Index Molding for Stick Pen Barrels

The Engineering Team had developed a process for using the Husky Index Press technology for injection molding of Papermate stick pen barrel components. The proposal had been developed over the course of 2 years through a period when company ownership changed and business goals were redeveloped. The production management team made several attempts to gain project funding approval without success.

Then I was suddenly given management responsibility for injection molding production. I reviewed the project proposals that were recently unsuccessful and found the project leader was looking to the past for selling this project. The pitch was crafted to highlight the technological innovation, quality and cost saving potential of the project. I recognized the new leadership team was all about profit and minimizing capital investment.

So I repositioned the project as a smaller capital investment for the custom tooling and a capital lease for funding the standard press and auxiliary equipment. This changed the project financials from a $1MM capital investment with 2.5 year payback, to a $500K capital, 1.4 year payback project. These "better" numbers increased attention favorably on the project and led to approval. As it turned out, the lease ultimately had to be approved as capital, so the project was about $1MM, but support for the project was developed by focusing on the financial possibilities and benefits.

We went on to successfully implement this project in 2002. Savings potential was fully realized at over $350K annually. The project was so successful that this technology was leveraged to other applications and nine additional index presses were in service by 2008.