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Revised/Updated September, 2016
Presently - Director Tooling and Automation Engineering for RD Industries, Inc. Omaha, Nebraska 68122 - www.rdindustries.com - email - lgraham@rdindustries.com
General:
Now celebrating 50 years in the plastic injection molding, mold design/moldbuilding industry. Fifteen years in Omaha beginning with Reliable Products Co., which was founded/owned by the family of RD Industries owner/president/CEO, Rodney (Rod) Laible. Fifty years later, from beginnings as teenagers, Rod and I have come full circle. It was there that I attained a hands-on foundation including attaining master moldmaker status, and mold shop foreman experience before spending twenty-two years in management with the Tech Group. Former President of Len Graham Consulting, founded in early 2004, dissolved in 2012, then accepting the Business Unit Leader position with Rexam Mold Manufacturing, Buffalo Grove, IL. Then acting as Director of Tooling/Engineering at Matrix IV in Woodstock, Il. before joining RD industries. Author of "What Is A Mold?" and many industry periodical articles. Inventor/co-inventor of granted U.S. mold device patents as well as one Process patent. That patent is for a method of automating the mold insert manufacture process recognized globally as the Super-Cell. Installed initial cell for an updated, much advanced version called the Mega-Cell in Buffalo Grove, IL. Invited to speak internationally on optimum mold design, the automated mold manufacturing process, and employee empowerment in the mold shop.
Multiple industry magazine articles published featuring Len Graham and the automated mold manufacturing system – the Super-Cell and the Mega-Cell (information can be accessed from the internet): enter the words "Len Graham Mold Manufacturing" in your Google search area to access these articles and more information.
- Video: True mold manufacturing - August 19, 2013
- Rexam Mold Manufacturing - Manufacturing Today
- Boots on the Ground at Mega Moldmaker Rexam - March 11, 2013
- Raising the Bar on Better: MoldMaking Technology - August 1, 2013
- (Un)Stoppable Automation for the Mold Shop - August 16, 2013
- Rexam Mold lauds teamwork | Plastics News
- Archive for Mold Manufacturing - February 27, 2014
- Automating the impossible | CTE Publications - June, 2014
- Automation & Robotics Panel - Len Graham, Rexam and Brian Pelke, Kay Manufacturing - May 15, 2014
- Article published December 15, 2014 in Plastics News announces Len's new position with Patricia Miller and Matrix IV
- Article in American Mold Builder Magazine - Summer 2015 - page 6 - Technology - Answering Mold Venting Questions - by Len Graham, Terry Schwenk - Ewikon - and Steve Johnson - Tooling Docs
- "Tech Group launching Super-Cell locations" – Announced in Plastics News – January 21, 2002
- "Hands Free Moldmaking" – Article in Injection Molding Magazine – IMM – January, 2002
- “Highly automated Tech lives up to its name” – Article in Plastics News lists super cell as pivotal in The Tech Group’s winning co-Processor of the Year award for 2002 – article – February 17, 2003
- “Some US moldmakers making success stories”: Part 2 of 2: Plastics News – March 17, 2003 – Automation nation – interviews with top shops around the nation – super cell covered
- Cover story – international machining magazine – Modern Machine Shop – November, 2003 – “Globally Integrated Machining” – 10 page article on the super cell and editorial by editor-in-chief, Mark Albert referring to the project as “Star Wars”
Speaking/teaching engagements:
Instructor:
- Mold design – “What Is A Mold?” seminars. When year only specified, exact date not known:
- May 4-6, 1995 – At Tech Corporate – Customers including: Clorox, Schering Plough, IMED, Mc Gaw, Allergan, Abbott Laboratories, Guidant, Lifescan, and Baxter
- Abbott Laboratories July 16-17, 1996 – Engineers – Chicago
- MoldMasters/Canada – 1996 – Sales/engineers – Phoenix
- Husky/Canada – 1997 – Sales/engineers – Marriott – Phoenix
- 1994-1997 – Six – 30-35 person 3-day classes for Tech Mold and Tech Group officers, managers, and employees.
- March, 2000 – Singapore Polytechnics– Conduct 3-day class for students and teachers. Teachers educated to continue program alone.
- 2 – seminars – 1999 and April 12-14, 2000 – Major consumer and medical customers including: Avery Dennison, HP, Sanford, Ortho, J&J, Amgen, Chamberlain, Meridian, and others – app. 30 customers each class
- Mold design – Employee empowerment – Automated mold manufacturing:
- Early 1997, Dayton, Ohio – AMBA meeting – Automation and employee empowerment
- March 12-15, 1997 – Palm Springs, Ca. – SPI conference – “Essential elements for success beyond 2001”
- April 1,1999 – Omaha – Nebraska chapter/SPE – “Advancements/Automation in EDM”
- September 4-11, 2002 – IMTS Chicago – SME – Automation – conducted seminar with System 3R
- Tech Talks Symposium – May 1, 2003 – Medical engineers – various companies – advanced mold design features and their value
- Tech Talks Symposium – October, 2003 – Requested by Medical engineers – various companies – recommended by engineers/previous symposium - advanced mold design features and their value
- Moldmaking Technology Magazine articles by Len Graham or about Len Graham Consulting’s ADPMI Gage ball application successes:
- Automation – People: The Most Challenging Component in Automating a Mold Shop – 9/05
September 2005. A shop won’t get far, if attention is not paid to the people side of automation – Automation – People: The Most Challenging Component in Automating a Mold Shop -
- Automation Case Study – The Center of Automation – 10/05
October 2005. Macro pallet-mounted gage balls reduce overall costs in electrode machining/manufacturing and reduce leadtime by 25 percent.
- Quality – Team Approach Is Key to Proper Inspection – 04/06
April 2006. Using a group rather than one person and changing the order of inspection is a win-win for this moldmaker—repeatable results with no rework.
- Moldmaking Technology Expo Speaking engagements
- MM Expo 2004 – Cleveland – “Automated mold insert manufacturing – local and global” – June 22-24, 2004 – Of 36 presentations at the Expo, this presentation was among 8 selected as highest rated and featured in the August issue of Moldmaking Technology Magazine.
- MM Expo 2005- Rosemont, IL. – “People: The Most Difficult Component in Automating a Mold Shop” – April 19, 2005
- MM Expo 2007 – Rosemont, IL – Keynote speaker with Jeff Kaczperski – President – Omega Plastics – April 18-19, 2007
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