Production efficiency
Injection Molding Production Efficiency Consulting
Excessive cycle times, recurring mold problems, scrap and downtime quietly reduce profitability. Bob Gray helps you find those losses and improve performance with your existing molds, equipment and people.
Sound familiar?
What we hear before the first call
- Our cycle times have crept up and nobody can say why.
- The same mold problem keeps coming back, no matter how many times we tear the tool down.
- Scrap is eating the margin on jobs that should be profitable.
- A mold is always down for repair when we need it most.
- The process drifts from shift to shift.
- One area of the plant cannot keep up, and everything waits on it.
What it covers
Cycle time
The actual cycle broken down by stage on the press, so you can see where the seconds go and which ones can be safely recovered.
Scrap
Recurring defects traced back to their cause in the tool, the process or the material, instead of being adjusted around.
Mold downtime
Why a tool keeps coming out of the press, and what in its design, condition or maintenance has to change.
Process stability
A process that holds from shift to shift, with each change verified before it becomes the standard.
Production bottlenecks
How material, molds and people move through the plant, and the one step that is limiting everything else.
Bob's approach
How the work is done
- Start with the numbers
A free 15-minute call, then a look at your cycle times, scrap, downtime and process data to see where the losses are.
- Watch it run
On the floor or from process data, Bob looks at the whole cycle and the tool, not just the setup sheet.
- Find the cause, not the symptom
When process changes keep failing, the investigation moves to the tool, the maintenance practice or the flow through the plant.
- Rank the fixes by payback
Every opportunity is ranked by expected payback before any change is made, so you can make a clear business case.
- Verify every change
Each change is checked against dimensions and cosmetics before it is adopted.
What you get
- A cycle breakdown by stage, measured on the press
- Root-cause findings for recurring defects and mold downtime
- A ranked list of opportunities with the expected payback of each
- Recommended changes to the tool, the process and the maintenance practice
- A written summary and a follow-up call with your team
You work directly with Bob
45+ years of hands-on injection molding experience, and no stake in which mold builder you choose.
Cycle-time savings calculator
What are a few seconds worth?
Enter your current cycle and the cycle you think the tool can run. The calculator shows what that adds over a year.
Capacity now1,920,000parts a year
Improved capacity2,133,333parts a year
Added capacity+213,333parts a year
Value of the added capacitya year at your margin
Theoretical capacity. Assumes the same run hours, full use of the added capacity and unchanged yield. Actual savings depend on demand, utilization, scrap, labor and material.
Case studies
From Bob's own programs
The flat part that took a week to solve
Read the caseRecurring marks on a clear part, solved at the source
Read the caseIn more detail
The services behind this page
Improving Cycle Times
Working with your team to fine-tune the entire molding process, from cooling to ejection to robot handoff.
Learn moreReducing Molding Cycle Times and Costs
Cycle time drives efficiency and profit. Every second saved is multiplied across every part you run.
Learn moreReviewing the Process Flow at Your Facility
An on-site look at how material, molds and people move through your plant, to cut downtime and bottlenecks.
Learn moreHow much cycle time can be saved?
It depends on the tool and process. Bob identifies the opportunities and ranks them by expected payback before any changes are made.
Will changes affect part quality?
Every change is checked against dimensions and cosmetics before it is adopted.
Do you need access to our plant?
Not always. Many opportunities can be found from process data, with an on-site visit when it adds value.
Which areas do you travel to?
Bob is based in Campbellsville, KY, and travels to manufacturers across the United States.
Can you help justify tooling changes?
Yes. Each tooling recommendation includes the expected payback so you can make a clear business case.
Free 15-minute call
Losing time or parts on a tool that is already running?
Tell Bob what the tool is doing. You'll get a straight answer on where to look first.