PTXPO 2025: Mold Builders Showcase Innovation, Automation and Efficiency Across the Supply Chain

From high-volume stack molds to precision LSR tooling, mold builders across North America are stepping up with smart investments in automation, advanced machining and digital tools. Whether it’s 24/7 machining, virtual design or in-house validation, these shops are focused on boosting efficiency, accuracy and turnaround times at every stage.

Mold Builders @ PTXPO

Engagement was the theme at MMT’s booth during PTXPO 2025. Mold builders, designers, injection molders and OEMs stopped by to connect and engage.

Isai Mendez with Solution Tools shared their inspection strategies and technologies with MMT’s Editorial Director Christina Fuges in the MMT Studio.

Cavalier Tool & Mfg talked automation and VR.

Dave LaGrow of Maximum Mold Group shared the breakdown of the various companies that make up the group.

Westminster Tool showcased its 3D printed tooling via its Mantle machine.

Canon Virginia talked to attendees about its advanced manufacturing methods, including its shuttle mold system.

Jeff Glick of Prospect Mold talked about what drove the company’s transition from injection molding to aerospace and resin transfer molding (RTM), and what challenges they faced along the way.

Solution Tools showed off its precision tooling capabilities.

Nick Paxon of Thermo Fischer won SPE Mold Technologies Div. 2025 Apprentice of the Year and sat down with MMT’s Christina Fuges for a quick conversation.

Torsten Kruse of Kruse Training and Karl Anderson of Central Community College shared their joint effort to bring VR training tools into the classroom.

MMT Editorial Advisory Board member Isaac Trevino of Best Tool & Engineering joined MMT’s Christina Fuges and Fiona Lawler to work the booth.

Some attendees and MMT team members played the Mouldmaker Card Game during happy hours.

Marion Wells of Human Asset Management, and current MMT EAB member, spoke with MMT’s Christina Fuges about the pending 2030 labor crisis.

Not many attendees missed grabbing one of our iconic Top 10 Reasons to Be a Moldmaker t-shirts or a deck of the Mouldmaker Card Game, an educational card game focused on moldmaking terms and concepts.

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Here’s a snapshot of what they were showcasing at PTXPO 2025:

• A1 Tool Corp.
  • Specializes in high-volume stack, 2-shot and bucket molds, optimizing production efficiency for packaging applications
  • Offers an integrated DFM process and on-site mold tryouts to ensure production-ready molds with minimal adjustments
• Cavalier Tool & Manufacturing Ltd.
  • Showcasing an automated machining cell using a robot-driven Hermle system for unattended machining
  • Offers a virtual reality experience for interactive mold design exploration

• Mold Technologies Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers Presents ...

  Four international awards presented annually for individual expertise, individual contributions to industry and community:
  ➢ Mold Maker of the Year, sponsored by Hasco America – Edward Duignan of Thermo-Fisher Scientific, Rochester NY. He is a 47-year veteran of moldmaking starting his career at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology).
  ➢ Mold Designer of the Year, sponsored by Progressive Components – Jim Fattori of Injection Mold Consulting. Jim is a third generation moldmaker/designer with a degree in industrial engineering from Northeastern University in Boston. He has written over 60 articles for PT and MMT.
  ➢ Mold Repair Technician of the Year, sponsored by MoldTrax – Markus Woeste of Molded Precision Components. He is a 37-year veteran of moldmaking and repair. 
  ➢ Apprentice of the Year – sponsored by PCS – Nick Paxon of Thermo-Fisher Scientific completed his New York State Certified Apprenticeship in January. His scholastic achievements include carrying a 3.8 GPA through the related theory program and in Advanced CNC Programming.

  
• Decatur Mold Tool & Engineering
  • Expanded with a new 20,000-square-foot Technology Center featuring Makino robotic machining centers for 24/7 production
  • Focuses on machining accuracy and trust in engineering changes by precisely matching 3D data
• Dynamic Tool Corp.
  • Provides mold validation at its Dynamic Development Center, featuring eight injection molding machines up to 900 tons
  • Integrated rail-mounted robotics automate machining for hard steel cutting, graphite cutting and sinker EDM operations
• Kenmold North America
  • A full-service manufacturer of injection molds, molded components and HDPE pipe fittings, serving multiple industries globally
  • Holds ISO9001, ISO13485 and IATF16949 certifications, and was named a Top 10 injection mold company in 2021
• Legacy Precision Molds
  • Uses five-axis CNC automation to enhance precision and reduce lead times in moldmaking
  • Focuses on high-quality, efficient and on-time delivery, manufacturing all molds in the U.S.
• Maximum Mold Group
  • Provides tooling solutions from prototype to series production, including tool sampling and low-volume production molding
  • Invests in training on the latest software and CNC machining technologies to maximize efficiency
• Minco Tool & Mold Inc.
  • Offers ISO-9001:2015 and ITAR-certified injection mold

    Midwest Precision Molding Mold Demo with Sodick Plustech

    The Sodick Plustech GL60A horizontal machine has a 25mm plunger shooting 7 grams of “Polyplastics” material (DURACON - POM) via an eight-cavity cold runner mold for precision gear(s) with a 19-second cycle time built by Midwest Precision Molding in Lake Geneva, WI.

    What makes this mold unique or innovative compared to traditional designs?

    CJ Garecht, Director of Tooling, Midwest Precision Molding: Most precision gear molds are fewer cavities, this is because of the complexity of the gear itself. This says a lot for the accuracy of the tool build, the gear geometry, as well as the consistency of the Sodick molding machine.

    What challenge did this mold solve, and how does it improve efficiency or quality in production?

    Garecht: This mold was a replacement for a smaller four-cavity mold that we had constant issues with. The customer was also showing increased volumes for this part, it was the perfect time to upgrade. The parts measure more consistently and at spec’, which is something we struggled with in the past.

    What trend in mold design or manufacturing does this mold represent, and how do you see it shaping the industry?

    Garecht: I think that this mold shows that higher cavitation, precision gear molds are possible as long as you have a team focused on accuracy in the tool build, good gear geometry, and consistency in the molding process.

    manufacturing for diverse markets, including automotive and aerospace
  • Recently invested in five-axis machining to enhance capabilities and competitiveness
• M.R. Mold & Engineering
  • Specializes in high-precision flashless liquid silicone rubber (LSR) molds for the medical industry
  • Doubled EDM capacity with a new Sodick AL60G high-speed sinker EDM, enhancing precision and efficiency
• Solution Tools Mold & Die
  • Integrates X-ray analysis and Moldex3D simulation to ensure confidence in mold and part quality
  • Offers specialized metrology solutions, including a Zeiss X-ray Metrotom analyzer and GOM 3D scanner
• Triangle Tool/Plastek Group
  • Uses smart factory and MES technologies for real-time optimization, traceability and preventive maintenance
  • Recently upgraded its milling and EDM/sinker fleet with further investments planned over the next three years
• Westfall Technik
  • A global network of plastics solutions providers specializing in medical, packaging and consumer goods manufacturing
  • Showcasing new process techniques and turnkey solutions to improve efficiency and sustainability
• Westminster Tool
  • Specializes in tight-tolerance Class 101 injection molds for aerospace, medical and defense industries
  • Uses simultaneous five-axis hard milling to eliminate EDM and reduce machining time by 40%