b'The better you do your machining, the less you have to touch up.auction, he said. Those machinesmix of revisions and repair work andrequire deep holes from competi-are not cheap. What was happeningnew. I want it all.tors that dont have equipment for CTE- 2020-CGTech-PRINT.pdf 1 2/3/2020 8:33:28 AMwas those companies that didnt in- Although Comet doesnt own anydeep-hole drilling. Because every vest in high-speed machines, it waslathes and outsources turning tocooling line in the molds Comet too late. They couldnt afford them,two shops, Donlin said his companybuildsmustbecounterbored because too much of their businessdoes have two Tarus gundrillingandtappedafterdrilling,each went away. machines and receives molds thatcontinued on Page 54Going DeepAnother way to compete against countries with low-cost labor is to have one person operate two to five machines rather than have one worker per machine, Donlin said. This way Im able to spread that fellow over two-plus machines, and that has allowed me to lower my cost and compete. If I was doing it the old way with a $25 to $30 per hour guy at a machine, I couldnt do it.Comet also uses magnetic work-holders to reduce setup times and enhance competitiveness. They are extremely expensive, he said. However, if it is going to save me C45 minutes every time I need to put Mup a block, that adds up.YNonetheless,low-costwork-CMers have a tendency to cut corners MYwhen building molds, and those molds frequently need modifica-CYtions and repairs, which the original CMYmoldmaker wont do, Donlin said. KI do a ton of repair work, and Im happy to do it, he said. The vast majority is for foreign-made molds.He added that repairing molds is usually not too challenging, often requiring some minor welding and machining. There are some places that only want to build new tools, but thats not us. We like a good learn moreFor more information about Comet Die & Engraving Co., call 630-833-5600 or visit www.cometdie.com.ctemag.com/cteguide.com43Moldmaking.indd 43 2/14/20 3:38 PM'