PCS Company: Blog

Earth Day 2024

PCS Company attended Stoney Creek Metropark on Monday, April 22nd 2024 in honor of Earth Day. Our employees and volunteers spent the day pulling an invasive plant called the Garlic Mustard while another group cleared the area around bird boxes, pulled grass from flower beds, laid mulch and cleaned up the butterfly garden. Thank you Team PCS for all the time and hard work!

AMBA Conference 2024

PCS Company attended the 2024 AMBA Conference on March 19th-21st in Grand Rapids, MI. Bruce Konopinski, Angela Elsey and Denise Terhaar shared information about our latest products and technologies for injection molders and moldmakers!

Plastec West 2024

PCS Company attended IME West February 6th-8th 2024. Our booth # 3852 included Sales Representatives- Mark Casey, Jonathan Winters and Samantha Roberts. Along with our Hot Runner specialist Jean Brandes. Our President Angela Elsey also attended the show! We were proud to show new molding solutions products! Great show and great crowd!

Detroit Free Press Names PCS Company a Winner of the Michigan Top Workplaces 2023 Award

PCS Company has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2023 honor by Detroit Free Press Top Workplaces. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. The confidential survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization: including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.

“Earning a Top Workplaces award is a badge of honor for companies, especially because it comes authentically from their employees,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “That's something to be proud of. In today's market, leaders must ensure they’re allowing employees to have a voice and be heard. That's paramount. Top Workplaces do this, and it pays dividends.”

Angela Elsey, President of PCS Company, said “PCS is a great company because we have outstanding team members. We encourage everyone to get involved as much as possible, because each individual has a voice. The foundation of all our efforts are based on trust and respect. I am honored to be a part of this team, and we are honored to win this award.”

ABOUT ENERGAGE

Making the world a better place to work together.™

Energage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 17 years of culture research and the results from 27 million employees surveyed across more than 70,000 organizations,  Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information or to nominate your organization, visit energage.com or topworkplaces.com.

ABOUT PCS Company

PCS Company is a Misumi Group Company and is headquartered in Metro Detroit’s Fraser Michigan.

Founded in 1950, PCS Company is a team of industry experts providing solutions and innovative products for the plastics injection molding, mold making, and die casting industries. We are committed to our mission of being the industry’s leading provider of high-quality, competitively-priced products and services while providing the highest level of customer service.

We offer standard, off the shelf, and custom, made-to-order die and mold making supplies throughout North America. Our product categories include mold bases, mold components, molding supplies and solutions, hot runner systems, cutting tools, and our latest advancement into additive manufacturing. We partner with our customers to provide innovative products and solutions that improve ROI and make our customers successful. Our team of experts are located nationwide to best service you. We have branch facility locations in the United States in Fraser and Grand Rapids, Michigan and Torrance, California. Our international presence continues into Canada and Mexico in order to expand our reach throughout North America.

MAPP Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference

PCS Company attended the annual Manufacturers Association for Plastics Processors (MAPP) Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference! PCS Company has been a sponsor supporting plastic processors. Sales Representatives- Mike Hyde and Rob Rabe attended this event. Our table top featured many new products such as CoolingCare (big hit) along with many Molding Solution products. Great event and great networking!

Manufacturing Day 2023

On Thursday October 5th, PCS Company took the opportunity to share the world of manufacturing with local high school students this week. Students were provided with a Power Point presentation of manufacturing, a tour throughout the entire shop, and viewed all CMM machines and testing in the quality lab. Students left with a giveaway bag of PCS swag and snacks. Thank you to our local partners and the PCS team for your help to open our doors to inspire the youth and next generation workforce.

PCS Company 1st Annual Golf Outing Benefitting St. Judes

On Friday September 22, 2023, PCS Company held its first ever Golf outing! A perfect day for golf, we enjoyed playing at the beautiful Cracklewood Golf Club in Macomb Twp, MI. Several employees had a part in organizing this event, including the numerous suppliers who purchased sponsorships and golfed with us. We raised $7,000 and all proceeds went to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. We also raffled off many prizes, held a 50/50 drawing, and enjoyed a full dinner after everyone had finished golfing.

Injection Molding and Design Expo

On September 20th-21st, PCS Company exhibited at the Injection Molding and Design Expo in Novi, Michigan, sponsored by Plastics News and AMI. We were in Booth #404. A big hit was our newest product- Cooling Care, which is meant for cleaning mold cooling lines and saves molders cycle time.

2023 North American Die Casting Association Conference

September 19th-21st, PCS Company attended the North American Die Casting Association conference and exhibition this week in Grand Rapids, Michigan! PCS Company is a proud corporate member of NADCA and we are happy to once again be a part of the premier event for the die casting industry. Our Sales Representatives, Paul Graceffa and Bruce Konopinski attended this event to represent PCS Company!

Canadian Plastics Golf Outing 2023

Our Sales Representative, Jeff Dennis and our Technical Hot Runner Specialist, Tim Markham attended the 2023 Canadian Plastics Annual Golf outing on September 6th, 2023. PCS Company sponsored a hole and donated a TV to raffle off. The guys had a great day golfing and enjoyed making connections with customers!

Molding Conference 2023

PCS Company attended the Molding 2023 Conference August 29th-30th in Minneapolis, MN. Matt Hammernik, our upper Midwest Sales Representative, along with Jean Brandes, our Hot Runner Technical Specialist attended this event. This was an educational conference and exhibits are where industry leaders meet and discuss the latest developments in various molding processes, equipment, materials and management techniques, with special emphasis on adding value to your business. This conference is widely recognized as the most important forum for technical information and business conditions in injection molding.

North American Die Cast Association 2023 Golf Outing

Our Sales Representative, Bruce Konopinski (covers West Michigan) recently attended the North American Die Cast Association Annual Golf Outing at Saskatoon Golf Course in Alto, Michigan. PCS Company even sponsored a hole for the event! Bruce Konopinski, pictured on the right, pictured by our sponsored hole. Along with customers, Patrick and Martha McCrevan of B & L Information Systems. Looked like a great day!

2023 Summer Party

August 9th 2023, we celebrated our annual Summer Party-Hawaiian Theme! All employees were invited. This party consisted of catered lunch, gelato bar, PCS personalized giveaways, Hawaiian shirt contest, cornhole to play, many prizes raffled off which included the big prize a black stone grill, large coolers and waterproof speakers along with many gift cards and PTO days. We were very pleased with the team involvement and turn out of this summer event!

Northwest Pennsylvania SPE Golf Event

Our Sales Representative, Rob Rabe (covers Ohio, West PA, West NY, and West Virginia) recently attended the Northwest Pennsylvania SPE Golf Event. PCS Company even sponsored a hole for the event! Rob Rabe, pictured on the right, pictured with our customer, owner of Quality Mold in Erie, PA- Darren Hakel.

NEW M2 Ejector Pins

PCS Company recently introduced their new M-2 Ejector Pins. PCS Company's M-2 Ejector Pins are constructed from wear resistant high-speed steel. Pin diameters range from 1/32" through 1/4" with lengths of 6" and 10". These pins are through hardened to 60-63 Rc. The diameters are precisely ground to provide dimensional stability and superior surface finish quality.

Features:

Material - M2 High Speed Steel
Hardness for surface and core - 60-63 RC
Diameter tolerance of .0003"
Eliminate chipping from form work
Can be used for ejector pin or core pin
Unit of Measure - Inch

PCS Company celebrates 404 days and counting for being Accident Free!

We're proud of the Safety Teams at PCS Company for leading us beyond one year (actually it's 404 days and counting) with no accidents. This accomplishment exhibits our core values of initiative, dedication, excellence, accountability and leadership. Safety is no accident - it's an individual and company responsibility. Congratulations to all the employees of PCS Company!

PCS Company celebrates 2022 Sales Growth award winners

Last week during our sales meeting dinner we celebrated the top sales growth award winners! Congratulations to our awesome Sales Team members for top achievements. Our winners for sales growth were Outside Sales Representative, Bob Matyn and Inside Sales Representative, Christina Bajaj (1st photo below, from left to right: Christina Bajaj, Heather Hartman (Inside Sales Manager), Derrick Jones (VP Sales), Angela Elsey (President) and Bob Matyn). Our runners-up for top sales growth were Outside Sales Representative, Bruce Konopinski, and Inside Sales Representative Denise TerHaar (2nd photo below, from left to right: Denise TerHaar, Heather Hartman, Derrick Jones, Bruce Konopinski, and Angela Elsey). Thanks team and congratulations for your hard work and amazing efforts!

PCS Company hosted annual Town Hall

Last week PCS Company hosted their annual sales meeting. Topics such as product training, sales goals, and team building activities all took place. On Wednesday, May 17th, our President Angela Elsey hosted our annual Town hall meeting company wide. Angela reviewed all of our great achievements over the past year and shared our goals with all employees for 2023. Business is strong and the future is bright for PCS Company!

AMBA Conference 2023

Our PCS Company team attended the 2023 AMBA Conference in Grand Rapids, MI. This conference took place May 10th-12th. PCS Company displayed some of our leading products for mold makers and new products such as our Codipro Hoist rings and i-mold products. We were very proud to attend this first-class event along with providing products serving the mold making industry; a critical part of our manufacturing economy. Our products and services help improve mold building efficiency and quality.

PCS Company attends Macomb Community College Scholarship Luncheon

PCS Company recently attended a luncheon to support the Macomb Community College Foundation. PCS is a proud Donor for the PCS Product Manufacturing and Technology Scholarship, for Macomb Community College. This scholarship was established by PCS Company to support and promote students with a desire to build a career and advance themselves in the manufacturing industry. As experts in the molding industry, we value innovation, technology, quality, and customer service. Through this scholarship, PCS is investing in the future of Macomb students to ultimately build a stronger talent pipeline into the manufacturing industry.

PTXPO 2023 Show

PCS Company, booth # 1123, took part at the PTXPO 2023 show in Rosemont, IL on March 28th-30th. PTXPO 2023 is a dynamic tradeshow created for decision makers paving the way for plastics processing throughout the entire North American supply chain.

Dedicated to showcasing new equipment and technology, Plastics Technology Expo is a three-day event produced by Gardner Business Media, Inc., Plastics Technology, MoldMaking Technology and Additive Manufacturing. Our own President Angela Elsey, was interviewed by Mold Making Technology Christina Fuges.

8 New Product Videos added to our website

PCS Company recently added 8 new product videos for our customers to view! All videos were recorded at our headquarters in Fraser, MI. Products featured in these videos are Codipro Hoist Rings, i-Mold tunnel gate inserts, Kool Flow Manifolds, Mold shields, Filtroil Filtration products, TC-50 Temperature Controller, How to Wire a Hot Sprue Bushing and Hopper Alarm. These videos highlight all features and benefits of the product. All product videos are available on the PCS Company website in the products pages and resources tab. Also all videos are available on our PCS Company YouTube Channel.

NPE 2024 Space Draw

We are excited to announce we have picked our booth space for #NPE2024 today at the Plastics Industry Association NPE Space Draw in Orlando! Our own Christina Galecki was on hand to choose our booth location. We will exhibit in Booth W3810, an island with 3,000 square feet in the West Hall of the Orange County Convention Center. Mark your calendars: NPE will be held May 6-10, 2024 in Orlando, Florida.

SPE: Inspiring Plastics Professionals

We enjoyed hosting the SPE: Inspiring Plastics Professionals Detroit chapter's technical dinner meeting earlier this week. Guests were provided with dinner and a plant tour of PCS Company headquarters in Fraser, Michigan, and presentations were made by Angela Elsey, Jim Padula, and Kelly Beauchamp. PCS is a strong supporter of the SPE and we are proud of our local Detroit chapter!

Plastec West 2023

Plastec West showcases the latest biocompatible polymers and cutting-edge large-scale injection molding solutions, while uncovering technology solutions in medical design & manufacturing, 3D printing, and robotics. This show provided many solutions to your needs in:

Injection Molding
Molds, Dies & Mold Components
Materials & Additives
Product Design & Development
Auxiliary Equipment

PCS Company now offers Codipro Hoist Rings and Eyebolts

PCS Company - Codipro SEB Swivel Eyebolts

PCS Company offers Codipro's Swivel Eyebolts - The SEB lifting ring is a single swivel ring, with a rotating range of 360°. Equipped with "the pyramid of Steel" that always guides it perfectly in the direction of the sling. It is specially designed for lifting, including rotating under load. Available in inch, metric and stainless steel.

PCS Company- Codipro DSS Double Swivel Shackle Hoist Ring

PCS Company offers the Codipro DSS, universal double swivel shackle. The DSS is a double swivel ring that is specially designed for simultaneously lifting and rotating loads. Its double swivel action ensures perfect alignment with the sling. The ring swivels 180°, but has a rotating range of 360°. Available in Inch, Metric, Stainless Steel and Mega Size.

PCS Company- Codipro DSR Double Swivel Shackle Hoist Ring

Codipro's DSR, Double Swivel Lifting Ring. The DSR is specially designed for simultaneously lifting and rotating loads. Its double swivel action ensures perfect alignment with the sling. Swiveling under load, the ring swivels 180°, but has a rotating range of 360°.

PCS Company- Codipro CSS Central Safety Shackle

PCS Company offers the Codipro CSS Metric Central Lifting Ring The CSS is a screwable, fixed, center ring designed for linear lifting. The CSS also offers a wide space for the shackle to pass through.

PCS Company now distributing i-mold Tunnel Gate Inserts in the USA

PCS Company Now Distributing i-mold Tunnel Gate Inserts in the USA

Products Allow for Automatic Degating of Plastic Parts from Runners During Ejection

Fraser, Michigan (January 23, 2023) . . . PCS Company has announced it is now distributing tunnel gate inserts in the USA from Erbach, Germany-based i-mold Molding Innovations.

Founded in 2004, i-mold stands for innovative products and solutions for the plastics industry. The company’s focus is on tunnel gate technology and demolding. The tunnel gate inserts developed and produced in-house at i-mold are renowned around the world as innovative products with high savings potential for moldmakers and injection molders.

Tunnel gate inserts, also known as ‘cashew’ or ‘banana’ gate inserts, allow for automatic degating of the plastic part from the runner during ejection. They also can be used to hide the gate mark on the underside of the molded part. When designed into the mold, the i-mold tunnel gate inserts can provide a significant cost reduction in the molding process.

Made of highly wear-resistant M2 tool steel, the i-mold inserts are manufactured using a metal injection molding (MIM) process, which ensures the feed channels are smooth and gate sizes are exact and repeatable from insert to insert. They are suitable for all plastics due to their optimized feed channel geometry, and will work with up to 60% filled materials.

PCS has created a video that is posted on the company’s YouTube channel that shows how the i-mold inserts work, and has updated its website with complete technical and ordering information.

PCS Company Holiday Party

PCS Company Celebrates Holiday Festivities

On December 21st 2022, PCS Company held a Holiday party on site, all employees were invited to celebrate in this holiday celebration. The holiday party was planned by employees who volunteered to be on the planning committee. This party consisted of catered food, holiday music, games, lots of prizes to win and most importantly spending time together as one big team!

Lots of team members participated in our ugly sweater contest! Lots of laughs and fun, all around a great event!

PCS Company introduces MOLDSHIELD™

PCS Company's Moldshields™ confines molded parts to desired drop zone, reducing scrap rate from floor contamination, and lost or damaged parts. Moldshields™ clear plastic curtain allows you to observe your molding area, and monitor your parts in production.

PCS Moldshields™ are easily attached and removed with supplied magnets and hardware, for quick access to the mold, mold changes, or equipment maintenance. Mold shields attach to either side of the mold using magnets. As the mold opens and closes, the mold shield will automatically expand and retract preventing molded parts from falling outside the drop zone.

Features and Benefits:

Eliminates Part Contamination
Reduces Scrap
Sold in pairs with mounting hardware
Quick & Easy installation with magnetic mounting (2 separate)
Heavy gauge chemical resistant film
Maximum operating temperature 250°F

PCS Company Presents MIN-LUBE™

PCS Company Presents MIN-LUBE™: A Universal Grease for Pharmaceutical, Food, and Extreme Manufacturing Applications

PCS Company has announced it is now distributing MIN-LUBE™, an advanced universal lubrication product designed for extreme high-temperature, high-wear mold and die applications as well as food and pharmaceutical manufacturing environments.

Made in the USA with a premium quality, environmentally suitable ISO 100 rated oil base that is combined with a proprietary calcium sulfonate complex and a carefully selected additive package, MIN-LUBE offers thermal, oxidative, and mechanical stability. Plus, Micronox® is added to provide antimicrobial protection to prevent degradation of the product.

“MIN-LUBE™ contains no metals, PTFE, or silicone,” Paul Hauser, Product Manager at PCS, says. “Instead, it uniquely maintains an extremely high level of lubricity and wear protection using a nano organic pressure additive which allows for better uniformity in the grease and minimizes the chance that the grease will dry out.”

Hauser explains that during intense pressure, the nano organic additives polish the structure of the steel, actually creating a smoother and smoother surface. “Once you try this product you will wonder why you need anything else,” he said.

More notable features of this versatile lubricant include:

Working Temperature range: -15 °F to 550 °F
NSF Nonfood Compound Category Code: H1
High load bearing properties
Excellent corrosion protection
Highly resistant to water, steam, acid, and many chemicals
Excellent thermal and oxidative stability

MIN-LUBE grease is available from PCS in 2-ounce jars, 16-ounce jars, 16-ounce cartridges, or 5-gallon pails.

PCS Company-Industry Expert Training

Training our Industry Experts

All PCS Company Inside Sales Reps are receiving intensive training on all of our products. We invest a lot of time into making sure our employees are the best-trained in the molding supplies industry. Our Inside Sales Reps are industry experts and can help you choose the best products for your specific application!

Angela Elsey: Women Breaking the Mold

We're proud to announce that our President, Angela Elsey will be on the opening panel at the upcoming Women Breaking the Mold event, sponsored by Plastics News! Angela will join four other colleagues on November 15th at 9:20 am EST to discuss 'Managing a Team'.

Angela Elsey
President, PCS Company

Before joining PCS Co. in 2019, Angela Elsey spent more than 11 years with American Axle and Manufacturing in various positions. Those years included the titles of chief financial officer/controller of an AAM joint venture and the unofficial interim president.

She was the director of finance for PCS previously and is now president for the maker of mold components. Elsey is responsible for the entire business and all strategies to support future growth and goals.

“I have a strong knowledge in drivetrain from my time at American Axle. Plastics always intrigued me because it supports every industry in so many ways. I was specifically drawn to PCS because it was a great culture with some of the most passionate people I have ever met,” she said.

Elsey said her greatest achievement is where she is today.

“I am so grateful to have had the training and mentorship that I did have at American Axle. It was a difficult decision to leave. However, I knew PCS was a place I would call home, and [retiring President] Dave Cataldi is an amazing leader to support,” she said.

“In the three years I have been with PCS, I have completely transformed the finance team and supported continuous improvement across the organization,” she added. “Being able to be a part of change management has been an absolute honor.”

Elsey has been raising a daughter and is expecting a second baby soon.

“The fact that I was able to showcase my capabilities at PCS to take on the president position while pregnant [with a toddler] is something I am very proud of,” she said.

“It is so important to have confidence and know your limits,” Elsey said. “Let your family provide support when they offer. Lean on the people in your life and do not give up your dreams. You can be a good mom and a successful career woman.”

Angela Elsey Named President of PCS Company

Angela has served as Director of Finance for PCS Company since 2019. She has been instrumental to the success of the business by expertly streamlining processes, improving financial visibility and oversight, and bringing cross-functional teams together. As a critical member of the Leadership Team, Angela has made an impact not only on the Finance department, but on the entire organization.

“Angela has demonstrated great leadership skills while at PCS Company and has had a relentless focus on continuous improvement,” said David Cataldi. “She is highly regarded by both the PCS and Misumi organizations and will continue to drive the business forward to be the best in class. PCS Company is in great hands!”

Prior to joining PCS Company, Angela held several positions with global manufacturer American Axle, including serving as Controller/CFO and interim President for Diversified Manufacturing and Assembly, an AAM joint venture. She is a member of the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA) and holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Michigan-Flint.

Molders Choice products now part of PCS Company

PCS Company Expands its Molding Solutions product line with Molders Choice.

Molders Choice products now part of PCS Company

Fraser, MI: PCS Company today announced the expansion of its own Molding Solutions product line by integrating the vast and quality line of Molders Choice products effective July 23, 2021. This expansion will allow PCS to better serve its customers with high quality and competitively priced products that help reduce costs and improve profitability.

These Products consist of:

Heaters, Thermocouples & Accessories
Part Capture & Containment
Tool, Hand Tools & Accessories
Injection Press Maintenance & Accessories

In addition, to support our commitment to the North American injection molding community, Ken Berger owner of Molders Choice will be joining PCS Company to help drive the growth of the Molding Solutions product portfolio.

EY Announces Dave Cataldi of PCS Company as an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2021 Michigan and Northwest Ohio Award Finalist

Celebrating the 35th class of unstoppable entrepreneurs who transform Michigan and Northwest Ohio and beyond.

Fraser, MI – Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) recently announced that Dave Cataldi of PCS Company was named a finalist for the Entrepreneur Of The Year^® 2021 Michigan and Northwest Ohio Award. Now in its 35th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program honors unstoppable business leaders whose ambition, ingenuity and courage in the face of adversity help catapult us from the now to next and beyond.

Dave Cataldi was selected by a panel of independent judges. Award winners will be announced during a special virtual celebration on Thursday, August 5 at 6:00 p.m. ET and will become lifetime members of an esteemed community of Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni from around the world.

Entrepreneur Of The Year is one of the preeminent competitive award programs for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. The nominees are evaluated based on six criteria: entrepreneurial leadership; talent management; degree of difficulty; financial performance; societal impact and building a values-based company; and originality, innovation and future plans. Since its launch, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries around the world.

The following quote is from Dave Cataldi

“I am proud to have been recognized by E&Y for this award. It is a highlight of my career and a testament to the PCS organization. The PCS organization has stepped up with energy and enthusiasm to embrace the changes to make ours a better and more robust business able to thrive and succeed in the marketplace.”

The following is a quote from one of Dave’s key staff members

“Dave has provided the strong leadership necessary to promote the essential teamwork and collaboration that are required to build a great organization. His vision and creativity guides PCS Company and results in an enterprise that is innovative, market leading, nimble, and successful. Dave’s width and depth of experience provide the building blocks and cornerstones that make us who we are, a very enjoyable, extremely progressive, industry leading, and highly engaging workplace. I am proud to be a member of the PCS team and even prouder to say my leader is David Cataldi.”

Dave Share - Director of Operations

FASTER PROTOTYPE MOLDING WITH F.I.T.S.

3D PRINTED INSERTS + STANDARDIZED FRAMES = WINNING FORMULA

ENABLING RAPID PROTOTYPING WITH F.I.T.S. AND 3D PRINTED TOOLS

COLLABORATION DRIVES INNOVATION
Fortify provides rapid tooling solutions for injection molders, with its industry leading FLUX ONE 3D printers. Fortify core and cavity inserts are 3D printed at a fraction of the cost and time of aluminum or steel, and are essential to quickly validate designs before launching full scale production.

The Fortify value proposition: Instead of waiting six weeks and spending $6,000 on a machined tool, molders can have 3D printed tools ready to run in six days or less at around $600. Utilizing 3D printed tools frees up time and money for designers to prototype and validate designs early on in the product lifecycle, bridging prototype to production.

Fortify’s success in this challenging application is driven by their use of reinforcing fiber in their proprietary 3D printing process. Fortify’s FLUX ONE printer leverages two pieces of hardware (CKM and Fluxprint), that allow the printers to incorporate ceramic fibers and then align those fibers for an optimal orientation. This results in 3D printed tools have strength, stiffness and stability at temperature that far exceed other 3D printed materials.

To successfully implement this solution, molders need a streamlined way to get tools from the printer to the mold press as quickly as possible - ensuring the value of time savings is met.

Fortify also has the need to quickly fitup tools, as they support multiple projects simultaneously at their headquarters and molding center in downtown Boston. Fortify turned to the PCS F.I.T.S. system to set up their press for fast, easy job turnovers.

PCS Company, located in the Detroit, MI area, offers molders a quick-change molding solution that uses a standard frame with replaceable inserts. This Fast Interchangeable Tooling System (F.I.T.S.) is a great solution to maximize production changeovers and reduce machine downtime with a more cost effective approach to injection molding.

F.I.T.S. replaces the need for standard mold bases by utilizing a frame and interchangeable inserts for short production runs, sampling, and prototyping. The standard F.I.T.S. U-Frame houses standard F.I.T.S. Inserts and allows flexibility to use various insert styles and sizes for various part design and production.

F.I.T.S. Insert styles and sizes are available depending on molder needs. Fortify chose the T-Style Insert as it best accommodates larger area parts and is great for blind pockets.

In addition to F.I.T.S. Frame and Insert product offerings, F.I.T.S. Components and F.I.T.S. Replacement Plates are also available to support F.I.T.S. Systems. All products are standard items that are in-stock and readily available for shipment.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

The F.I.T.S. approach allowed sourcing all components from one supplier and can easily be modified and expanded if needed in the future. The F.I.T.S. frame allowed Fortify to implement a customized solution with side clamping rails to minimize insert prep time and a sprue bushing design to allow maximum flexibility for different sized inserts. Accommodating different size inserts is an important consideration when using 3D printed tools. The design also includes a flexible ejection pin plate to minimize custom machining.

Fortify’s unique design is available at no cost to customers to replicate or modify for their needs. Fortify can also source a fully outfitted F.I.T.S quick change system for your application.

Molding with F.I.T.S

F.I.T.S. components are Fortify’s standard configuration for running tools on the company's in-house molding press to support R&D and customer projects.

Additional PCS components that are integral to the workflow at Fortify include:

It’s All About That [Mold] Base

At PCS Company, it’s all about that BASE. We’ve been manufacturing mold bases in our Fraser, MI facility since 1993 and we’re not stopping. We’re really proud of our Mold Shop and our team behind the scenes who operate to perfection, every single day. We take pride in our team, their work, and that we can say Manufactured in the USA.

Our humble beginnings in the mold making industry have come a long way and we have expanded our product line over time so we can assist your demands. Our number 1 job, is getting your job done to our highest standards and out the door. We’re the very first stop in the life of a part and we take great pride in that!

Mold Base Product Overview

Let’s go through each product area to help you choose the best product for you and your needs and capabilities.

• Standard Mold Base
• Rapid Mold Base
• Special (Custom Order) Mold Base

Each of these product offerings are available as a Shuttle Base and can be specified in your mold base configuration or quote.

For each of these product areas you can expect the highest quality standards and level of service. Each of our mold base product options comes with the following:

• Interchangeable Plates
• Finished Ground to +/- .001
• Industry Standard Tolerances
• Rough or Precision Machining
• Assembled Plate to Plate Alignment is within 0.003” Plate to Plate
• Mold Shipping Strap Included

Our Mold Base manufacturing guidelines and expectations are as follows.

• CAD File Standards for Easy Designing
• Quality CNC Machining & Inspection
• Climate controlled facility
• State of the art equipment

As always, we offer competitive pricing and our friendly, knowledgeable team of Industry Experts is ready to assist you. Keep reading for detail on each of our mold base product offerings.

Standard Mold Base

Our Standard Mold Bases in #3 P20 Steel, #7 420 Stainless Steel, or Aluminum are off-the-shelf, ready-to-ship based on your mold base configurations. Order off-the-shelf mold bases that are in-stock, ready to ship and ready for machining.

Sizes Available: 32 Standard Sizes from 8” x 8” – 24” x 35”
Plate Thickness: 9 Thicknesses from 7/8” – 5-7/8”
Series Available: A Series, B Series, T Series, AX Series, 5 Plate Stripper Series, 6 Plate Stripper Series
Fixed Standard Machined Features Offered: Assembly Screws, Center Holes, Guided Ejection, Leader Pins & Bushings, Return Pins, Stop Disk in Ejector Plate
Materials Offered: #3 P20 Steel, #7 420 Stainless Steel, Aluminum
Measurement System: Imperial
Turnaround Timing: A Series ships Next Business Day, All other Series Ship Next Business Day depending on inventory availability

Configure and Order your Standard Mold Today

Rapid Mold Base

Order a Configurable PCS Standard Mold Base with standard feature relocations and omissions only. A Rapid Mold Base is based on only what is available in a PCS Standard Mold Base, no additions or substitutions of standard features.

Sizes Available: 32 Standard Sizes from 8” x 8” – 24” x 35”
Plate Thickness: 9 Thicknesses from 7/8” – 5-7/8”
Series Available: A Series, B Series
Standard Machined Features Offered: Relocations & Omissions Only: Assembly Screws, Center Holes, Guided Ejection, Leader Pins & Bushings, Return Pins, Stop Disk in Ejector Plate
Special Offer: Buy Side or Top Locks and or Cycle Counters and receive this machining at no charge
Materials Offered: #3 P20 Steel, #7 420 Stainless Steel (limited sizes)
Measurement System: Imperial
Turnaround Timing: Quotes in 1 Business Day, Ships within 5 Business Days

Let Us Quote Your Rapid Mold Base Today

Special (Custom) Mold Base

Order a custom designed mold base fully machined to your specifications. Minimal machining can impact your delivery times, ask us how.

Sizes Available: Up to 157” x 142”
Plate Thickness: Up to 28”
Series Available: Custom
Standard Machined Features Offered: Drilling, Slotting, Pocket Work, and Advanced Custom Machining to your custom CAD File. See machining detail below.
Materials Offered: #3 P20 Steel, #7 420 Stainless Steel, 1045, H13, NAK55
Measurement System: Imperial and Metric
Turnaround Timing: Custom Mold Base lead-time starts at 5 days. Machining requests will determine turnaround time.

Let Us Quote Your Special Mold Base Today

Special Mold Base Machining Capabilities & Guidelines

When you order a custom mold base through PCS Company you can expect a high quality product. Our state of the art facilities, where mold bases are manufactured, house 4 axis CNC machines and use high-performance tooling.

We are committed to quality, following ISO9001:2015 guidelines, and have been registered since 2002. All mold bases are machined to PCS Industry Standard Tolerances and are carefully inspected before shipment. A CMM Inspection Report is included with each mold base.

Our online CAD File Library has our standard mold base options which can be used as a base to create and build your specific design requirements. Machining is programmed to 3D CAD files in order to design to your specifications.

• PCS File Share Available for Hassle-free Large File Transfer
• Preferred File Formats: Native Solidworks (.prt), Parasolid (STEP, .x_t, or .x_b)

When you order through PCS Company we machine all common mold features within our mold base product options. Specific capabilities include, but are not limited to:

Pocket Work: Alignment Lock Pockets, Cavity & Core Insert Pockets, Heel Block Pockets, Slide Pockets, Spring Pockets
Drilling Work: Angle Pin Holes, Ejector & Core Pin Holes, Hoist Ring / Eyebolt Holes, Guided Ejection, Knockout Holes, Leader Pin Holes, Return Pin Holes, Spring Return Holes, Spring Return Holes, Stripper Bolts, Support Pillar Clearance, Waterlines (Gun Drilling) / Pipe Clearance
Slotting Work: Clamp Slots, Pry Bar Slots, Wire Slots
Advanced Custom Machining: Finished Bored Holes, Finished Tappered Pockets, Hot Half Manifolds, Parting Line Relief / Vents, Runners, Secondary and Reversed Leader Pins
Additional Capabilities: Saw Cutting, Grinding

Click here for detailed PCS Tolerance and Design Guidelines

Let Us Quote Your Special Mold Base Today

Alternative Tooling Solutions

Standard F.I.T.S. - Fast Interchangeable Tooling System

PCS F.I.T.S. into your production. Maximize production changeovers and reduce machine downtime with a more cost effective approach to injection molding. F.I.T.S. replaces the need for standard mold bases by utilizing a frame and interchangeable inserts for short production runs, sampling, and prototyping.

• Compatible with MUD System, RTI System
• Quick Mold Change Ability
• Standard F.I.T.S. Components & F.I.T.S. Plates readily available
• F.I.T.S. Product ships next business day

F.I.T.S. Frames house our F.I.T.S. Insert Series and allows flexibility to use various insert styles for various part design and production.

• Sizes Available: 5 Standard Sizes from 5.0x8.0 (08/09) – 7.0x12.875 (10/14)

F.I.T.S. Inserts are designed for use inside a F.I.T.S. Frames and allow for rapid interchangeability. We have various insert styles and sizes available in both standard inserts and plus series inserts.

F.I.T.S. Plus Series Inserts offer more stability and minimal machining as most machining is complete. These inserts are great for higher volume runs and higher molding pressure and clamp force use.

Materials Offered: A&B Plates #3 P20 Steel, Others are #2 Steel
Features Offered: A Plate, B Plate, Ejector Plate, Retainer Plate, Guided Ejection Pins, Guided Ejection Bushings, Assembly Screws, Leader Pins, Bushings, Snap Rings Plus Series Includes additional QTY: Leader Pins (2), Bushings (2), Return Pins (4), Snap Rings (4)
Measurement System: Imperial

Solid Style Inserts are excellent for blind pockets or for machining a part share directly in a solid plate.

• Sizes Available: 5 Standard Sizes from 5.0” x 8.0” (08/09) – 7.0” x 12.875” (10/14)

Order Solid Inserts Now

Order Solid Plus Inserts Now

Laminated Style Inserts are excellent for through pocket inserts.

• Sizes Available: 5 Standard Sizes from 5.0” x 8.0” (08/09) – 7.0” x 12.875” (10/14)

Order Laminated Inserts Now

Order Laminated Plus Inserts Now

T-Style Inserts are an excellent choice for larger area parts and blind pockets.

• Sizes Available: 3 Standard Sizes from 5.0” x 8.0” (08/09) – 8.4” x 9.0” (84/90)

Order T-Style Inserts Now

Order T-Style Plus Inserts Now

Configure Your Ideal F.I.T.S. System Today

Mold Plate

Order blank or replacement mold plates based on your needs. We can machine based on your needs and plate replacement or use plates to build your own mold bases.

• Sizes Available: 32 Standard Sizes from 8” x 8” – 24” x 35”
• Plate Thicknesses: 9 Thicknesses from 7/8” – 9-7/8”
• Materials Offered: #3 P20 Steel, #7 420 Stainless Steel (up to 1315 and up to 2.875” Thick)

Finished Ground Blank Plates

Order blank mold plates for your own machining or order blank plates built and machined to your specifications.

• Plate Tolerances:

- Length & Width: (+ 0.003” / - 0.003”)

- Thickness: (+ 0.001” / - 0.001”)

- Parallelism: (0.001” / 8.000”)

• Measurement System: Imperial
• Turnaround Timing: Ships Next Business Day

Fully Machined Replacement Mold Plates

Order replacement mold plates for your existing mold base. All series and sizes offered for full machining.

Plate Tolerances:

- A, AX, B, BX, Bottom Clamp, Support, Top Clamp, XP

Length & Width: (+ 0.003” / - 0.003”)

Thickness: (+ 0.001” / - 0.001”)

Parallelism: (0.001” / 8.000”)

- Ejector Retainer and Ejector

Length & Width: (+ 0.000” / - 0.015”)

Thickness: (+ 0.004” / - 0.004”)

Parallelism: (0.001” / 8.000”)

- Rails / C Dimension

Length & Width: (0.000” / - 0.004”)

Thickness: (+ 0.000” / - 0.001”)

Measurement System: Imperial
Turnaround Timing: Ships within 3 Business Days

Order Your Mold Plates Today

We hope this post gives you better insight into our mold base offerings and capabilities. We strive to be your reliable mold base partner and look forward to offering you the best so you can meet the demands of your customers and successfully grow your business.

We stand behind our products and we stand behind you, our valued customer.

Clean, Grease, Protect, and Repeat

Together with Nanoplas, Inc. we bring you new, high-performance products to our mold maintenance chemical line in the following product categories; mold grease, mold cleaners, and rust preventatives.

Let’s take a look at each new mold chemical solution and how they can help you better maintain your plastic molds.

Mold Cleaners

Clean-N-Run is a powerful cleaning formula that removes difficult contaminants. It is residue free and allows for streak-free cleaning on warm molds. Click here to order this product solution.

Kleen All is an all-purpose foaming, cleaner and degreaser. It dissolves grease and grime on a variety of surfaces from plastic to metal. It is residue-free and will not remove paint. Click here to order this product solution.

Safe-T-Clean is a high-performance cleaner and degreaser that breaks up tough build up, and gives ability to clean hard-to-reach areas in the mold. Use on molds where rinsing of mold is not possible. Click here to order this product solution.

Zap-Ox NG is the ultimate stain remover and removes stains without scrubbing. Unlike our Zap-Oz product, this product is designed to work specifically on polished and textured surfaces. This formula works to remove stains without causing any etching on your metal surfaces. Click here to order this product solution.

View all of our Mold Cleaner and Degreaser Chemicals here.

Mold Grease

Syn-Lube is a high-performance, state-of-the-art, synthetic lubricating, mold grease. It is the best value on the market today and outlasts and outperforms all other mold grease chemicals. It is food-grade and a great universal grease for all of your mold grease needs. Click here to order this production solution.

View all of our Mold Grease Chemicals here.

Rust Preventatives

Safe-T-Guard provides a guard for your machine that will not allow corrosion to penetrate. The guard provides a film strength that will not break down grease and other lubricants that are already present on the mold surface. Click here to order this production solution.

The Protector is a semi-dry, dual purpose preventative designed for use on both warm and cold molds. The semi-dry nature allows for longer lasting protection without causing bleed through. Click here to order this production solution.

View all of our Mold Rust Preventative Chemicals here.

The addition of this new products helps us to be able to provide a wide variety of mold chemicals to meet your mold maintenance needs. Click here to view all of our Mold Maintenance Chemicals.

PCS Company Website Launch Features

Our newly improved and highly anticipated PCS Company Website is finally here!! Say goodbye to sloooow load times, Shopping Cart frustrations, and Website Order mix-ups. Keep reading to learn about all of the features and benefits of our new website experience.

We just ask for your patience and kind feedback as we iron out any bugs and kinks in order to continue to make improvements as we move forward. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and assistance.

Now, let’s talk about our web improvements.

Here is a high-level overview, we think you’ll like.

Faster load times and much more user friendly experience. Designed with you in mind!
New Blog with Industry Expert information. We’ll feature details on product solutions and more!
Enhanced online account access. View order history, order status, and easily reorder your commonly ordered items!
One-page ordering for easy checkout. Use your account or place credit card orders!
LIVE product order features. View product availability, product page promotional pricing, and convenient product feature sorting capabilities!
Convenient ordering options. Quick CAD file delivery via zip files, mass product easy-order upload ability, and custom product online order forms!

We hope you enjoy the new benefits this website offers. Keep reading for more highlighted details.

Faster load times and much more user friendly.

We have cleaned up and organized our navigation for a better, user-friendly experience. Main Navigation features quick links to important information including Product List with mega-menu to find what you are looking for. Or you can scroll down our home page and use our easy click arrows to browse various product categories. You can also easily navigate to Request a Quote, Resources, and CAD Library in order to find what you need. Our Blog with industry related information, our Clearance Center, and Order Pad can be reached at the click of a button in the Main Navigation as well.

Most importantly, Account Access and Cart information can be found at the top of the page from whatever page you are on within our website!

Take a look around. We have kept navigation similar to what we had before; just more organized based on your needs and user experience. We want you to be able to quickly order what you need and be on your way.

New Blog with Industry Expert information.

We will now be able to share with you in more detail about featured product solutions and this new space will allow us to do so! We’ll share our knowledge about new product launches, ways you can save, case studies, and keep you up-to-date with everything that is going on at PCS Company.

You can navigate our blog by browsing Categories, Blog Archive, or Popular Tags. Category information is detailed below. Blog Archive lets you browse posts by month while Popular Tags allows to browse by industry related keywords for relative information.

Categories include the following:

Ask the Industry Experts: Answers to industry and product related questions.
New Product: Information on new products.
PCS News: PCS Company announcements.
Product Solutions: Featured products that increase productivity.
Product Training: Detailed information on specific products.
Shop Talk: This will feature manufacturing information.

Check our blog often for new industry and product related information. Click here

Enhanced online account access.

Your online account access just got better. With our new PCS Company website you’ll be able to view your order history, order status, and reorder any reoccurring orders at the click of a button. We want you to be efficient and be able to get what you need quickly and get back to work.

In your account area you’ll be able to store multiple Shipping Addresses and select the one you need to use depending on where you need your order shipped. You can add and delete Shipping addresses as needed and manage this within your account.

Your account also allows you to view your order history and the status of the order. If you click on the small menu on the right side of the screen, this will open up the order to view what was purchased.

Once the order is opened you can see the items that were purchased and easily place a re-order for frequently ordered items. Browse your past orders to see what was purchased.

Once the order ships, if there is a tracking number available it will show in the area highlighted below.

For all past orders either online or by phone they will show in the Sales Orders tab as highlighted below. Browse your past orders and re-order any as needed

One-page checkout for easy ordering.

When you are ready to check out, we now have a simple, one page checkout that lets you select shipping method and payment. Shipping method options are available, with pricing information, for each shipping option.

As you scroll down the screen you’ll find payment information directly after Shipping Method. Your default payment will be paid through your account; however, there is an option to insert a credit card number if preferred. Credit Card information can now be stored, if desired, or managed as needed. A PO Number is required if order is paid through your PCS Company account.

LIVE product order features.

Our new website shows product availability so you can see exactly what amount is in stock while placing an order. Plus, it will also show promotional pricing on the actual product pages for any special offers.

Finally, one of our greatest product benefits is the ability to filter product data to sort to exactly the product you are looking for. This is a really great feature as it eliminates scrolling through items to find what is needed. Our responsive website design makes this very user friendly on a mobile device or tablet to help users find what they need quickly. Click here to experience this great feature.

Convenient ordering options.

We have convenient ordering options that are new and improved and include the following. CAD Files are easy to find and download for your convenience. They will be delivered in a ZIP file format to save storage space. You can find them on either the actual product page or in our CAD Library. Click here to browse our CAD Library.

Our Custom Component online order forms have been updated into forms instead of PDF order forms. We have specific forms for the type of product you are looking for. This helps with order accuracy and getting all required data in order to turnaround your quote quickly. All Custom Component forms can be accessed when you click here.

Bulk ordering is still available through our mass product easy-order upload into our Order Pad. Just enter or upload your file and get your order placed in no time! Click here to view Order Pad now.

This is an overview of our highlighted new website’s features! We’ll be continuing to work on enhancements so stay tuned for more.

We encourage you to browse around, start shopping, and provide any feedback you think is important. Click here to submit your website feedback.

Thank you for your patience as we worked to launch this new experience and thank you in advance for your support as we move forward. We greatly appreciate you and your business and look forwarded to future success together.

Our 1 Machine Nozzle Tip Solution

Solve your scrap and process issues with our newly released cold-sprue and hot-runner machine nozzle tips designed to be versatile and eliminates the need to switch out different tips for different jobs. We’ve teamed up again with Plastics Technology and one of our valued customers to explain a real-life scenario. Take a look.

https://www.ptonline.com/articles/rethinking-machine-nozzle-tips-hybrid-design-boosts-flexibility-efficiency

Click here for more information on our hot and cold runner machine nozzle tips, product solutions. Contact your sales representative with further questions to find out more about how this product can work for you. Don’t have a sales rep? We’ll get you connected, contact us here.

PCS Company has worked to provide solutions for the plastics and die-casting industries for over 50 years. Turn to the industry experts for all of your industry related questions, we’ll work with you to get results you need to succeed.