JIT turnaround is high on Ci-Dell's list of priorities. Equipment choices have a lot to do with the company's ability to satisfy those demands. "We're moving in the direction of injection molding because the process is more suitable for JIT operations," says Trudell. Ci-Dell's molding area contains presses turning out a variety of mostly thermoset parts, ranging from hair clipper housings to heat- and vibration-resistant automotive parts with good dielectric properties. Molding equipment ranges from manually operated compression/transfer presses to fully automatic thermoset injection, injection-compression, transfer presses, and thermoplastic injection presses.

"The thermoset injection process is much faster than compression, and injection presses don't require as many operators," Trudell adds. Among the newest thermoset injection presses on Ci-Dell's floor are two 80-ton Hull/Finman machines and on 45-ton Mighty Mac.

On the other side of a metal wall on the molding floor lies the moldbuilding operation. Bringing this funtion in-house was essential to Ci-Dell's JIT strategy, according to the partners. "We found we couldn't afford the lead time involved in having molds and tooling designed on the outside," says Trudell. "By performing this function in our own facility, we have tight control over quality from start to finish on every customer's order."

The toolroom is equipped with manual and CNC milling machines, surface grinders, CNC EDMs, and lathes. There is also a welding booth, which is used for in-house equipment repairs when needed. "Having our own welding capability is an extra assurance against downtime," say Cihlar.

Of course JIT delivery doesn't mean much if the parts are not of acceptable quality. One way Ci-Dell integrates quality into its processes is through the use of compression molding techniques with injection presses. "In conventional injection molding," Cihlar explains, "you can't produce a product without gating. Degating the part requires an extra step - cutting, deflashing, or blasting. When this is done, the part may show small scratches or abrasions on its surface. For decorative products, this is generally unacceptable." The compression-injection technique eliminates gating. It allows the mold to remain open within a specified tolerance during injection, followed by rapid compression as the mold is closed.

An example of when this technique was used - a computer chip package used in a new consumer product, an "intelligent" light bulb. The chip programs the bulb to restrict surge, dim itself, shut itself off, or perform a variety of other functions.

"The chip is packaged in a black piece of plastic attached to the base of the bulb. This is an essential element of the product display in stores, so the plastic package has to be clean and smooth," says Cihlar. Ci-Dell's challenge in this case was to maintain all three dimensions of a very small part to within a tolerance of .002 inch.

The final factor in achieving its goals is Ci-Dell's relationships with its customers. "Whenever we take on new business, we work very closely with our customer up front," Trudell says. "We always try to get the customer's engineer to specify an alternative material so we can compensate for the possibility of shortages or long delivery times from materials suppliers. We produce samples so our customers can do testing, and we've also found that we've had to keep more in materials inventory so we can meet customers' deadlines," he adds.