Autumn might be a few days away, but summer is still on our minds as we remember all the fun the Mack North family had during this year’s Summer Picnic at The Great Escape!
Mack Prototype Goes Big with Large Part Additive Manufacturing
Company Adds Talent in Purchasing, Compliance and Office Management
GARDNER, Mass. (Feb. 7, 2023) – Mack Prototype, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mack Molding Co. focused on complex prototyping and low-volume manufacturing, has grown its additive manufacturing capabilities with the addition of a Stratasys F770 capable of producing large 3D printed parts.
The F770 is a Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) system that runs both ABS and ASA materials. It features the widest build chamber of any Stratasys FDM 3D printer and a significant build envelope that spans 39 inches by 24 inches by 24 inches. That is 13-cubic feet of build volume allowing it to produce large parts or significant assortments of smaller parts. Typical part accuracy is +/- .010 inches (.254 millimeters) or +/- .002 inches/inches (.050 millimeters/millimeters), whichever is greater.
“We are excited to add the F770 machine, with Stratasys’ known track record for durability and reliability, to our fleet of 3D printers,” said Mack Prototype President Greg Cebular. “The new machine will allow us to print large parts as a single piece without needing to bond parts together, with applications ranging from producing large prototypes to large master patterns used in cast urethane molding and low-volume, batch runs of parts of various sizes.”
In the last 18 months, Mack Prototype has bolstered its additive manufacturing capabilities with more than $875,000 in investments in equipment and infrastructure. In addition to the Stratasys, the Company’s fleet includes a smaller format FDM printer, along with Carbon CLIP Digital Light Synthesis (DLS), HP Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) and Formlabs Stereolithography (SLA) machines. Whether its prototyping or production parts, the breadth of Mack Proto’s 3D printing services allows customers to match production solutions with their cost, material and end use parameters, while speeding up the product development lifecycle.
“From just a few parts to as many as a few thousand, our team of engineers can help customers with their low-volume and bridge production requirements with flexible solutions designed to deliver high-quality parts while reducing time and cost,” Cebular added. “Even better, if those production needs change we are prepared to help customers meet volume demand with traditional tooling, rapidly scaling production here or at one of Mack’s larger manufacturing centers.”
New Talent
Mack Prototype has matched its capital equipment investments by bringing in new team members to support the Company’s growing customer base.
Eric Boyce has been appointed Purchasing & Compliance Manager, with responsibility for handling all vendor/supplier relations, as well as ISO, FDA and UL certifications, registrations, audits and other compliance matters. Boyce brings more than 15 years of custom manufacturing and ISO experience to the role. He most recently served as plant manager for Worthen Industries Nyclo Division in Clinton, Mass., where he was responsible for all building and personnel functions. Boyce also played a significant role in leading document creation and control activities, including production process controls and ISO documents, along with associated training activities.
Rhonda Fox has joined the team as Office Manager, leading office and administrative duties, including accounting, accounts receivable, accounts payable and human resources. Fox brings more than 40 years of experience in manufacturing, including 10 years as an assistant plant manager. Prior to Mack Proto, she was office manager/assistant plant manager for Eustis Enterprises in Ashburnham, Mass., where she was responsible for bookkeeping, human resources, serving as a contact for vendors and general front-end office management. She also previously gained experienced as a payroll and human resources specialist with Resource Management, Inc., in Fitchburg, Mass.
“Eric and Rhonda bring significant experience and energy to Mack Prototype,” Cebular said, “and they will be great assets to the team as we continue to deliver complex prototyping and low-volume production services to our customers.”
About Mack Molding
Mack Molding is a leading custom plastics molder and supplier of contract manufacturing services. Mack specializes in plastics design, prototyping, molding, sheet metal fabrication, full-service machining and medical device manufacturing. Founded in 1920, Mack is a privately owned business that operates 12 facilities throughout the world. Will Kendall is President and CEO. For more information, go to www.mack.com.
About Mack Prototype
Mack Prototype offers 75,000 square feet of manufacturing in an ISO 13485 certified environment for prototyping and low-volume production. With rapid manufacturing services, including 3D printing and additive manufacturing; cast urethane molding; plastic injection molding; CNC machining; and NPI Launch Lab, Mack Prototype can take products from prototype to production. For more information, visit www.mackprototype.com.
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Noah Wass Appointed Plant Manager at Mack’s Cavendish Facility
ARLINGTON, Vt. (Feb. 7, 2023) – Mack Molding, a leading custom plastic injection molder and supplier of contract manufacturing services, announced today Noah Wass has been appointed Plant Manager of the Company’s Cavendish facility.
“Noah brings significant leadership, engineering and quality experience to Mack’s operations team,” said Mack North Vice President of Manufacturing Operations Rich Hornby. “His broad expertise spans from plant and warehouse operations to team development and Lean Six Sigma. Noah’s breadth of skills, coupled with his passion for manufacturing, will serve the Cavendish team well as they bring our customers’ products to life.”
Wass, whose tenure in manufacturing and engineering spans more than 15 years, most recently served as plant manager for Elkhart Plastics in Ridgefield, Wash., before joining Mack. Within that role, Wass implemented automation in key production areas, redesigned operational workflow to maximize operational efficiency and improved employee retention. He had previously worked as engineering manager at Elkhart, leading the engineering and quality teams. Wass also built engineering experience as a design engineer with Cascade Dafo, where he designed products, plastic injection molding tooling and manufacturing equipment for the custom consumer orthotics market. He has a bachelor of science degree in plastics engineering technology from Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash.
About Mack Molding
Mack Molding is a leading custom plastics molder and supplier of contract manufacturing services. Mack specializes in plastics design, prototyping, molding, sheet metal fabrication, full-service machining and medical device manufacturing. Founded in 1920, Mack is a privately owned business that operates 12 facilities throughout the world. Will Kendall is President and CEO. For more information, go to www.mack.com.
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Mack Team Grows With Business
ARLINGTON, Vt. (Feb. 7, 2023) – Demand for U.S.-based plastic injection molding and contract manufacturing services remains strong, driving Mack Molding to bring several engineering and business professionals on to the Company’s manufacturing, quality, purchasing and customer management teams in both its Northern and Southern Divisions.
“Mack continues to see significant interest from customers looking to have products manufactured in the U.S.,” said Mack Molding President Jeff Somple. “The market behaviors we saw as a result of the global pandemic and associated supply chain challenges have not changed, and in fact seem to have strengthened in the markets we serve. The latest additions to our team will ensure we continue to rise to the challenge.”
MACK NORTH
Mack’s Northern Division hired Andrew Sleasman as a Program Manager at the Company’s Headquarters in Arlington, Vt. Sleasman is an experienced mechanical engineer with strong connections to plastic molding and manufacturing. He comes to Mack from Telescope Casual Furniture in Granville, N.Y., where he served as chief industrial engineer. Previously, Sleasman built plastics and manufacturing engineering expertise as a project engineer with Cookson Plastic Molding in Latham, N.Y, and as a design engineer with Environment One Corporation in Niskayuna, N.Y. He has a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering technology from the State University of New York Polytechnic Institute in Utica, N.Y.
Carolyn Bigwood has joined Mack’s Cavendish, Vt., plant as Materials Manager. Bigwood bring background in operations, project management and inventory control to the Company. She most recently served as operations manager at Whitney Blake Company in Bellows Falls, Vt., overseeing workflow, raw material inventory and safety stocks. She previously served Whitney Blake in roles of increasing responsibility, including production planner and buyer, and materials planning supervisor. She has a bachelor of business administration and management from Granite State College in Concord, N.H.
Daniel Cosachov has been appointed as a Manufacturing Engineering at Mack Headquarters. Cosachov is a recent graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, N.Y., where he received a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering with a minor in plastics engineering and technology. Prior to Mack, Cosachov gained engineering experience at PPC Broadband, Inc., where he created and designed products, including prototyping a data distribution device. During a co-op with D&W Diesel, Cosachov increased the production output of remanufactured fuel injection pumps for large diesel engines. He also received Six Sigma Green Belt Certification at RIT.
Mack Headquarters also has welcomed Joe Ireland as a Manufacturing Engineer. Ireland brings more than seven years of design and manufacturing experience to Mack. Prior to joining the team, he most recently worked as an applications engineer with Fluid Power Sales/Applied Industrial Tech. in Baldwinsville, N.Y. During his tenure there, Ireland created technical drawings and schematics, significantly reduced customer machine startup and troubleshooting time by programming real-time diagnostics and helped drive cost reductions and operational improvements. He has a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y.
Nicole McCarvill, who is no stranger to Mack after serving as a Sales & Engineering intern at the Company’s Headquarters, has joined the team full-time as a Manufacturing Engineer. McCarvill is a recent graduate of Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, N.Y., where she received a bachelor of engineering degree in mechanical engineering. As a Mack intern, she built a built a deep understanding of the Company’s processes and procedures as she assisted the program management team with RFQs and managing pricing updates, as well as creating and routing engineering change orders (ECOs) to obsolete parts, update revisions and provide support documentation for component qualifications.
Also joining the team at Mack Headquarters as a Manufacturing Engineer is Katie Rawluszki, who brings 10 years of engineering experience to the role. Prior to Mack, Rawluszki was product manager, mechanical rolls, at Valmet, Inc., in Federal Way, Wash., where she prepared drawings of major components, facilitated in-house engineering and process improvements, and provided support at customer facilities. Rawluszki previously gained engineering experience as a mechanical design/applications engineer at GL&V USA in Hudson Falls, N.Y. She has a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering technology from the State University of New York Polytechnic Institute in Utica, N.Y.
Ryan Star has been appointed as a Manufacturing Engineer at Mack’s Cavendish, Vt., facility. Before joining Mack, Ryan worked as a machine operator at Metal-Flex Welded Bellows, Inc., in Newport, Vt., where he was responsible for operating CNC lathes and mills, as well as programming operations and creating manufacturing procedures. Ryan previously gained manufacturing experience at Nevtec, Ltd., also in Newport, where he fabricated sheet metal ductwork. A graduate of Vermont Technical College in Randolph, VT, Ryan received a bachelor of science degree in manufacturing engineering technology.
Ryan Murphy has accepted the position of Supplier Engineer on the Purchasing team at Mack Headquarters. Murphy is a recent graduate of Keene State College in Keene, N.H., where he received bachelor of applied science degree in sustainable product design and innovation. Before joining Mack, Murphy gained valuable manufacturing experience as a manufacturing engineering intern with Stanley Back & Decker/Lenox American Saw & Manufacturing Company, where he worked on scrap reduction, optimized cycle times and worked with vendors to research new manufacturing processes.
Another former Mack intern, Guy Milliman, has joined the IT team at the Company’s Headquarters as a Software Applications Engineer responsible for developing applications that bridge manufacturing and IT in respect to process improvements, efficiencies and cost savings. A recent graduate of the University of Denver in Denver, Colo., Milliman has a bachelor of science degree in computer engineering. As a Mack intern, he worked on manufacturing lines creating work instructions, startup procedures, troubleshooting driver boards and assisting with motor assemblies. These skills will serve him well as he drives increased manufacturing performance through the integration of technology.
Hillary Burdick has accepted the position of Procurement Specialist in the Purchasing Department at Mack Headquarters. Burdick comes to Mack with five years of experience in purchasing management and quality control. She most recently served as purchasing manager at Dailey Precast in Shaftsbury, Vt., where she built and maintained relationship with suppliers while managing inventory levels for a large precast concrete business. Burdick also previously served as a customer service specialist with Unishippers of Bennington, Vt., focusing on scheduling shipments and data entry.
MACK SOUTH
Pamela McCloud has accepted the position of Quality Manager within Mack’s Southern Division at the Inman, S.C., facility. McCloud, who is IATF/ISO Global Lead Auditor Certified, comes to the role with more than 20 years of quality and leadership experience. Prior to Mack, McCloud most recently served as quality manager at Diversified Coating Systems, where she provided leadership and facilitated the implantation of company objectives for technical and quality personnel. She also previously managed complaint management at baier & michels GmbH & Co. KG., was quality manager at Crown Group and worked as a quality engineer at Syncreon.
Mack’s Inman plant also has welcomed Allison Stephens as Purchasing Manager. Stephens brings 15 years of account management and procurement experience to the role, with expertise in supply chain management and ERP systems. Prior to Mack, she most recently served a commodity buyer, assistant buyer and material planner Bode North America in Spartanburg, S.C. Stephens previously built purchasing and manufacturing experience as a procurement buyer and planner with Human Technologies, Inc., in Fountain Inn, S.C., as well as a planning manager and SAP super user with Senator International in Spartanburg.
Mack’s Southern Division has welcomed back as Molding Manager at the Inman facility, a role in which he previously served Mack. Perrier brings more than 20 years of injection molding, with expertise in automated equipment, materials processing, Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED), lean manufacturing and 5S, and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM). His strong engineering and tooling background comes from roles such as senior process engineer for Rochling Automotive in Duncan, S.C., as well as a tooling manager, quality engineer and process engineer for Carthuplas Inc., in Gaffney, S.C. Perrier has RJG Master Molder I Certification.
Tanner Webb has been appointed to the role of Manufacturing Engineer at Mack’s Inman, S.C., facility. Webb is a recent graduate of Clemson University, in Clemson, S.C., where he earned a bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering. He is a certified Solidworks Associate and Six Sigma Greenbelt. Prior to Mack, Webb worked as a co-op in the quality department on US Engine Valve in Westminster, S.C. Within that role, he gained valuable manufacturing engineering experience, including machine programming, designing improved gages, conducting gage studies and standardizing measurements for a new line of exhaust valves.
Danny Johnson has rejoined Mack’s Southern Division as a Tooling Engineer on the Sales and Engineering team based in Inman, S.C. Johnson, who previously served Mack as a molding process engineer at the Inman plant, brings 35 years of tooling experience to the role, including expertise in debugging and process development. He previously gained valuable engineering and tooling experience at Delta Mold, Inc., in Charlotte, N.C., where he worked as vice president of manufacturing and product development, as well as plant manager.
Mack’s Inman, S.C., facility has welcomed Scott Fowler as a Process Engineer. Fowler comes to Mack with more than 30 years of plastics manufacturing experience. Prior to Mack, Fowler most recently served as a process engineer at Alliance Precision Plastics, where he focused on optimizing molding area performance, analyzing processes and recommending corrective actions, and driving continuous improvement related to cycle times, scrap and energy usage. He previously built expertise in plastics and engineering in supervisor roles at Wilbert Plastics, Jarden Plastics, Mikron and Plastic Injectors, Inc. Fowler is a U.S. Navy Veteran, E-5, and served on the U.S.S. Eisenhower.
Kayla Goucher has joined Mack South’s Sales and Engineering team as a Customer Service Associate based in the Inman, S.C., facility. Goucher brings significant plastics industry experience, with a focus on customer service and account management. Prior to Mack, Goucher most recently served as account manager for Colors for Plastics, Inc., in Spartanburg, S.C., where she managed communications with customers, including troubleshooting, quoting and procedures while focusing on quality and customer satisfaction.
About Mack Molding
Mack Molding is a leading custom plastics molder and supplier of contract manufacturing services. Mack specializes in plastics design, prototyping, molding, sheet metal fabrication, full-service machining and medical device manufacturing. Founded in 1920, Mack is a privately owned business that operates 12 facilities throughout the world. Will Kendall is President and CEO. For more information, go to www.mack.com.
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Understanding LAB and Color
Every day we see “color” all around us, but the perception of that color changes based on changing parameters. An object will appear to have a different visual perception to each person depending on the object’s material composition, surface texture, and the type of light directed at it. Color is what we see when light is reflected from an object at a different wavelength and then our brain interprets these signals as what we describe as color. If an object appears white it is due to that object having the absence of all color as it reflects all light. If an object appears black it is due to that object having the presence of all color as it absorbs all light.
White light has all colors within it, which includes red, green, and blue. What wavelength an object reflects is dependent on the light source. When looking at plastic parts, the type of light above your work station can have a large effect on what you see. Whether a light is D55, D65, F2/10, halogen, or LED can change visually what is being seen.
Kelvin:
The “temperature” of a light is referred to as Kelvin. This scale is used to let you know the look and feel of the lighting. The scale goes from 1,000K to 10,000K. The lower this number, the more yellow it appears. The higher the number, the more blue. Natural white light is around 5,000-6,000K. D55 lighting is at 5500 kelvin and D65 would be at 6500 kelvin.
Additive and Subtractive Color:
Knowing the light source you are using is extremely important as objects may absorb a specific color. For example, a shirt appears yellow (red and green light) because it is the only color that is being reflected. The rest are absorbed by the shirt. This means that blue light is being absorbed causing red and green light to mix and appear yellow. However, if that same shirt was to have cyan light directed at it, it would appear green. Cyan Is the mixture of green and blue light. As the shirt absorbs all blue light, only the green remains.
As color absorption goes, yellow absorbs blue light, while cyan absorbs red light and magenta absorbs green light. This helps show why the type of light, and the temperature color of that light, can influence the final appearance of a plastic part or any object.
Using Spectrophotometers and LAB values:
The X-rite is a common tool used here at Mack to help measure the color of the plastic part. It is important to know what these values mean. The model used here at Mack is like the photo shown to the right. It can be set to measure single points on a surface or compare two parts against each other. The light source standard used at Mack is F2/10 lighting – a cool white fluorescent that is common office room lighting.
- L – refers to the lightness of the part ranging on a scale of 0 to 100. 0 is pure black (dark) and 100 is pure white (light).
- a – refers to the red-green range. A negative “a” value is green while a positive “a” value is red. 0 is neutral and unlike the L value, “a” has no defined range limit.
- b – refers to blue-yellow range. A negative “b” value is blue while a positive “b” value is yellow. The higher the “b,” the more yellow it is. Like “a,” “b” also has no defined range limit.
- ∆E – is a way to combine all three values together to compare to another standard. If comparing two samples, ∆E can give you an overall difference to help determine if the sample is close in color to the standard. Limits can be set depending on the application. The closer to 0, the closer in color. Generally anything over a ∆E of 2.0-3.0 can be differentiated by the average human. Less than a 2.0 is considered to be a very close color match but again is dependent on the chosen standard by a company and their application. However, just because the ∆E is under 2, this does not mean that a person still cannot see the differences between the two samples. It is a complex formula taking into account all three numbers in LAB. A 1-point difference in one value may not be as easy to tell apart in another value.
Discerning Color:
Every human sees color differently. Not every person should be allowed to make decisions on color matching as some humans can differentiate color better than others. There is a standard test referred to as the Farnsworth Munsell 100 Hue test. This will test your ability to perceive colors in the correct order based on hue. The example below shows 4 lines of colors which must be placed in order from one end to the color based on the gradual change in hue. They gradually change color to match the stationary block at the most left or right of the row.
The score is based on how many are in the correct order and how long it takes that person to complete the test. A score of 0 is a perfect score. The higher the number, the more difficulty a person has with differentiating color. If you would like to take a basic test (not the full test), you can find it using this link: https://www.colorblindnesstest.org/farnsworth-munsell-100-hue-test/.
Color Matching Resins:
A number of factors are considered when trying to determine the color required for a specific resin. A color pellet can be manufactured to match a color chip or a color number, such as a PMS number. However, the same color pellet may not be usable for each type of resin or result in the same color. Things such as viscosity, melt processing temperatures, gloss, filler content, and chemical conditions must be considered when developing a colored resin.
When a color is matched, the resin can come in two forms. Resin can be pre-colored, or it can be a cube blend. A pre-colored resin comes ready to run as the pellets are already the desired color. A cube blend uses raw, natural colored resin and is mixed proportionally with colored pellets called a Masterbatch. These two methods will not necessarily be the same when processed but is useful to get color match samples from the supplier for the method you intend to use.
In general, plastics should be able to maintain a delta E of 3 and below. For example, the image below shows a standard color to a color matched plastic swatch. Each square has a different texture but all squares fall with 1.5-2.0 of delta E values.
For more information this or any of your plastic injection molding needs, please feel free to reach out to us!
This tech topic was written by Matt Woodard, a Tool Design Engineer in the Application Development Center at Mack HQ. Woodard is experienced in process engineering, quality engineering and production. Prior to Mack, Woodward was a process engineer for CY Plastics in Honeoye, N.Y., where he priced new molds and served as a liaison between mold makers and customers during the mold design process. He has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from The Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y.
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