Chris and Taylor, two of Dymotek’s youngest employees, attended a Career Fair at a local high school today. Their goal is to improve the general perception of manufacturing careers found in high schools and to prove that manufacturing can be fun and provide a great career path for graduates. Great job!
By: Mark Broding- Project Engineer
The Sino-Japanese word “kaizen” is simply translated to mean “good change”. It’s also a buzz word these days in lean manufacturing principles. But what is it?
Dymotek’s focus is always to provide products a) of the highest quality, b) at the lowest possible cost, and c) delivered on time. This is accomplished by an environment where we “continuously improve” our manufacturing operations to support those three goals. As the term “continuous improvement” suggests, this requires a system that will, over a period of time, push Dymotek forward. It’s like a water wheel in a stream which turns little by little, but continuously.
So how do we feed the water wheel to keep it continuously moving? The answer is to execute Kaizen (“good change”) activities that follow a simple PLAN – DO – CHECK – ADJUST (PDCA) approach:
– PLAN: Before the improvement is made it needs to be planned out. Measurements are taken to understand the current state. For example, if it’s a molding process that needs improvement, then the cycle time and part quality is recorded. If it’s an assembly process that needs improvement, then the assembly steps are mapped out and measured. Schedules for the implementation of the improvement project are developed and finalized. The expectations of the improvement are also clearly identified.
– DO: The improvement is implemented. While this is the most visible portion of the Kaizen activity, it must be done with as little impact to day-to-day production requirements as possible and with absolutely no impact on part quality.
– CHECK: Measurements of the improved state are taken to verify that the outcome of the improvement is aligned with the expectations.
– ADJUST: If the outcome is not aligned with the expectations, corrective actions are taken to adjust the improvement until the expected improvement is reached.
Probably the main difference between traditional programs of innovation and the PDCA Kaizen activity is the ability to check and correct the course on the go. This is possible because unlike other programs, Kaizen happens in small steps. You can measure the results after every step and you will be able to correct the changes after every step.
At Dymotek we are committed to improving at a continuous pace using PDCA Kaizen activities. This will make sure that we are not only going forward, but that we are going in the right direction for our customers and our employees.
By: Don Alexander- Quality Engineer
There is an old saying in Manufacturing that “Quality is everyone’s business.” As a Quality Assurance Engineer, I embrace that belief. Better still, however, is the fact that we at Dymotek all embrace it.
I have worked for a dozen different manufacturers in my career in Quality in roles ranging from Consultant to QA Engineer to QA Manager and I have never seen a company embrace quality as a lifestyle more than I have here at Dymotek. From our owners to our newest machine operator, quality is our #2 priority (#1 is safety). “Quality, then quantity” is heard on a consistent basis, with management emphasizing this daily. Are we perfect? Of course not (no manufacturer is), but I can honestly say that we strive for perfection.
If you’ve ever worked in a Quality Department anywhere, you’ve probably heard the term “Quality Police.” That term is used when the Quality Department is the main (or only) source of product quality inspection, and of the 12 manufacturers I’ve worked with, 11 had to use “Quality police”, as the Production Departments were more concerned with quantity than quality. In some cases, machine operators were punished for not reaching the production quantities they were expected to attain, so they concentrated on producing and packaging product while ignoring quality. In other cases, product quality was placed solely in the hands of the Quality Department and operators were not trained to inspect product.
Here at Dymotek our operators are trained to detect general injection molding defects, such as flash, shorts/non-fills or contamination and defects specific to the parts being produced. They are aided by part-specific work instructions created by our Quality Department with input from the Production and Engineering departments and in some cases, the operators themselves (I have found that machine operators can give you the best input, as they are on the “front lines” and know what is going on). These work instructions detail all aspects of a job, including cell set-up, operations, assembly (if appropriate), packaging and inspection. They also include photos of good product AND common defects for the product. These work instructions are living documents and are updated whenever a “new” defect is discovered or if methods, packaging or anything else related to that product change. Again, in many cases, our machine operators are drivers of the changes made.
You might be asking, “If quality is everyone’s responsibility, then what does your Quality Department do?” I am so glad you asked. The main reason a Quality Department is SUPPOSED TO exist is to be a support department. At Dymotek, that is exactly what we do.
1) Our top priority is to support our Production Department. We do this by creating work instructions, First Piece Inspection and In-Process Inspection Sheets, assisting in training operators, lead operators and auditors (all members of the Production Department) in their tasks, creating Quality Alerts or Deviations, and performing Gage R&R studies to ensure that the gages being used by the technicians, lead operators and, in some cases, operators, are the correct ones to use to accurately AND efficiently measure the products we make. We do more to assist Production, but you get the idea.
2) We also support the Engineering Department by taking part in new projects from the beginning of the project. We give our input and raise any concerns we might have when reviewing part blueprints (drawings), we offer our assistance in creating Qualification Plans for the new parts and we perform the metrology (metrology is the science of measurement) needed to qualify the new product along with giving feedback on our findings. We also give our recommendations on any fixtures or part-specific gages that might be needed to measure the new parts and we work with the customer’s Quality Department to determine visual, testing and other requirements for their products. During our qualification runs, we perform Gage R&R’s to ensure that the gages used are suitable, part layouts to make sure that the parts meet blueprint specifications and capability studies to ensure that the process is capable of continuously making good, consistent product. We do more, but this is a good sample of our work with Engineering.
3) We support the whole company by creating, reviewing, maintaining and supporting the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s), Work Instructions (WI’s) and forms that make up our Quality System which helps keep us focused on our goals and the direction we want to take to become a world-class manufacturer.
4) We also support our Customer Service, Shipping and Receiving in various ways, but I think you’ve got the idea. Although the role of “Quality Police” doesn’t exist here at Dymotek, we are kept busy, and with our new facility opening soon and business increasing, it will only get busier.
Someone once said, “Evidence of your culture is what people do when they’re not being watched.” At Dymotek, we believe in quality, and the proof is in the trust that we have in our people and the quality product that we manufacture.
By: Frank Fasano- Quality Assurance Manager
First a little bit of history of where the “Dymotek” name originated. The name, “Dymotek” is an amalgamation of three words – Dynamic Molding Technology. Our early foundation is based on the concept of finding and bringing to our customers innovative, value-added product design and technology. The key message being “value-added.” Giving our customers the value they need through cutting-edge design and technologies to open up new markets, advance product quality and maximize output efficiencies.
What or who is a Subject Matter Expert (SME). A SME is an individual or entity who exhibits the highest level of expertise in performing a specialized job, task, or skill within an industry.
How does one become a SME? Usually knowledge, experience and mastery are needed to truly earn this title. Our journey into becoming a SME was a recognized need for our customers in flash-less Silicone technology and two shot Thermoplastic and Silicone molding. Our Sales and Engineering teams were able to show our customers improved efficiency and product quality through these processes and the possibilities of new products and markets.
Just because we were able to identify and purchase new technology, did not make us subject matter experts. In fact, it made us novices. The in-depth knowledge that was required was in various fragments with our suppliers. As part of our culture, we partner with “World Class” suppliers who are willing to share their knowledge and support our customers. We began by sending our personnel locally and around the world to begin the process of understanding and operating the equipment. In turn, we also had our suppliers in-house to train and continue the development of these processes. We then took all that we had learned and began intensive training of the entire Dymotek workforce so that every person had at a minimum a basic understanding of the material, the equipment, the tools and the automation. Putting all this new equipment and accumulated knowledge to work is where we began the transition to SME. With our initial success, follow on technical achievements and a few years of experience, we were able to achieve the status of SME with our customers.
The exciting and terrifying thing about accepting the challenge of new technologies is there are few people in the world, if any, that have the in-depth knowledge necessary to support you during technical hurdles. Lessons learned to be successful with early adoption of technology are that you must have a strong support network internally and externally. It forces your organization to invest heavily in employee education, problem solving abilities and communication skills. These challenges also demand that your relationships be truly partnerships with your suppliers. The commitment of money, manpower and good old sweat equity are enormous, but the benefits are equally great. Successful customers are the number one return from this effort. The other benefits to innovative technology and new processes are that they set you apart from the competition and allow for superior growth and higher profits.
Manufacturing is recreating and redefining itself, similar to the information technology business sector, but thankfully not at such an extreme pace. Older methodologies and practices do not work well in the global economy where we all must compete. Embracing new technology that brings true value to the customer is what Dymotek believes the best strategy in keeping manufacturing strong.
By: Rob Theriaque- Project Engineer
Dymotek practices a six point service philosophy designed to provide World Class experiences to our customers. Three of those six points deal with researching, experimenting, and implementing new technologies. As an engineer, this is part of what makes it truly special to go to work every day. I’m approaching my seventh anniversary at the company. Over that period, we’ve grown from a group of highly capable thermoplastic injection molders to a team of technically outstanding engineers. We manufacture components with incredible complexity and reliably deliver them to our customers.
The management team here takes every opportunity to empower the employees to seek out the newest and best technology in the industry. We visit, and often exhibit at, NPE, the K-Show, and industry seminars around the globe. Better still, we’re encouraged to bring the technology back to Ellington (and soon, Somers!) and implement the latest in injection molding.
While this is a wonderful incentive for an engineer, this policy enables us to take our customer experience to the next level. Customers seeking out custom manufacturers typically have a problem they need solved. Very rarely does a fully realized concept requiring only tooling and production cross my desk. Whether it’s a material specification, geometry modifications, or the definition of secondary operations and automation, we excel at engineering solutions with a technological approach.
Dymotek engineers aren’t alone in the benefits of this global outreach. Why not take our customers to the source? Dymotek has traveled worldwide with prospective customers to make introductions to the industry leaders. In some cases this is to set up a production cell on an awarded contract. In others it’s to spark the imagination on what is possible. In this way, we’re enabling future product designs to take advantage of the latest production techniques.
A personal favorite of mine is a customer that has a working prototype. Often, these prototypes are fantastically engineered and functional products, but aren’t fully considered from a mass production standpoint. Working directly with the design engineers, we’re able to take the prototype concept and successfully create a process to manufacture units in the millions.
As you walk our production floor, you see example after example of products that have been re-engineered for part performance, cost reduction, and manufacturability. Other products have been developed from the ground up to take advantage of the latest thinking in the industry. I’m very proud to have had a hand in many amazing program launches that have quite literally transformed Dymotek into a technological leader in custom manufacturing.
By: Shelley Fasano- Operations Manager
Maintaining the culture of a company can sometimes be difficult in times of growth. Dymotek reached the milestone of 100 employees in 2013 and as you can imagine with such a large influx of new associates, we were concerned that our culture would be watered down amid all the new activity. When you double your workforce, the opportunities to educate, apply and reflect on the existing culture become more difficult.
We are aware that it requires relentless follow-up; without constant vigilance the culture that we have created and worked hard to realize can very easily get lost in the mix. So, we asked ourselves, what can be done so we don’t lose the values, principles and beliefs Dymotek was founded on (our CULTURE)?
Fortunately, Dymotek is a member of the Manufacturer’s Association for Plastics Processors, Inc (MAPP) and we were able to lean on their expertise. The MAPP organization serves over 300 plastics companies in the United States. Being a member of MAPP gives Dymotek the ability to network with some of the most powerful and successful companies in the plastics industry, whether it be Injection Molding companies or other.
Last October I attended the 2013 Bench-marking & Best Practices Conference presented by MAPP. The two-day event was filled with opportunities to network with peers and hear exceptional speakers discuss anything from Lean Manufacturing to Waste Reduction and everything in-between. I have been lucky enough to attend the conference several years in a row and always leave feeling invigorated and motivated to make changes at Dymotek. 2013 was no different. My biggest take away came from a presentation by Jon Wolske, Zappos Culture Evangelist (isn’t that a great title?). Jon presented on the importance of culture in an organization. This was exactly what we were looking for!
In order to maintain the culture of an organization, Jon had several suggestions, including hire for culture not just skills. Also, he suggested to make rules when necessary, make guidelines for everything else. And lastly, always remember, toxic is toxic and it spreads rapidly. Taking that information home with me, we began to implement a plan to preserve and maintain Dymotek culture, no matter how big we got.
So…What has Dymotek done? A few examples below:
1. We require a member of our Senior Management Team to meet with all 5 of our shifts, every month, for a State of the Union-like discussion. There is a questions and answers session, as well as discussion on anything new happening inside the company, or potential growth we may see. This gives senior management an opportunity to converse face-to-face with all of the employees. This also gives employees, who don’t normally see the office staff, a chance to hear things from the horse’s mouth.
2. We created a Communication Board where all employees have the ability to ask any question and receive a written response within one week from Norm, our executive VP and GM. This gives every employee a venue to voice their ideas, thoughts and/or concerns. The communication board sees a wide variety of questions, including ones about why certain decisions were made, or why Dymotek does certain things. Most questions prove valuable. Also we have received great ideas for change from employees on the communication board. Similar to the monthly senior management meetings, the communication board keeps the lines of communication open. This supports key components of Dymotek’s culture.
3. We completely shut the facility down to hold a company-wide meeting. Last year’s meeting, we created a Dymotek timeline. This timeline had broken down how did Dymotek get to where it is now? Milestones, like when the first press was purchased and when the company expanded for the first time were captured on the timeline. This was a great exercise that shared the Dymotek history with our (55) new employees and gave them a sense of belonging.
4. We hired a full-time trainer. Our Education Coordinator, Taylor, introduces Dymotek to each new associate upon hire. Taylor spends time presenting the company, going over Dymotek’s past, present and future, as well as the safety philosophy and individualized job information. We have found that investing in employees up front and immersing them in our philosophies is more effective in maintaining our culture, than all of the above combined. (More to come in upcoming blogs about our new training strategy.)
It’s been said before, and it will be said again, Dymotek is an amazing place to work and we strive every day to make it better. Holding onto the great culture of who we are and who we are striving to be makes me proud to be part of something so special.
By: Normand Forest- Executive VP and GM
I am writing this post as I come up on two milestones. One, a personal career milestone and the other a companywide milestone.
The first milestone: this week marks my 17th year of employment at Dymotek, the longest time frame in my career. My time at Dymotek (formerly Truebro) started in the late 1990’s. At that time, I was their 5th employee. Dymotek was founded in 1990 by brothers Tom and Steve Trueb. They had patented a plumbing product and wanted to begin manufacturing in their hometown of Ellington, CT. They converted an old lumber yard into a state of the art injection molding facility and this is where it all began.
In the early years of the company, we saw modest growth in both the acquisition of new molding machines and of new employees. This gave us the opportunity to invest time into our employees and allow them to grow into new positions, as the company grew. Through growth, necessity and “on the job training” operators were quickly promoted into material and process technician roles. This is something I am often reminded of when I am writing out employment anniversary cards to our associates. It seems like just yesterday I was teaching operators, who are now technicians, how to process or change molds.
Fast forward a few years, to 2004, and we were busting at the seams! We added 21,000 square feet to our facility and had over 30 employees. With the room to spread out and the personnel to support the work, we spent the next decade investing in and becoming experts in cutting edge injection molding technology, including six axis robotics and assembly cells. In addition to the investment of capital, we continued training and creating opportunity for our employees to grow internally, including RJG, Solid Works, DISC, and QBQ.
To go hand in hand with our newly added technology, space and world class associates, we embraced the new technology of molding liquid silicone rubber (LSR). Dymotek viewed this process as a strategic diversification of our core competencies for the future. As a team, we conquered all of the issues LSR molding threw at us, and can now call ourselves experts in this niche market. To this day (with great support from our owners), we place a very high importance on technology in our facility and continue to hone our silicone molding expertise.
As I celebrate my 17th anniversary at Dymotek, I can’t help but to reflect on what was and what is. This is where the second milestone comes into play. In the 1990’s I was hired as the 5th employee. Come 2014 I am happy to say Dymotek crossed the threshold and employees over 100 people. What started out as a small molding company in a renovated lumberyard now provides jobs to over 100 people, supports 100 families, specializes in very technical processes and is, once again, busting at the seams. I am humbled by the success, achievements, development, and truly incredible team that has been assembled over the years. I have been lucky enough to grow with this company, from a small molder to a world class injection molding company. It’s a very special corporation and we truly are a Dymotek Family.
After our last post, a co-worker presented me with this photo that was taken at one of our partners facilities in Austria. Beautiful view of the mountains in the background!
By: John Moutafis- VP of Engineering
In order to thrive in today’s global economy, a world class injection molding company needs world class partners. This is something we strongly believe in at Dymotek. One of the ingredients in our recipe for success is to seek out, and partner with the world’s best. Working with the best sometimes means working with people that live halfway around the world and speak a different native language. The common theme that ties us together is a desire for excellence.
Choosing this path is not an easy one, with obstacles including language barriers and travel commitments. So, why do it?
As a business, Dymotek focuses on silicone molding and two shot molding, our core competencies. Focusing on our core competencies makes us experts in these fields. When we partner our skills with experts in other fields, the collaboration creates a team that can do amazing things. Working together, we are able to take on tough challenges and create innovative solutions. It requires a lot of work, a committed organization, and most of all, dedicated people.
Companies we partner with such as Arburg, Elmet, Albright Technologies and Wacker (just to name a few) are all considered extensions of our Dymotek team and a reflection of who we are as a company. We at Dymotek have come to realize that to expect world class results you have to partner with world class companies. It’s not always easy, but the results speak for themselves.
With 2013 over and 2014 staring us in the face, we at Dymotek have decided to take on some new initiatives, including becoming more connected with the public through different online channels. We find it a necessity to connect with employees, locals, others in our trade and anyone who’d like to learn about the ins and outs of injection plastic and silicone molding. With this new initiative, we have created a blog, along with other social media sites, and will be updating them frequently. This blog will be populated bi-weekly to start. The contributors will be employees and they will cover a wide variety of topics. Each post will be accompanied by the author’s photo and a way for the readers to provide feedback or ask questions.
So, to start this off, how about a quick history? Dymotek is an injection molding company that was established in 1990 by two Ellington natives. Through the years Dymotek has thrived with help from an expertise in silicone molding and the addition of cutting edge automation systems to the manufacturing floor. A company that started in a basement now occupies 35,000 square feet, employs more than 100 people, and is adding a second 40,000 square foot facility in 2014. Keep up with our blog to learn all about out 2014 endeavors, including moving into a second facility, new projects and technologies, and a growing Dymotek family.
What you can expect to read about in future blog posts:
Expect our next post to go live 2/3/2014!
Dymotek Corporation - Dynamic Molding Technologies 