Especially in the medical industry, there is no shortage of uses for injection molding. Injection molding can be used for implantable or cardiovascular devices, dental products, prenatal care, home healthcare devices, and so much more. Naturally, there is a considerable demand, and that demand keeps growing.
When working with an injection molder, you want to be sure it can keep up with the demand with increasing throughput. The right injection molding partner can ensure that throughput increases while maintaining high-quality standards for each mold. It is possible, especially with automated solutions like those we offer at Crescent Industries. Here are some signs that an injection molder can increase throughput to meet your demand.
Eliminating Bottlenecks
Bottlenecking is anything that slows down production, whether short-term or long-term — it’s the worst nightmare for a production system attempting to become more efficient. Bottleneck issues can be anything from short staffing to issues with the machinery. An injection molder that can eliminate bottlenecks in the process will likely be more able to produce efficiently and meet increasing demand.
At Crescent Industries, we use Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM), a corporate strategy to streamline custom manufacturing and eliminate white space. It utilizes dedicated, automated “work cells” that can simultaneously manufacture products through similar operations to maximize throughput. It’s specifically designed for companies like Crescent, which provide complex custom manufacturing. The work cells we use include the following:
- Injection molding products that require post-molding operations
- Tooling and product machining
- Diagnostic strips and holders
- Mold maintenance functions for quick tool turnarounds
These cells also organize personnel by having a dedicated and cross-trained team that works within each cell, so personnel shortage bottlenecks are less likely to occur.
Reducing Lead Times and Part Rejects
Producing all the different injection mold parts in a QRM work cell or automated work cell dramatically reduces the time to market and ensures quality. The two balance each other out. When appropriate, Crescent Industries has found that using QRM work cells and automation provides quality manufactured products in less time.
Maximizing Efficiency With Automation
Automation can streamline a manufacturing process, increasing speed, repeatability, and efficiency depending on the project requirements. In today’s fast-paced world with growing demand, automation is a must, but it’s not one-size-fits-all. The end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) was one of the first modern automation solutions to appear — a tool attached to the end of a robot that picks off part or runner system of the mold at the end of a cycle for any pick and place operation.
While more than just end-of-arm tooling is a good solution for many projects, other automated solutions can be used to increase throughput. Collaborative robots (cobots) often work side-by-side with human personnel to improve the automation of the process. Cobots are great for something in between EOAT and human problem-solving. When a complex task is needed with an automated solution, cobots can be programmed to do these tasks with precision.
At Crescent, we have our in-house automation team that can design, build, and service custom automated solutions specific to project requirements. This allows us to stay at the forefront of injection molding automation, as well as the forefront of our client’s needs with injection molding.
Using Industry 4.0 Practices
Did you know there was more than one Industrial Revolution? Technically, we’re in the midst of the fourth Industrial Revolution now, or Industry 4.0, as it’s more commonly called. Industry 4.0 boosts efficiency through interconnectivity between personnel, the company, and the client. Smart technology and monitoring have been the stars of Industry 4.0. Remote access dashboards can help personnel not on the assembly floor make real-time decisions, increasing connectivity.
Monitoring is an essential part of reducing part rejection and eliminating bottlenecks, and thus a necessary process for any injection molder to offer the ability to increase throughput to keep up with customer demand. Crescent Industries, for instance, uses Plantstar monitoring for all our molding machines. This allows us to make quick decisions on the production floor and keep things moving, even with remote access.
Plantstar is a well-established manufacturing monitoring company with a wide swath of solutions. Their software allows us to collect data on our production process, forecast the need for raw materials and track material usage, conduct text-to-voice paging, and much more. It even helps manufacturers minimize downtime, so their time is used as efficiently as possible.
Crescent Industries Can Optimize Injection Molding Throughput To Meet Your Needs
Our automation team and solutions, the corporate strategy of QRM, and the interconnected work process set Crescent Industries apart from the competition. We’ve been in the industry for over 75 years, and in that time, we have stayed at the forefront of injection molding technologies and efficient processes. Why? Because we know how important it is for you to get the injection molding products you need on time — and often in large quantities. As your project demand increases, our throughput will increase with it.
Whether you need medical and pharma injection molding, military defense injection molding, custom injection molding, tool transfer, or more, Crescent Industries provides the same high-quality level. Our projects use our custom automation, QRM work cells, and Plantstar monitoring to ensure you get the best product possible from an efficient injection molder you can count on.
Want to learn more about how we can help you? Need to place an order for an injection molding project? Contact Crescent Industries today for more information about how we can help your business.
