction of this technology was the

fact that their population was aging and shrinking.In a countrylikeMexico,

there is an expanding young population,so it follows that the application of

these new technologies will have to be different than in Germany. It is about

understanding the technologies and making sure they fit the purpose,but the

key point is to be aware of them and keep informed of their development.

EM:What do you think are the current trends in termsof technology and

business strategy that tooling industries are embracing and creating valuein

this industry? Givenyour overall view of the industry, what are those trends

in terms of technology and business practices that are relevant to any entre

-

preneur or business owner?

BW:That’s an excellent question.I’ve talked about additive manufacturing.I

think currently, the biggest changes happening in our industryis the use of

additive manufacturing to produce die and mold component parts.As time

goes on and this technology becomes more available,I think wewill move

away fromusing it to produce tooling.When I said that moldmakers need to

look at the capability to produce the parts,maybe there will be a movement

for moldmakers to focus on designing a better 3D printer or a better synthe

-

sizer. We should not restrict ourselves to using only what is available now.

Although I am not an expertin the field,the research being conducted at

the moment is atomic additive manufacturing,where instead of to fold the

part from powders and then join it together,the manufacturing is done at

the subatomic level,i.e.atoms and molecules are manipulated.What does

this mean? Are we getting to the point where youtype in a screen and tell

something to be done and suddenly the article appears,likein Star Trek?

Anything less than limiting ourselves!Wehave to be very open-minded.This

is very exciting.

EM:That’s right,It is very exciting.What pillars,in terms of business,do you

think should be strengthened in small and medium-sized companies?

13

presentation

BW:I believe the future of our industryrevolves around integrity and ho

-

nesty. I have heard it said many times that the tooling industryhas a very

special position of trust.Toproduce the means that makean item possible, the

customer provides information about the intellectual property of the product

to be manufactured and has a complete understanding of its efficiency levels.

So those companies that stand out are those that honor that commitment to

confidentiality,those that guard this information scrupulously,so to speak,and

demonstrate good faith.The days of a countrydeveloping its domestic manu

-

facturing industry on the basis of the intellectual property of others are gone.

EM:What are the biggest challenges for any countryto be competent and

comply with national and regional requirements? For example, those esta

-

blished between the United States,Canada and Mexico in the

T-MEC

. On

the other hand,there are opportunities that Asians are taking advantage

of,what are the challenges for the national industryto makeinroads and

become a relevantsupplier and achieve a better participation in the national

and regional markets?

BW:I firmly believe that you cannot establish a substantial or sustainable

manufacturing industryif you do not have a tooling industryof the same

type supporting your manufacturing sector.The challenge is to makesure

that all stakeholders understand this:producers,policy makers,academics.If

youdo not have a tooling industry, you will not be able to create If there is

one and it is not taken care of,the economy will be deindustrialized.It is as

simple as that.

EM:Howdo you recommend that talent training in the industrybe strengthe

-

ned and have a strategic focus?

BW:I strongly believe that innovation must be driven by talent.Our indus

-

try needs to have good professionals.Therefore,it is the responsibility of the

industry to design its own skills development program.But the criteria to

achieve this is not only the training program,but the careful selection of the

14

the abc of tooling

people who participate in it.Those who enter the toolmaking industryhave

to have certain skills;they have to have a good foundation in math and science.

That is non-negotiable. Toensure this,there needs to be pre-selection criteria.

So going through a process of selecting the right people and then training

them is the only means by which passion for the profession will be fostered.

EM:Is there a way to scale up design and manufacturing capacity that not

only has volume,but also complexity, howcan small and medium-sized com

-

panies get to scale their capacity in that way? Let me explain:many compa

-

nies in our sector are small and medium-sized.At least in Mexico, the average

size of a company is between15 and 30 people,producing between 20 and

25 molds a year.How do we make these companies grow?

BW:The secret to producing more is to adapt the design and orient it to

the product.Moldmaking designs must be aligned to the production of the

goods.Because if you build a company where you just put conceptual designs

on the production floor and rely on the innate talent of the toolmaker to

interpret and implement them,you will produce good models,but you will

limit their size.

If the mold is carefully designed,detailed component drawings will be pro

-

duced.It is possible to break down your manufacturing into milling,turning

or

EDM

sections and make the molds to scale.I mean,I have seen very suc

-

cessful mold manufacturing companies that have 400 or 500 employeesand

they do very good work as well.

EM:Do you consider it a bad thing for a company to have a small production

volume? Or maybe It is just a matter of making more valuable tooling?

BW:Let me reverse the question:Which comes first,the horse or the cart?

Does the company match its manufacturing capacity to demand or does it

build capacity in such a way that it can expand the manufacturing sector and

grow the economy? I do not think It is a limiting factor.I think It is about

15

presentation

applying resources to ensure that the manufacturing sector is as efficient as

possible.If a company produces ten molds,that’s fine,if it increases its capa

-

city and produces ten more sophisticated,better and better molds,then the

issue is not the number of molds.It is about what the molds can produce.

The relationship between our industryand the manufacturing sector is really

what It is all about,and that’sprobably where we’ve failedglobally. Maybe It

is true that on the tooling manufacturing side wehave been too focused on

our industry, on producing the mold,and wehave not understood the busi

-

ness side.Maybe on the manufacturing side customers don’t understand how

dependent they are on the tooling sector.Wehave to bring these twosectors

together. This is where you discover the value of partnerships.

EM:Finally, Bob,what would be your recommendations and message to

the readersof this book about our industry? For students who are learning

about their careers in the industry;for entrepreneurswho are exploring new

opportunities to build a business that will create valueand generate profits;

for shop owners who already create value, but need to improve their offerings

and grow.

BW:This is probably the most important question you’ve asked,for-which

I’m sad to say that,in general,engineering students go through their entire

educational program without really understanding the importance of the

mold, die and fixture industry: I will give an example.

Wewere recently invited to participate in a very special competition at the

University of Cape Town that was held among PhD students.They weregi

-

ven the task of designing a product for the medical industry;but during the

process they had to think about the product,howit would be innovative and

how it would be something useful for the market.They had to think about

howto produce it.Werealized that this was the first time theywere faced

with thinking about tooling,molds and manufacturing efficiency. The parti

-

cipants at the awardsceremony commented that this was something they had

never considered before.It is all very well to design new products,but if you

16

the abc of tooling

do not establish how to manufacture them and bring them to market,then

youfail.This is whyindustryleaders likeus need to be partof training pro

-

grams,not only for toolmakers,but also for engineers in education systems.

This is the future.

EM:Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Anything else you would like to add?

BW: I thank you for the opportunity to contribute.

17

Introduction

A

few months ago, in the midst of the first presentation of our book

Desde cabina

and a still very partial return to face-to-face events,I had

the good fortune to meet Eduardo Medrano;in a conversation of

barely three minutes he asked me “what are you doing here Vero”,to which

I responded with an explanation that Vos Ediciones was presenting one of his

books.He told me,with his characteristic enthusiasm,“What a coincidence,I

am just planning to publish a book on the tooling industryin Mexico”,and

since I am convinced that many of the projects weare passionate about have

been with us for a long time and only need a push to give them a life of their

own,at that precise moment I saw how the second title of the Vos Téknika

collection was making its way through our conversation and the people who

were looking to find their place at the fair.

The path involved in bringing a book into existence,that is,from

the heaven of ideas to the earth of the materiality of a bit on a screen or a

print on paper,is arduous and full of small or big dilemmas,but we can say

anything about that path except that it is boring.Eduardo Medrano,on the

other hand,is a prominent member of the tooling industry and,at the same

time,a reference who knows it well;he transmits with enthusiasm what he

knows and asks questions that are difficult to answer. Working with him and

his book has been an enriching experience,which I hope will be reflected

in your reading.

The ABC of Tooling. AGrowing Industry

offers us a business model pers

-

pective focused on delivering value to the customer and,although the heart

of the subject is found in Chapter 4,it is necessary to read carefully all the

previous and subsequent chapters in order to build a path that leads us from

the general idea of the importance of the importance.

18

the abc of tooling

The book is dedicated to engineering students,entrepreneurs who are

looking for alternativesin the manufacturing industryand all those who make

it possible for mold and die companies to exist in our country. This book is

dedicated to engineering students,entrepreneurslooking for alternativesin

the manufacturing industryand all those who makeit possible for mold and

die companies to exist in our country.

Perhaps one of the chapters that some readers will read with great

interest is the third one, in which some elements of the ideal mold and die

shop are pointed out,and since the ideal is not built overnight,Eduardo

shares with us a diagnostic exercise that contains elements of a company that

must be known,measured,controlled and modified,if necessary, to achieve

excellence in the operation.

As every industryrequires the participation of its relevant actors,this

ABC

includes opinions from some of the sector’sleaders,both national and

international,and through conversations with Eduardo, where definitions of

key concepts of and for the industry, successful experiences and recommenda

-

tions that help us understand the nature of theindustryand its possibilities for

growth and transformation in the face of technological changes.

And to give name and recognition to the associations,I should men

-

tion that globally the industryis represented by the International Special

Tooling and Machining Association (

ISTMA

),which brings together 15 coun-

tries,including China,the United States,Germany and Mexico.In this book

we are accompanied by executives of this organization and executives of

global companies that are a reference for others.In the case of Mexico, so

-

me members of the Mexican Association of Mold and Die Manufacturing

(

AMMMT

) comment on their experiences as leaders of successful companies

and as promoters of the industry who seek to better integrate innovation and

technology in each company.

With regard to the use of technology, we have incorporated some vi

-

sual resources such as

QR

codes to invite the reader to navigate in web pa

-

ges and videos,and go deeper into some topics that we consider valuable

for a better understanding of some of the chapters.In the same way, at the

end of the book the reader will find a list of videos that we hope will help

19

INTRODUCTION

to supplement technical details or management concepts of the fascinating

tooling industry.

At Vos Ediciones weare convinced that this new publication,nowin

the hands of the reader, will be of great help to the Mexican manufacturing

industrycommunity and we hope that it will foster the propositive conver

-

sation between entrepreneurs,students and authorities that is so necessary in

building resilient and innovative