Please join us in the Big Apple for the MD&M East Show, June 9-11, 2015, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Mack will be in booth #2009 and we’d love to see you. To take advantage of complimentary expo admission, register at https://MDMeast.com/JoinUs. During online registration, specify Source Code ‘JoinUs’ and save $95.

We look forward to seeing you there!

MackMedical/Mack Molding is investing $2 million to expand its cleanroom molding and assembly capacity to handle significant growth in the medical consumables market. “While we’ve been involved in orthopedic disposables for some time, this marks our first foray into high‐volume, single‐use components for a Class III medical device,” says President Jeff Somple. “It’s a critical step that will open up a whole new market sector for us.”

To accommodate the work, Mack is building its third molding and assembly cleanroom at its headquarters plant in Arlington, Vt., which will house electric presses from The Japan Steel Works (JSW). The 3500‐sq‐ft cleanroom will be certified to meet Class 100,000 (ISO Class 8) standards. It is scheduled to be certified this month, after which Mack will begin validation runs.

Beyond the main molding and assembly area, the cleanroom will include space for part conveyance from an adjacent soft‐walled cleanroom that will house a robotically automated 500‐ton press. Servo‐controlled radio frequency and ultrasonic welding systems will be installed, as well as automated particulate, temperature and humidity monitoring.

The electric presses will include two 44‐ton vertical machines and 60‐ and 199‐ton horizontal presses. From JSW’s ‘advanced’ series, they feature a 62 micro second servo control circuit that delivers high‐speed performance with increased precision and reliable quality.

Semi‐automated equipment will be installed to support molding and assembly, which includes overmolding of extruded tubing. The presses will be vacuum‐fed by a modular bank of dryers located just outside the cleanroom.

In addition to this investment, Mack has two other Class 100,000 cleanrooms ‐‐ a molding cleanroom with six electric presses and an assembly cleanroom that is used for non‐sterile packaging of medical disposables, light sonic weld assembly, and temperature‐ and humidity controlled functional testing. There is also a 24‐hour whiteroom operation that houses four hydraulic presses dedicated to small part medical molding.

Mack Molding, Northern Division, has deepened its engineering, manufacturing and sales ranks, primarily at its headquarters facility (Arlington, Vt.).

David Clatworthy and Jase Skellie have both joined the manufacturing engineering team. Clatworthy came to Mack from AngioDynamics, Inc. (Glens Falls, N.Y.), where he worked in both manufacturing and quality engineering for catheter products and molded components for 14 years. His final position there was principal manufacturing engineer, molding. Earlier, he managed manufacturing and quality engineering departments for Medefab, Inc. (Jaffrey, N.H.) and Vermont Medical Inc./AngioLaz, Inc. (Rockingham, Vt.).

A Six Sigma Black Belt, Clatworthy holds a bachelor’s in industrial engineering technology from The State University of New York Institute of Technology (Utica), and an associate’s in mechanical technology from Onondaga Community College (Syracuse, N.Y.). At Mack, he has manufacturing engineering responsibilities for both single use and reusable orthopedic product lines.

A New York native, Clatworthy resides in his childhood home with his wife, Lynn. They have two adult children – Nick, 27, and Brett, 24. An avid basketball fan, Clatworthy has coached JV boys’ basketball for Argyle Central School for 11 years, and was assistant coach for the 2013 New York State Championship team.

Before Mack, Jase Skellie was a manufacturing engineer for UTC Aerospace Systems (Vergennes, Vt.), where he focused on fuel sensing systems for the 787 aircraft production line. Earlier, he was a mechanical engineer for Catamount Research and Development (St. Albans, Vt.), which supplies products and services to the biomedical research community. A graduate of the University of Vermont, Skellie holds a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering with a math minor.

Born in New York, Skellie grew up on a dairy farm in Salem and continues to help there in his free time. A self-described “gear head,” he enjoys working on cars and fabrication, even to the point of building some of his own prototypes. Skellie makes his home in Salem, N.Y.

Both engineers report to Scott Hodges, who was recently promoted to manufacturing engineering manager. Hodges has worked at Mack for nearly 20 years in both quality and manufacturing engineering. Most recently, he was responsible for all engineering, operations, production planning and compliance for the manufacture of several FDA Class III medical devices. A graduate of The State University of New York (Buffalo), Hodges earned a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering and an associate’s in math and science/engineering from Hudson Valley Community College (Troy, N.Y.).

Hodges and wife, Chris, make their home in Hoosick Falls, N.Y., his hometown. They have two children – Brandon, 18, and Cody, 14. When not at Mack, he can be found on an athletic field year-round, as he coaches baseball, football and soccer. Hodges also partners with his youngest in beekeeping and honey production. Camping and water skiing round out his pastimes.

Also new to headquarters manufacturing is Jacob Hunt, electro-mechanical technician and line leader for a Class III medical device. Previously with Plasan Carbon Composites (Bennington, Vt.), Hunt worked as a lean manufacturing specialist, production supervisor and manufacturing engineer while there. He was charged with using Six Sigma/lean concepts to reduce costs, while leading over 70 employees to achieve production/quality goals.

A graduate of Vermont Technical College (Randolph Center, Vt.), Hunt earned an associate’s in electrical engineering technology and has completed additional engineering coursework. He makes his home in Bennington with wife, Jenna. True to his Vermont upbringing, Hunt is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hunting, fishing, snowboarding and hiking. He also restores and builds custom motorcycles.

Supporting Mack’s growth in the medical device manufacturing market is Gregg Kopeck, supplier engineer working exclusively in procurement for medical accounts. A retired USAF lieutenant colonel, Kopeck earned the Distinguished Flying Cross during his 20-year tenure in the Air Force. Most recently, he was chief of standardization/quality assurance at Air Combat Command Headquarters (Hampton, Va.), where he supervised training, evaluation and operations of four subordinate headquarters and 92 operating locations through the U.S., Europe and the Pacific.

A native of New York, Kopeck earned a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, N.Y.), and a master’s in engineering from the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville). He is a member of the Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers. He and his wife, Anne, make their home in Manchester Center, Vt., with their six children: Madison, 17; Samantha, 16; Elizabeth, 13; Natasha, 10; Abigail, 8; and Alexander, 6.

New to the sales organization are Dave Hyson, Troy Vittum and Laura Mitchell. Hyson has joined the team as business development manager for the mid-Atlantic region. He brings a strong plastics background to his new position. Most recently, he was new business development manager for Integrity Plastics (now Brentwood Industries) in Denver, Pa. Before that, he learned the business from the ground up, working as a press operator for two consecutive summers; serving as a lab assistant for The Plastics Manufacturing Center (Williamsport, Pa.); helping to install a new automated molding cell during a summer internship at York Imperial Plastics (York, Pa.); and working as plant manufacturing engineer for New Concept Technology, an electronics contract manufacturer, also in York.

Hyson holds a bachelor’s in plastics & polymers engineering technology from the Pennsylvania College of Technology (Williamsport, Pa.) and a master’s in engineering & management from the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio).

Based in Pennsylvania, he is an active member of the Society of Plastics Engineers, Susquehanna Section, and served as section president for two years. He is also very involved in his church, where he is a trustee. Favorite pastimes include hiking, snowboarding and running.

Troy Vittum has accepted the position of program manager in the contract manufacturing business unit. He brings over 25 years of design and manufacturing experience to Mack. Much of that time was spent with M.E. Baker Co. (Springfield, Vt.), manufacturer of chemical wet processing equipment used in metal finishing, plating, chemical milling and surface cleaning for the printed circuit board industry. During his tenure there, he held an array of increasingly responsible positions in mechanical design, project and program management, and manufacturing engineering.

A native of Springfield, Vt., Vittum completed mechanical CAD coursework at the New Hampshire Vocational Technical College (Claremont, N.H.). He and his wife, Robin, have been married for 26 years and are the parents of three children – Jarid, 27; Jordan, 24; and Noah, 15. He enjoys photography, hunting and fishing, and is an active member of his church in Claremont.

Laura Mitchell has joined Mack as a sales service representative for the plastics business unit. She has garnered over 20 years of experience in customer service, retail management, golf instruction and inventory management. Most recently, she was inventory supervisor for Stratton Corporation (Bondville, Vt.), where she was responsible for the inventory of 12 individual stores that were part of a large ski resort. This included supply management, inventory discrepancy investigation, product allocation and mix, annual physical inventory management, replenishment procedures, and defective product returns. Mitchell has also served in a variety of other roles, including guest services supervisor, real estate office manager, and professional golf instructor, and has twice been recognized for outstanding customer service. Originally from Florida, she attended Central Florida Community College (Ocala). She now resides in Manchester Center, Vt., with her husband, Douglas, and their two-year old son. Needless to say, family and golf are her two favorite pastimes.

Mack’s Southern Division has also been actively hiring, adding six to its professional ranks. Ben Davis is the new finishing manager at the Inman, S.C., facility. He comes to Mack following a 24-year career with the U.S. Air Force that culminated in Japan, where he served as logistics/aircraft maintenance manager. He brings extensive experience in operations, logistics and supply chain management from positions he has held throughout the world, including the U.S., Turkey, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan and the Middle East.

A US Air Force Academy graduate, Davis holds a bachelor’s in political science, along with master’s degrees in management, military history, and national resource strategy from Bowie State University (Bowie, Md.), Air University- Maxwell AFB (Montgomery, Ala.), and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (Washington, D.C.) respectively. Davis and his wife, Michelle, are natives of South Carolina and have three daughters. Today, they make their home in Boiling Springs, where he enjoys hiking, fishing, soccer and astronomy.

Richard Thomas has transferred from Mack’s Northern Division to a program management role at the Inman, S.C., facility, and he picked the right winter to do it! Although originally from Vermont, he and his wife, Kristin, previously lived in the Carolinas. Thomas worked as program manager at the headquarters plant for just over two years, where he was responsible for several accounts in both the plastics and contract manufacturing business units. Before that, he was a product manager at CIRCOR Tech (Spartanburg, S.C.) and a quality engineering technician at CeramTec (Laurens, S.C.).

Thomas has a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management from the University of South Carolina Upstate (Spartanburg, SC) and an associate’s in mechanical engineering from Greenville Technical College (Greenville, SC). When not at work, Thomas enjoys golf and spending time with Kristin and their four young children.

Charles Bayles has accepted the position of quality engineer, bringing 15 years of quality-related experience to the Inman plant. He will also serve as the ISO/TS management representative. Most recently, Bayles was with Alfmeier Friedrichs and Rath (Anderson, S.C.), a Tier 2/3 supplier to the automotive industry, where he was responsible for developing and implementing control plans, policies and quality procedures. Earlier, he was quality manager for Precision Valve (Travelers Rest, S.C.), where he supervised a staff of 21 quality professionals. An air rescue team member for the US Air Force, Bayles also served in the Georgia Air National Guard for nearly 20 years.

A graduate of the Community College of the Air Force (Warner Robbins, Ga.), Bayles earned an associate’s in electronics technology. He also attended Macon State College (Georgia) and Charleston Southern University (South Carolina).

The Southern Division welcomes two new staff members to its human resources department – Susan Ashbaugh and Bonnie Davis. Ashbaugh brings 19 years of experience to her new role as human resources manager. Formerly with Faurecia Emission Control Technologies, first in Ohio and later in South Carolina, Ashbaugh worked as human resources generalist, then manager, during her 18-year tenure there. A native of Ohio, she attended Southwestern College of Business (Cincinnati). Today, she makes her home in Simpsonville, S.C., with her husband, Randall. They are the parents of three adult children and have one granddaughter. In her spare time, Ashbaugh enjoys cooking, reading and frequent beach trips.

Bonnie Davis, HR associate, Inman, has worked in retail sales management and employee relations for over 25 years. During that period, she also started a full-service tree and irrigation company serving residential and commercial clients. Most recently, she was assistant manager for Yankee Candle Co. (Greenville, S.C.), where she was responsible for operations, training and store appearance. A graduate of Savannah State University (Savannah, Ga.), she earned a bachelor’s in business administration. Recently married, her husband is a mechanical engineer at Fluor (Greenville, S.C.).

Janette Nicholls has joined the Southern Division as accounts payable specialist/financial analyst, reporting directly to the headquarters finance department.

Formerly employed by both Precision Valve and Tyco Electronics, both in S.C., she has garnered over 10 years of experience in molding, manufacturing and cost accounting. A graduate of Limestone College (Gaffney, S.C.), Nicholls earned a bachelor’s in business accounting, as well as the W.B. & Louise Phifer Camp Academic Award for the graduating senior with the highest GPA (3.9 out of 4.0), who demonstrates “worthy character and leadership abilities.” She lives in Campobello, S.C., with her husband, Josh, and daughter, Alex. She enjoys traveling, painting, jewelry making, and concertgoing.

RJG, Inc., the recognized leader in injection molding training, has awarded Mack’s Statesville, N.C., facility for embracing scientific molding strategies and applying them within the organization. “Applying the knowledge is really at the heart of this award,” says Plant Manager Joe Carinci. “We have converted all active jobs to the scientific molding approach, which we will also apply to all new jobs as they come through the door.”

It wasn’t an overnight process, however. RJG initially audited the Statesville facility to determine areas for improvement. With management support, they set up a training timeline, which started with basic level training, followed by systematic molding training and decoupled workshops for hands-on training.

Spearheaded by Keith Hutchins, manufacturing engineering manager, and Bobby Sherrill, molding process engineer, the program has now touched some 48 people in the molding department and beyond. Sherrill has even completed Master Molder II training.

“As a result, we’re seeing standardized cycle times and part weights,” says Carinci. “But perhaps even more importantly, everyone is on the same page in terms of how to approach problems and troubleshoot. We’re resolving issues more quickly, and reducing scrap and downtime.”

The Statesville plant will continue to push the program out to more employees throughout the coming year, and has another decoupled workshop scheduled for January 2016. The Inman, S.C., plant has also trained 16 employees in systematic molding, followed by the hands-on workshop in the molding room, as has Mack’s Northern division.

Mack’s Southern Division has made significant investments in its automated paint line at the Inman, S.C., facility, according to new president Bryan Campbell. “These expenditures have vastly improved paint delivery to the line, paint application, and part drying and conveyance,” says Campbell. “Additionally, we have switched paint products, improved the racking system, and added human resources.”

Specifically, the Inman plant has:
•    Replaced bells and guns in the base and clear coat lines and the gun in the adhesive promoter line. These steps have resulted in improved transfer efficiency, saving paint and adding uptime on the line.
•    Added an automatic fluid delivery system that delivers paint to the line from the mix room, eliminating the manual steps previously required. This has reduced color change-overs by 15 minutes/part, and reduced both solvent usage and hazardous waste disposal by 60 percent.
•    Re-configured the oven layout to improve line speed and quality, and increase capacity.

See for yourself!