Originally Published MPMN May 2009

MD&M EAST 2009: FIRST-TIME EXHIBITORS

Molder Keeps Pace with Shrinking Lead Times

Stephanie Steward

To be truly dynamic, something must exhibit continuous and productive activity or change. The evolution of Dynamic Group (Minneapolis)--the company that developed Dynamic Engineering Inc. and Dyna-Plast Inc., located in the city's northern suburbs--reflects efforts to do just that.

Dynamic Engineering formed in 1977 with the goal to design and make production injection molds for powder and plastic. Serving several industries, it focused on medical and dental applications. Dyna-Plast began 20 years later, offering customers rapid prototyping and molding services.

"In an effort to apply certain lean principles to the operation of our business, we now operate as one business entity with two physical locations," explains Jay Williams, vice president of sales and marketing.

Today, 70% of the group's business comes from the medical and dental industries. The company offers cradle-to-grave product realization from prototype to production tooling and precision molding services to medical device OEMs. Over the years, it has invested heavily in new equipment and has kept up with customers' requirements by having its facilities certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 standards, as well as being registered with FDA. More and more, customers expect the company to be a one-stop shop that offers an array of secondary operations beyond mold manufacturing, according to Williams. "Our molding facility has grown from a shop that qualifies tools and runs bridge-type production to [one] that includes precision medical molding and assembly in a Class 10,000 cleanroom," he says. In addition to its mold manufacturing and molding operations, Dynamic Group offers inspection services, precision high-speed machining, specialized wire EDM services, design modeling, pad-printing, welding, and other services.

Perhaps more important than maintaining state-of-the-art machining and EDM equipment, the company listens to the needs of its OEM customers. Device assemblies are not only becoming more complex--requiring tolerances on molded plastic that were uncommon a few years ago--but firms like Dynamic Group are being asked to do everything faster. "There is a continuous trend toward less and less time being afforded to our company in the development process," Williams says. "In fact, we are given less time in every phase of a project than we were only a few years ago." But the company is ready to meet those challenges, especially since Williams says they do not expect that trend to cease any time soon.

The Dynamic Group
www.thedynamicgroup.net
Booth #1480

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