Location does matter, but not the way it was considered in the past. It used to be that location to customers was the driving force. That axiom has been changing for many years as people and companies got more used to on-line communication and buying. Engineers got more comfortable with file sharing. The technology improved to where communication and file reviews were nearly as good as being in person. Case in point, PlastiCert has customers from California over to Connecticut, Minnesota down to Texas. Now since COVID, communicating electronically is getting to be the norm. People that used to sit 6 feet apart are now talking to their computer screens.
Yet, location matters IS still a valid issue, only in different context. PlastiCert is as good as we are because of our proximity to education and material science.
What differentiates PlastiCert from other injection molders? For one, our molding knowledge base starts at material science. PlastiCert has graduates of and access to the only undergraduate composites engineering program in the United States. Winona State University’s Composite Materials Engineering (CME) program has a defined mission. They are dedicated to developing creative minds and innovation in the field of composite materials through education, applied research, and scholarly pursuits. They do this in collaboration with the composites industry and community (like PlastiCert, we routinely hire multiple interns from the program besides graduates). CME graduates have extensive hands-on experiences complemented by in-depth classroom instruction. As such, they are actively sought out by employers in multiple industries. The answer to pressing questions like:
- What types of materials are going to be used in automobiles in order to achieve 54.5 mpg by the year 2025?
- What types of materials are allowing the major airplane manufacturers to achieve significant fuel savings?
Is composite materials.
Having multiple graduates of the program, PlastiCert always approaches our molding from the materials side first and melds that knowledge into the molding process. Most injection molders may have a deep understanding of the molding process but rely on the resin suppliers for material processing insight.
Hence why PlastiCert refers to ourselves as a COMPOSITES injection molder, rather than the generic plastic most people use. It is also part of the reason why we have been twice named a Plastics Technology Top Shop.
Does your molder seem perplexed sometimes? They have trouble running your parts? It is likely material based and not processing based. Give us a call, send us your mold. We’ll get good parts out of it. We have many programs in house that were started elsewhere and ended up here.
About PlastiCert
PlastiCert, founded in 1981, is a privately held corporation with headquarters and manufacturing in Lewiston Minnesota. Initially a custom molder targeted at the electronics industry, today PlastiCert is a one-stop shop for OEMs desiring small and medium volume, complex, engineered resin parts for telecom, industrial, computer, avionics, medical markets and more. PlastiCert provides both mold development/build and custom plastic injection molding, including insert molding and over molding. Also available are a compliment of value-add capabilities including decorating and electro-mechanical assembly. PlastiCert has been twice named a Top Shop by Plastics Technology and rewarded for our work environment and effectiveness multiple times. For more information on PlastiCert and the opportunity we present users of custom molded plastic components, visit www.plasticert.com or call 507-523-2300.
About Winona State University Composite Materials Engineering
The Winona State University Composite Materials Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. This is the only undergraduate program in the United States that offers a Bachelor of Science degree in composite materials engineering. We strive to offer students the best hands-on education and have added more than $1 million worth of state-of-the-art equipment to our lab space for use in the classroom. https://www.winona.edu/engineering/default.asp