System Construction and Workshop Management in Mold Factories — The Only Way to Become a Top Mold Enterprise

There are thousands of mold manufacturing enterprises in the Pearl River Delta. The professional mold factories I know include Dongjiang, Jingying, Xinbaide, Lvpian, Honglida, Zhongxin, Qunda, Changhong, Jusheng, Zhuoda. Mold manufacturers for the mobile phone industry include Perlos, Nypro, Jinsheng, Zhiyin, Dewei, Mingfengda, Fuchang, Lianmao, Kangquan, Tongda, and others.
(I have been fortunate to work at Dongjiang, Nypro, Perlos, Fuchang, and Zhuoda; I also have friends working at other companies.)

A successful mold manufacturing enterprise that produces high-quality molds and achieves considerable profits must have its own unique strengths.
For example, Dongjiang’s mold sales reached nearly 600 million RMB in 2013. Analysis shows it has the following characteristics: a sound system, an efficient team, strong execution, and a spirit of innovation.
Setting aside corporate strategy and development direction, this article focuses on **system construction and on-site management in mold factories.


I. Organizational Structure and Job Details

Mold manufacturing departments vary across companies.
At Dongjiang, fitters follow up on all mold‑related matters.
At Perlos and Nypro, TE and production management take charge of overall mold follow‑up.
I use Dongjiang’s model for detailed management, which features fast response and high efficiency.

1. Design Department — ESI Review & Mold Design
Main responsibilities: preliminary ESI review, mold design, communication with customers, product review, and technical support for quotations.
For simple products and short‑cycle molds, standard parts can be used, such as clamps, wear plates, limit pins, support pillars, angle pins, and even cavity/core blocks and slides. This greatly shortens new mold lead times.

2. Machining Department — Programming, CNC, EDM, EDW, Milling & Grinding
Responsible for production scheduling and process coordination. Processes can be cross‑arranged to keep machining smooth and transfer blocked processes to the next stage in time.
This greatly reduces coordination between teams, shortens communication time, ensures timely production, and guarantees mold quality and delivery.

3. Assembly Department — Mold Assembly, TE Mold Follow‑up & Modification, Polishing
Fitters are responsible for mold assembly, modification plans, and mold maintenance.
A master fitter responsibility system is adopted: masters follow up details including materials, machining, and standard part progress, and are accountable for final delivery and quality.
TE is mainly responsible for mold follow‑up, leading modification plans, structural reviews during design, and other technical issues.

4. Planning & Process Team (PMC)
Formulate production plans and track progress; set part man‑hours; calculate mold costs; handle abnormalities; arrange part machining processes, etc.


Detailed System Construction & On-Site Management (Starting from Machining)

1. CAM Programming Team
CAM programming plays a critical role in mold production.
Unreasonable programs or insufficient programming skills can double or even triple CNC machining time.

- Secondary development of UG
- Unified use of UG machining templates
- Establishment of a UG tool library
- Standardized parameter settings

This reduces manual input errors, improves programming and CNC efficiency, enhances precision, saves about 25% of labor, and increases machine utilization.
Programming level directly affects quality, precision, and efficiency of CNC, EDM, wire cutting, milling, grinding, and assembly.

Main Regulations:
1. Establish standard UG mold machining templates and plugins for all programmers to ensure consistent spindle speed, feed rate, and parameters for cores, inserts, mold bases, and electrodes. CNC operators are prohibited from modifying programs.
2. Write programs by single tool number for easy rework without reprogramming.
3. Develop a complete programming manual covering steel, graphite, and copper electrodes.
4. Secondary development of LINK files to reduce manual operations.
5. Secondary development of program sheets for paperless operation.
6. Automatic EDM burning in cooperation with EDM: operators mount electrodes, set workpiece centers, load CNC files, and complete automatic burning with preset parameters.
7. Automatic workpiece inspection in cooperation with QC: automatic measurement via 3D measuring machines using programmed files.
8. Summarize common programming errors and issue *Common Abnormalities in CNC Mold Programming* for training.
9. Programmers work in accordance with official specifications and standards and follow NC progress.
10. After completing a mold, programmers issue program and electrode lists to NC, EDM, wire cutting, and mold shops.
11. Programmers participate in early design reviews, conduct machining reviews, generate electrodes, issue material lists, create burning drawings, and write steel programs.

2. CNC Machining Team
CNC is critical to mold success. It requires hardware, operators, processes, and standards to be fully integrated.

- Automatic tool changers; closed tool magazines to avoid iron chips and jamming
- Local area network for one computer to control multiple machines
- EROWA or 3R quick clamping for electrodes
- Operators only clamp workpieces and call programs; feed rates are controlled by programming
- Feed knobs locked to prevent manual adjustment

Management Rules:
1. Programmed and automated operation.
2. “Fool‑proof” operation to avoid human error.
3. Paperless operation.
4. Strict three inspections: first inspection, mutual inspection, self‑inspection.
   Three no‑passes: no passing without identifying cause; no passing without preventive measures; no passing unqualified products.
5. Tool wear inspection to ensure one‑shot fitting without files.
6. Daily tool checks and timely replacement.

3. EDM Machining Team
EDM is essential for small holes, carbide, mirror finishing, and special surfaces.

- Graphite electrodes recommended: 30% faster burning, over 50% faster forming than copper
- Copper electrodes for fine textures below VDI18
- EROWA/3R positioning; automatic burning system; no manual centering or data input
- One operator can manage 3 machines instead of 2

Management Rules:
1. Paperless operation.
2. Automated, programmed, standardized burning.
3. Fool‑proof operation.
4. Strict three inspections and three no‑passes.

4. EDW Wire Cutting Team
EDW is indispensable, evolving from fast wire to high‑precision slow wire.

- Quick‑clamping fixtures
- Medium wire for roughing; zinc‑coated wire for high‑precision parts

Management Rules:
1. Paperless operation.
2. Programmed and standardized processes.
3. Dedicated programming; fool‑proof operation.
4. Strict three inspections and three no‑passes.

5. Milling & Grinding Team
Includes lathe, milling, grinding, and drilling.

- Lathe: contours, bores, threads
- Milling: ejector holes, waterlines, tapping
- Grinding: finishing of high‑hardness materials
- Drilling: waterway holes

Night shifts are not recommended due to low efficiency.
Standard parts can be made in slack periods to shorten mold cycles.

Training Focus:
1. Milling and grinding skills
2. Fixture and measuring tool use
3. Tool and grinding wheel knowledge
4. Material properties
5. Blueprint reading and trigonometry
6. Machine operation and adjustment

6. Mold Assembly Team
Assembly is the final and critical process.
Strict quality awareness and careful workmanship are required.
Grinders are forbidden during fitting; only oilstone and sandpaper are allowed.

Management Rules:
1. Establish *Mold Assembly Operation Guidelines* for slides, inserts, lifters, and cores.
2. Develop *Mold Assembly Technical Manual* with case studies.
3. Monthly experience summaries and PPT training.

7. Mold TE Team
Poor TE modification causes frequent revisions and high costs.
One modification can cost thousands of RMB.

Management Rules:
1. Establish solutions for flash, sink marks, warpage, weld lines, ejector marks, etc.
2. Systematically troubleshoot dimensional issues from steel, part, to molding parameters.
3. Summarize failures to avoid experimental modifications.

8. Process & Planning Team
Planning controls delivery; processes affect precision and quality.

1. Detailed schedules for design, material ordering, machining, standard parts, etc.
2. Daily progress tracking.
3. Color‑coded process sheets to define sequences for programming, CNC, EDM, wire cutting, etc.


II. Specific Management Methods

1. Machine Equipment
1. Develop *Machine Operation Instructions*.
2. Compile *Common Alarm Codes & Solutions*.
3. Establish *Machine Maintenance Procedures*.

2. Tooling & Cutting Tools
1. Tool and gauge management with usage and maintenance guidelines.
2. Regular calibration of fixtures, vises, and EROWA systems.
3. Centralized tool management, inventory, and cost control.

3. Computer System
1. LAN with authority control.
2. Work‑only software installation.
3. Unified file naming and management specifications.

4. 5S Workshop Management
1S Sort, 2S Set in Order, 3S Shine, 4S Standardize, 5S Sustain.

5. Production Site
1. Clear zone labeling: machining, clamping, pending, finished, tool cabinets, aisles.
2. Transparent management: production plans, efficiency, and quality posted publicly.

6. Personnel Management
1. Positive attitude and team communication.
2. Strict basic operation training.
3. On‑site training and mentorship.
4. Quality and efficiency awareness.
5. Promotion path for outstanding technicians.
6. Compliance with instructions.

7. System & Regulations
1. Handover sheets for documents and workpieces.
2. Daily work reports for machine utilization, performance, and cost.
3. Performance appraisal system.

8. Technical Reserve
1. Machine operation documents.
2. Technician work instructions.
3. Programming technical documents.

9. Production Arrangement
1. Kick‑off meetings after orders; detailed schedules.
2. Daily evening meetings for progress review.
3. Networked management and on‑site support.
4. Detailed mold tracking.
5. Weekly summary of output, improvements, and new processes.

III. Salary & Benefits
- Basic salary + man‑hour bonus: high output but risks quality.
- Basic salary + allowance + overtime: overtime rate must be balanced to avoid low efficiency or low motivation.

IV. Conclusion
Even the best systems are useless without supervision and execution.
Team building and talent are crucial.
Enterprises need sound systems, clear rewards and penalties, promotion for capable employees, and elimination of unqualified staff.
Only in this way can an enterprise achieve sustainable development and become a first‑class mold company.