Plastics Can Be Tougher than Metal (And Lower Cost)

It’s hard to break old habits—like using metal parts and metal products. However, there are three good reasons for changing from metal to plastic:

• Lower manufacturing cost
• Lighter weight
• Zero corrosion

What many manufacturers don’t know is that—when done properly—plastic parts can be injection-molded with the same tight tolerances and perform just as well (or even better) than their metal counterparts.

Careful design and planning, selection of appropriate materials, and use of scientific injection molding principles will control the main factors that affect precision, accuracy, and tight tolerances—these include material preparation, melt flow index, machine processing parameters, and most importantly, using sophisticated sensor technology to track what is happening inside the mold in real time. Making these kinds of high-performance plastic parts therefore also requires a robust quality system that can monitor every step of the injection-molding process.

When injection-molding vendors fail to meet tolerances consistently with plastic parts, this creates additional machining costs, quality costs to sort or even re-call parts, and possibly even litigation. (Source: Plastic Overmolding by Kaysun)

It only takes one bad experience with plastic parts to drive a company back to metal. But, with an experienced metal-to-plastic-conversion injection molder, there are some big advantages in going with plastic, such as:

Lower cost to produce
No secondary process to prevent oxidation
May be able to eliminate some assembly
Plastic is generally less expensive than metal
May be able to eliminate costly machining operations
Lighter weight means lower shipping charges
No painting needed, molded in color/graphics
Lighter weight
Less fatigue on a person if it is carried
Might make a product go faster

The key is to successful metal-to-plastic conversion is understanding the limitations of the process, materials, and tools are before committing to the project. Every part or product is not necessarily a good fit for metal-to-plastic conversion: important factors that must be carefully considered are the expected tolerances, materials, specific part design/configuration, and initial mold flow/analysis.

The 5 Best Jobs in Marketing

There is a special kind of person who loves the game of persuasion so much they will take any amount of abuse and rejection to finally make that sale. Marketing is the art of changing minds and hearts, and for those who love it, the drudgery is all worth it. Here is my list of the best five jobs in marketing. Telemarketer - Not many would agree with me on this one, but it's where many marketers get their first taste of the action. It teaches how to deal with rejection, how to read people's voices, and how to think on your feet to turn a no into a yes. The Heller Group in Houston, TX employs many call center marketers, but only a few of them catch the bug and decide to spend their lives in marketing. But those who get their start in the trenches of telemarketing turn out to be some of the best marketers around. Trade Show Exhibitor - This is another front lines kind of gig. For most marketers, trade shows only come around every few months at best. This makes them very exciting when they do, and companies invest a lot, and make a lot of money at them. Insight Exhibits builds custom exhibits for trade shows and they have to be eye catching and inviting. The marketer in the exhibit has to be on his toes all the time and be able to know in a few seconds who the serious customers are and who is casually browsing. It's hard work with a lot of rejection, but it can be one of the most exciting jobs around. Website designer - This may not sound as exciting as the jobs mentioned earlier, but it's just as much on the front lines. Today a large portion of sales are completed, or at least started, online. A company's website is its marketing arena. And the effects of every little tweak to the site can be tracked to see almost immediate changes in visitor behavior. Web design companies, like Infogenix in Utah, put great effort into figuring out who the target visitors are and the psychology behind their decision making, and then design websites to capitalize. Company spokesperson - This is the person who speaks for a company publicly. It's who reporters look to for explanations during a crisis, and who gets to announce the big wins. Whoever is assigned this job has to be quick on his or her feet, incredibly knowledgeable about the company, and understand how news writers think. Even the White House has it's own press secretary. It's a job with a lot of potential dangers, where public opinion of the organization transfers to the person. But those who are strong enough and who have a gift for persuasion are idolized. Advertising executive - These are the movers and shakers on shows like Mad Men who assess a company's needs, analyze data, and come up with ingenious marketing campaigns. The lifestyle may not be as glamorous as the TV shows portray them, but there is a reason they are portrayed so often. They are like the field generals of an ad campaign - responsible for the success or failure of multimillion dollar promotions. They must be creative, competitive, and tireless to succeed. It's a hot burning and rigorous lifestyle, but very rewarding for those who can manage it. For some, marketing is a way to make a good deal of money, and in that case, they wouldn't choose jobs like telemarketer or web designer. But for true marketers, whose main payoff is the thrill of the hunt, you'll at least understand why I picked the jobs I did as the best in marketing. Originally posted here.

Getting Valuable Insights from Maintenance Software

Facilities maintenance software may not be the most glamorous software on the block, but it can be quite revealing. For example, maintenance software can provide you with valuable insights into operations and show you areas that you can immediately improve. As a result, you may be able to reduce downtime, slash costs, and gain that elusive competitive edge. How can getting down to the nitty-gritty of facilities maintenance do so much? It all comes down to information and analytics.

Maintenance software is useful in tracking your facility’s overall equipment effectiveness, or OEE. In a perfect world, OEE would live up to its promise and your organization would achieve its goal of perfection (100 percent value-added work, 100 percent speed/capacity, and 100 percent perfect quality). Unfortunately, few companies can lay claim to 100 percent OEE. However, if you can improve your existing OEE rate, wouldn’t it be worth doing?

Facilities maintenance software can address an important component of OEE: equipment downtime. By computerizing equipment maintenance tasks, work, scheduled maintenance, and processes, you can equip your maintenance team with the information it needs to anticipate issues, perform preventative maintenance, schedule repairs, and reduce downtime. This information can also improve productivity and streamline processes, resulting in lower labor costs and less reliance on outside contractors.

Analytical tools in maintenance software can also provide you with the insight you need to make better decisions. For example, visual dashboards could make trends more readily apparent than a stack of work orders detailing unexpected equipment failures. Using this information, you can have your team proactively inspect similar equipment for signs of a looming failure. Analytical tools can also help you decide when it’s time to retire and replace older or obsolete equipment instead of repairing it.

Facilities maintenance software and the insights it reveals can play an important role in improving OEE and reducing downtime.

Plan For Your Retirement by Rejuvenating your Dental Practice

Retirement is supposed to be a time to kick back and unload the stresses of your career. But if you're not prepared with an exit strategy, selling your dental practice can give you enough stress to last you for a good long while. Here are a few tips to help you ready your practice for the time you're ready to sell and maximize the sale price. 

Consult with a dental broker now.

Even if you aren't planning to sell in the near future it's never too early to start preparing. A dental practice brokerage firm like ADS Transitions can advise you on steps to take 10 years before the sale. This might include planning major changes like switching to paperless and making large equipment purchases. Brokers are constantly looking at what the market is doing and working with banks so they can greatly streamline your sales process and help you be ready with confidence when you give the word to list. 

Build up clientele.

Remember that your patients are your bread and butter. Building up a strong client base will not only make you more money, it will make your practice more attractive to potential buyers. People tend to stay put when they find a dentist they like. So even when you transition out, they're likely to give your replacement a shot at keeping their business. Put some effort into building client loyalty by giving incentives your replacement can easily keep up. Consider partnering with other dentists if you still have a few years before retirement. This will not only allow you to pool your resources. Oak Park Dental offers gift cards for referring new patients. You could also build a reciprocal referral network with other doctors in your area. This will help maintain continuity through your transition, which will be a nice perk for a buyer. 

Simplify and Update.

The more up-to-date you can get your office, the more you'll be able to list it for. It tells buyers they won't have to invest in huge upgrades soon after the sale. Make sure they're sensible upgrades that will be useful for the average dentist. Dr. Elena Puig, of Dynamic Smile Design in Orlando,FL, over her career has become certified in dental Implants, Invisalign, and other services that require intensive specialized training. That's great for an established dentist, but if a large percentage of your assets and clientele revolve around these kinds of services, you may find it difficult to show value to buyers who don't yet have the certification to provide those services. Before you list your practice, begin emphasizing your more basic services so they will account for the bulk of your income. 

Originally posted here.

Oak Park, ADS Transitions, Dynamic Smile Design sponsored ADS Transitions, Dental Partners of Boston, Dynamic Smile Design http://healthy-smile.posterous.com/going-out-on-top-selling-your-dental-practice sponsored

Stocking Up On Cleaning Products

If you operate a cleaning business, you likely understand how important it is to keep your supplies well-stocked at any given time. This is not only important because janitorial products may have a shelf life, it is also important because you never know when you’re going to need more than what you usually use on any particular job (Source: Janitorial Products by Janitorial Supplies Company). For example, I was working in an office building several years ago and I only carried what I typically used and a little bit extra, just in case. When I got to the job that particular weekend, I found that they had a large office party in the building. The trash cans were overflowing and all of the supplies were depleted. I usually carried enough commercial cleaning products with me but on that particular day, I came up short. I ended up having to run across town to pick up more supplies which threw my schedule off by an hour or more.

Of course, it is not only commercial services that need to use commercial products. There are times when homeowners are also going to need to use heavy-duty products to keep their homes clean or perhaps to overcome a specific problem. Commercial air fresheners are an example of this type of cleaner. There are air fresheners that will be sprayed directly into the carpets or into the furniture and it will help you to overcome a strong odor that may be present. Purchasing those commercial products is going to be much more beneficial than purchasing something at your local store, as it will be able to get a larger job done.

Going Out On Top: Selling Your Dental Practice For All It's Worth

Retirement is supposed to be a time to kick back and unload the stresses of your career. But if you're not prepared with an exit strategy, selling your dental practice can give you enough stress to last you for a good long while. Here are a few tips to help you ready your practice for the time you're ready to sell and maximize the sale price.

Talk to a dental broker today.
Even if you aren't planning to sell in the near future it's never too early to start preparing. A dental practice brokerage firm like ADS Transitions can advise you on steps to take 10 years before the sale. This might include planning major changes like switching to paperless and making large equipment purchases. Brokers are constantly looking at what the market is doing and working with banks so they can greatly streamline your sales process and help you be ready with confidence when you give the word to list.

Build up your clientele.
Remember that your patients are your bread and butter. Building up a strong client base will not only make you more money, it will make your practice more attractive to potential buyers. People tend to stay put when they find a dentist they like. So even when you transition out, they're likely to give your replacement a shot at their business. Put some effort into building customer loyalty by giving incentives your replacement can easily keep up. Consider partnering with other dentists if you still have a few years before retirement. This will not only allow you to pool your resources. Dentists at Dental Partners of Boston enjoy a built in referral network and a full service environment to keep patients close. This will help maintain continuity through your transition, which will be a nice perk for a buyer.

Upgrade and simplify.
The more up-to-date you can get your office, the more you'll be able to list it for. It tells buyers they won't have to invest in huge upgrades soon after the sale. Make sure they're sensible upgrades that will be useful for the average dentist. Dr. Elena Puig, of Dynamic Smile Design in Orlando,FL, over her career has become certified in dental Implants, Invisalign, and other services that require intensive specialized training. That's great for an established dentist, but if a large percentage of your assets and clientele revolve around these kinds of services, you may find it difficult to show value to buyers who don't yet have the certification to provide those services. Before you list your practice, begin emphasizing your more basic services so they will account for the bulk of your income.
Originally posted here.

A Career In The Service Industry

Starting a janitorial business is something that can really be successful in today’s economic environment. Even though a lot of the types of businesses have seen a decline because of the economy, the service industry is still booming. After all, many of the jobs that are done by a janitorial company are things that are not going to be done by homeowners and those that work in the office. That is why you will also be able to start one of these businesses and see a certain level of success very quickly if you blanket the area with your service early in your business.

One of the things that you are going to need to think about when running a janitorial business is the type of janitorial equipment that you are going to need (Source: Janitorial Equipment by Janitorial Supplies Company). Some of the things that you are going to need to purchase regularly include garbage can liners, cleaning chemicals and towels to put in the paper towel dispenser where you are working. At times, you are going to need to purchase specialty items that are specific to the type of products that are used within the building. This is often true of paper towel dispensers but it is also true of trash can liners, as you may have a special type of can that is used in the office. That is why it is important for you to consider the janitorial supply company that you are using and to form a relationship so that they will be quick to provide you with what you need.

Tools of The Trade – Filters

The tools that are used in industry are quite diverse and in most cases, we don’t even consider those tools that may be used on the products that we purchase. That doesn’t mean, however, that they are not important and in many cases, they may play a role that not only helps to make the product more usable, it may make it safer for us. That is especially the case when you are talking about any type of filtration, something that is necessary for many industries to provide high quality products that we expect. Of course, there is not typically a need for us to understand the difference between a spiral wound membrane and those that use an anode cell but understanding the basic purposes of those membranes can help to improve our appreciation for the products we use.

The basic use of filtration is to separate products in some way or another. In most cases, we could think of it as a pure product being allowed to pass through the membrane but the impure product remaining in the membrane. That is not always the case, however, and some of the more sophisticated type of filtering can provide something known as protein fractionation. That type of filtering actually breaks down the proteins into various fractions which are smaller components of the larger protein. This type of filtering is commonly used in science but it is also used in technology as a distillation process. It is also used for culinary purposes, especially when separating oils such as palm kernel oil and coconut oil. That allows the oil to be produced in different viscosities so that they are available for their various purposes. (Source: Synder Filtration and the Spiral Wound Membrane)