In the first part of this article, published in the previous issue of AMT News on August 16, we introduced you to the market opportunity of Mexico’s mold and die manufacturing industry. In this second part, we review the state of the mold and die industry by geographic locations.
The Mexican Association of Mold and Die conducted a survey to assess the technical capabilities of a sample of 215 companies. Below I present its findings as well as the expected capabilities needed to strengthen and grow Mexico’s mold and dies sector.
Retrofit capabilities for plastic injection molds
Micro welding for cavities repair
Mold holder and die holder fabrication
Flexibility to incorporate engineering changes
Software for simulation and analysis
Develop infrastructure to manufacture dies weighing 40 or more tons
Develop infrastructure to manufacture plastic injection molds weighing six or more tons
Develop infrastructure to manufacture stamping dies weighing more than 70 tons
The current manufacturing technology deployed in Mexico allows the manufacturing of dies up to 20 tons and stamping up to 30 tons, which is a small sample of the demand as the bulk ranges in larger systems and products.
To date, there are 15 states with the largest concentration of mold and die shops.
Now lets take a deep dive into the processes currently installed in Mexico.
There is a strong effort to upgrade the industry’s capabilities by engaging the many players and stakeholders that can have a direct impact on the output. From suppliers of metals and alloys to capital goods manufacturers, the involvement of AMT with this initiative is oriented to grow the consumption of Mexican made molds and thus the demand of capital goods for its manufacturing.
According to the study, the current and most used materials in Mexico are:
Ferrous
Steel
Stainless steel
Special steels
Tool-grade steel
PTR
C3
D2
D15
4140
K 340
Iron
Nodular Iron
P20
Plastic materials
Engineering plastics
Resins and additives
PVC
Teflon
Acetal
Nonferrous
Copper
Bronze
Graphite
Tungsten carbide
Wood
Aluminum
Another key process, discussed in every hall and meeting of AMMMT, that will impact Mexico’s mold and die production as well as the industrial ecosystem, is 3D printing machines or additive manufacturing. Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are two other transformative technologies that will impact mold and die manufacturing, as forecasted by ISTMA and embraced by AMMMT.
AMT will continue participating in the regular meetings held by AMMMT and is involved as a “strategic member” of ISTMA Americas as a result of the professional relationship capital built by AMT in both Mexico with AMMMT and with Brazilian Association of Mold and Die Manufacturers (ABINFER).
To date we are expeditiously strengthening the available market intelligence regarding who is who in Mexico’s budding mold and die industry. We are excited about the “dawn of a new industry,” which is bound to favorably impact the rest of the consumer industries due to its ubiquitous influence.
