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It was a pleasure to meet with Jordan Robertson to discuss StackTeck as July’s Member Spotlight. StackTeck had a recent press release as they were able to deliver a new series of plastic can molds for KW Container. They have successfully created the part in one piece, rather than separately. In the past, it would have been made into two pieces, but by increasing the sophistication of the mold they have been able to increase the standard of capability. View the press release HERE: https://stackteck.com/2022/kw-container-achieves-molding-of-paint-cans-in-one-step/
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1. What is StackTeck most proud of from 2021?
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StackTeck has had a strong year, in spite of the limitations and protocols. We started a new design that improves on collapsing core molds and adapted the design to meet customer needs.
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2. What are your goals for 2022?
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StackTeck’s goal is continued growth. We have new initiatives and in 2019 started an automation group that is growing significantly – halfway through the year and we have doubled our forecasted orders.
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3. What are 3 things you would tell someone just entering your industry?
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- Be ready for change as the plastics industry goes through a lot of adaptation. You must be willing to take risks and opportunities to innovate.
- Embracing sustainability is critical to our industry.
- Significant changes in the expectations of automation, as now projects require a higher level of automation when in the past there was greater variability. Moving forward will be beyond molds with automation in the shipping and delivery process.
4. What are some misconceptions about your industry?
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The plastics industry is criticized and has negative press associated with it. Attention needs to be brought on those not taking the right steps with disposal. Carbon footprint must be the top priority and plastics has a smaller carbon footprint, due to steps to avoid pollution, than people realize.
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5. How would you recommend addressing current industry challenges?
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We have to think outside the box, and it is a co-operative effort between HR and marketing, to address the shortage of workers. It is hard to promote and recruit and work live/virtual job fairs. StackTeck offers incentives to their staff if they recommend a successful hire. We have had to think creatively, be prepared to invest and we have been able to expand the size of our team. It is just the willingness to put in the additional work.
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It was a pleasure to meet with Jordan and discuss StackTeck. Jordan holds a strong enthusiasm when discussing StackTeck’s accomplishments and achievements, and you could tell how proud he was of where StackTeck is headed. It is great to hear of a company thriving and expanding and I look forward to hearing of their future successes.
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Report: Canada’s manufacturing sector shows signs of trouble in June
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S&P Global Canada’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) was down in June from May (56.8), registering at 54.6. While the numbers indicate 24 months of continuous growth, the PMI dipped to a 17-month low and the improvement was the third-weakest in this sequence.
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The two largest components of the PMI by weight – output and new orders – were behind the latest moderation. Both sub-indices dipped from May and fell to 24- and 23-month lows, respectively.
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“There were signs of difficulty in Canada’s manufacturing sector in June. The PMI dipped to the lowest for 17 months amid softer uplifts in output, new orders, purchases and employment. Global supply issues and steep price pressures were at the heart of the issue, and are expected to continue to disrupt the manufacturing economy this year,” commented Shreeya Patel, Economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
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Higher pricing buoying Canadian exports and trade surplus
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Canada’s merchandise exports rose 4.1% to $68.4 billion in May, the latest data from Statistics Canada shows. This was the fifth consecutive monthly increase and the tenth gain over the past twelve months.
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Imports decreased 0.7% to $63.1 billion, down for the first time in four months. Imports from China in particular fell sharply, reflecting the fallout from COVID-19 lockdowns in key manufacturing hubs.
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Molding conference set for November in North Carolina
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Registration is now open for the 2022 Molding Conference on November 8-10, 2022 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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The conference, is education-focused event that will feature sessions from industry leaders and networking opportunities.
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British Columbia high school receives donated CNC milling machine
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A desktop CNC milling machine is the latest addition to the workshops at Delta Secondary School (DSS). It will be used to give students insight into what a career in machining involves.
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What is next for 5-axis CNC technology?
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The next level of CNCs promises to support users at every stage along the way, from initial design to the finished workpiece.
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When the 5-axis machining technology wave started a few decades ago, many users mainly were concerned about 3+2-axis applications and getting their CAM post-processor rewritten to accommodate the new CNC plane functions for 5-sided machining. A few years later, verification software was developed to provide full simulation of a 5-axis toolpath and even generate NC code for some CAM system outputs.
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June 2022 Business Conditions Report reflects metal formers’ continued concern
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The June report shows that 35% of metal forming companies forecast a decrease in general economic activity in the next three months (increasing from 21% in May), 50% anticipate no change in activity (compared to 63% in May), and 15% predict an increase in activity (compared to 16% last month).
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Pilot Projects and Feasibility Studies help SMEs scale up project plans for implementation, prepare technologies for deployment
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Regional Development Program: Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competitiveness (AMIC) Stream
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This Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competitiveness (AMIC) Stream of the Regional Development Program will provide financial support to advanced manufacturing companies with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) across Ontario by way of investments in capital equipment, technology adoption and skills development that will accelerate recovery in Ontario and place our companies in competitive global positions.
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The types of support available include:
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- funding support
- complementary services and support
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Are you interested in learning about membership? Email [email protected] to schedule a meeting to discuss member benefits and what it means to become a member of our community.
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The 50 – 30 Challenge: Your Diversity Advantage
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The 50 – 30 Challenge is an initiative between the Government of Canada, business and diversity organizations. Together with project co-creators, many of whom have been striving to increase corporate diversity for decades, the government has developed a plan to improve access for women and/or non-binary people and other equity-deserving groups, including those identifying as: Racialized, Black, and/or People of Colour (“Visible Minorities”), People with disabilities (including invisible and episodic disabilities), 2SLGBTQ+ and/or gender and sexually diverse individuals, and Aboriginal and/or Indigenous Peoples. The program and participants recognize Aboriginal and/or Indigenous Peoples, including those that identify as First Nation Peoples, Métis Nation, and Inuit, as founding Peoples of Canada and underrepresented in positions of economic influence and leadership.
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SRED Tax Incentives – What can you claim?
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The definition of SR&ED provided in subsection 248(1) of the Income Tax Act not only describes why and how SR&ED is performed, it also describes what work is eligible:
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- Paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of the definition describe the three categories of eligible work that you can include in your claim;
- Paragraph (d) lists other work that you can also include in your claim, as long as this work is commensurate with the needs, and directly in support, of the work described in paragraphs (a) to (c) that is performed in Canada; and,
- Paragraphs (e) to (k) list work that is excluded, and thus, not eligible.
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Note that the list of excluded work is considered only after you have identified that eligible work has been performed. Even if some of your work falls in the excluded categories, you may still have other work that is eligible. What is important is to claim only the expenditures for the eligible work.
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For their first ever Hackforge event, Automate Canada is hosting Brent McPhail, CEO of Brave Control Solutions for a talk on “Snowflake Manufacturing.”
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“Snowflake Manufacturing is not about how complex the product is or how many variations there are, it is actually about when those variations are introduced into the manufacturing process,” writes McPhail. “If a product is completely defined prior to the design of the machine to build it, then it is traditional manufacturing. If it continues to change after the machine has been fabricated, it is Snowflake Manufacturing.”
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