ROCAND Inc Quebec Canada

The increased demand for advanced injection molding is working its way up the ladder, and mold manufacturers are responding to the need for service and support in Mexico. Quebec City’s Rocand Inc. recently set up a new service facility in Mexico to enhance the company’s competitiveness. There is no question that Mexico is a land of opportunity for skilled and ambitious plastic processors, particulary in industries such as a automotive an aerospace. However with the increasing presence of supply chains and OEMs in the country's industrial centers, Canadien moldmakers are also finding a demand for their skills in Mexico.

After more than 10 years in the business, Quebec City, Que.-based Rocand Inc. recently announced that it had set up a plant in the Escobedo Industrial Park in Monterrey. Rocand is a mold & die designer and manufacturer for the injection molding, extrusion and blow molding sectors.
According to Rocand, the geographical expansion enhanced its competitiveness, enabling the company to offer high quality products with better lead times.
“Rocand is a close supplier that can offer continuous technical support for new molds, for mold maintenance, repair and modification near our client,” explained company president Andre Rochette.
The facility, which had been in development for approximately two years, features 8,000 square feet of production floor space and 5,000 square feet of office space. Management’s first goal was to provide enhanced and value-added service to Rocand’s past and existing clients, many of whom have operations in Mexico.
“We have installed this facility to offer technical support to our clients in Mexico,” said Rocand’s vice president Sarah Begin. “The facility is presently involved in mold maintenance and light engineering changes on the mold.”

Read it on CANPLASTICS.COM


Industrial Directory

Milacron in Mexico

“The new facility signifies our ongoing dedication to making a positive impact on customers in this market.” The speaker is Ross Anderson, president of Milacron’s Machinery Technologies in North America. The market is Mexico, and the new facility is Milacron’s just-opened Plastics Technology Center in Queretaro. Anderson stressed that the company, active in the Mexican market for 25 years, is committed not only to serving its existing customer base but also to expanding with new customers.

The Center includes Milacron’s U.S. and Ferromatik injection machinery, Uniloy blowmolding technology, Extrusion Systems, plus its Servtek and Cimcool businesses, all under one roof with what Anderson calls best-in-class equipment and expanded aftermarket services, training being among them.

The Center’s service menu includes rebuild, retrofit, and remanufacture of processing machines, which it says will let regional customers receive these services quickly and cost effectively. It says that rebuilding used equipment locally is a lower-cost solution for adding capacity, and that its enhanced retrofitting capabilities can upgrade performance without the capital cost of new equipment.

Prior to this, several of Milacron’s businesses offered sales, technical service, support, and training from a smaller technical center in Mexico City. Even though the main operations are relocating to Queretaro, which will be the Mexico center for service parts and support, a service and technical support network for all types of Milacron machinery technology will remain in the Mexico City area. —rob.neilley@cancom.com

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TNT in Saltillo Mexico

TNT recently developed a state-of-the-art operation for wheel sub-assembly for one of these plants in Saltillo, Mexico. Using a multimillion-dollar piece of equipment, TNT workers mount tires on wheels, inflate and balance them, and then sequence them into the carmakers’ assembly lines in another part of town.
TNT brings more than half of the parts going to the plants from within Mexico. This is one area that has changed in recent years. The portion of parts that are supplied domestically within Mexico has steadily been on the rise.
"The supply base in Mexico now is growing very quickly," said John Hollett, director of business development for TNT Logistics North America. "The Big Three car builders used to keep their historical supply and supplier base in the United States and trucked the parts to Mexico. When they moved operations to Mexico, they found out that the operating capabilities in Mexico far exceeded their expectations."
According to Hollett, the expansion of suppliers within Mexico wouldnít be so significant if they weren’t providing high-quality manufacturing operations to their customers. "The initial perception was that the young manufacturing base in Mexico would come with a lower standard of quality than in the U.S.," says Hollett, who set up TNT’s wheel plants in Saltillo. "But weíve found that the quality of suppliers in Mexico is equal to and sometimes better than U.S.-based suppliers. And this has fueled growth down there more than anything else."
This means that TNT and other logistics providers can develop scheduled delivery transportation programs in Mexico much like in the states. "We’re developing a domestic pickup-and-sequencing mentality within Mexico," says Hollett. "This will equate to an improved delivery network and lower logistics cost over time."
In addition, TNT has found that the quality of its Mexican work force exceeded its expectations, too. "The first perception you have of going to Mexico is all those built-in cultural biases that have existed for years," he adds. "But we were pleased with the work ethic of the people and their desire to become more skilled. There is a desire to learn, and they have a true dedication to our customers and to the operation, even if it involves staying late to work through a backlog. And our turnover rate is steadily declining as well."


Read completely on Lacation Mexico.com

How to buy molds

Ten tips to buy molds

1. Know your mold vendors. 2. Make sure the quotes are fairly equal (apples-to-apples) for the type of mold you are buying.
3. Understand what it is you're buying, i.e. mold type.
4. Understand the costs involved in the type of mold being purchased.
5. Look at the "total cost of ownership" of the mold, not just the quoted price.
6. Issue purchase orders for new molds and invoices for down payment/progress payments in a timely manner. Issue purchase orders for ECOs in a timely manner as well.
7. Formalize all communications in writing to reduce chance of misunderstandings.
8. Educate mold vendors in your purchasing procedures to reduce time and eliminate errors.
9. Communicate regularly with engineering and the moldmaker to minimize misunderstandings about schedule changes or additional costs that might be incurred.
10. Become educated about moldmakers and the services and products they provide, and choose your mold vendor based on capabilities in addition to delivery and price.


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Mold Maker Salary information

This free salary calculator uses salary data from millions of job listings indexed by Simply Hired's job search engine. The Mold Maker salary comparisons feature allows job seekers to get the information required to make important career decisions and negotiate salary ranges.

The average salary for mold maker jobs is $37,000. Average mold maker salaries can vary greatly due to company, location, industry, experience and benefits.

For additional Mold Maker salary information, we recommend visiting Payscale.com.

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Benefits of Saltillo Mexico

Saltillo is in the middle of one of the most important industrial regions of Mexico and it
combines the best of being near the border with being in the interior of Mexico.
• Major industrial base of Mexico
• Largest Automotive cluster in Mexico
– Number one producer of vehicles
– 26% of the national productions
• Houses solid and diversified production structure
– Plastics
– Electric & electronic
– Metal-mechanic
– Steel
– Aerospace
• Home to industry giants such as
• Caterpillar
• Chrysler
• General Motors
• General Electric/Mabe
• John Deere
• Kimberly Clark
• Renault
• Whirlpool

• Abundant well educated workforce
• Population: >700,000
• Manufacturing experience: > 45% employed by the manufacturing sector
• 19 Universities
• 3 Research centers
• Combines the best of being near the border with being in the interior
• Less than 3 hours from Laredo, TX
• Within 40 miles of Monterrey
• Labor costs and employee turnover < Monterrey and the border • A city which is clean and safe • A climate which is cool and dry due to its 5,000 foot elevation • Easy access – Excellent roads from the USA – Multiple flights to Saltillo or Monterrey international airports • A state government which is aggressively working to attract new companies.

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Understand MEXICO

Toyota Boshoku America Announces Merger of Two Companies in Mexico

Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, MX) January 7, 2008 - Toyota Boshoku America (TBA) leaders announced today, the recent merger of two of its sister automotive parts production subsidiaries located in Northeast Mexico.

Toyota Boshoku is aiming to establish efficient business management structures by strengthening collaboration within group companies. This includes establishing strategic regional head offices which serve as leaders in each region of the world. The Toyota Boshoku America region includes North, Central America and South America.

The TBA companies in consolidation are Toyota Boshoku Monterrey, S.A. de C.V. (TBMA Santa Catarina in Nuevo Leon) which makes seat covers for Toyota Motor's Sienna; and Araco de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (Ramos Arizpe in Coahuila) which makes seats for General Motors' Chevrolet HHR, Chevy Tahoe, and GMC Yukon.

Made effective January 1, 2008, as a merging corporation of TBMO, the company is now named TB de Mexico, S.A. de C.V.

Toyota Boshoku America is a premier manufacturer of automotive interior systems which include seats, door trims, headliner sub-stratas, carpets, fabrics, straps and round recliners in addition to air and oil filters and power train systems for a variety of customers such as Toyota Motor Corporation and General Motors.