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Regardless of whether the material is hygroscopic, Microspec will dry it before processing. The plant has 14 desic- cant dryers lined up along the back wall of the production/QC floor. Materials like nylon, PC, and ABS must be dried because of their tendency to absorb moisture. But Microspec also goes through the trouble of drying PE and PP to remove surface moisture that could otherwise lead to voids and other surface imperfections in the tube. In Microspec's QC area are laser-gauging equipment, a highly precise electronic microscope, and pin gauges. Tubing is evaluated at the start of, during, and after each run and before shipment. In fact, tubing is inspected before an actual produc- tion run begins: Technicians typi- cally set up the line, begin making product, and take three pieces for quality inspection before production is ramped up. Microspec has tensile and elongation testing equipment from Instron Corp., Norwood, Mass. (instron.com), and relies on a variety of other materials testing machinery to analyze moisture content, melt flow, annealing, and other properties, depending on what's required. It maintains historical records of every run. Last month, Microspec was in the process of implementing an ERP system from IQMS, Palo Alto, Calif. (iqms.com). Says Steele, "To compete globally you need these kinds of tools. But I've seen ERP systems do a lot of damage at companies, mostly because they try to do everything all at once. We are taking a more gradual, phased-in approach." THE SECRET SAUCE Considering that Microspec makes very complex parts utilizing intricate tooling and a gamut of resins, it's somewhat surprising that the firm has not implemented simulation software to model how material will flow in its tools. Langevin puts it this way: "At Microspec, our simulator is Tim's mind and Bruce's finesse." "Bruce" is Bruce Gordon, who runs Microspec's toolroom. He had his own machine shop close to Microspec and had built the tubing maker's tooling. Then he decided that running a business wasn't something he particularly enjoyed. So he told Steele he was getting out of the business, and Steele responded by buying his equipment and hiring Gordon to run it. Today, all tubing made by Microspec is made with extrusion tools designed and developed by Gordon and his team in-house. The company describes its tooling operation as "a unique blend of traditional designing with pencil and paper on a drafting board, integrated with modern CAD programs run on our state- of-the art wire EDM." Loosely speaking, it brings the best of art and science together. Says Steele, "To make a good extrusion tool, there are just some things you can't put on a piece of paper." The Microspec machine shop utilizes MasterCAM and SolidWorks software and two wire-EDM machines, along with metalworking and hole-punching equipment. The machine shop has a tool crib for cleaning and maintaining all tooling. Extrusion equipment is also maintained and repaired here. TRAINING, STEELE STYLE The Microspec founder and CEO learned extrusion "hands- on." That approach extends to his management style as well. In a day, Steele will shift from participating in a technical brainstorming session involving engineers with a key client, to setting up a trial, to running the line, and literally everything else in between. He has developed his own training methods for new employees. He likes to give tech- nical presentations every now and then; two of the more recent ones were about processing PEEK and how to mini- mize gels, which he calls "every extruders' nightmare." It's not surprising, then, that Steele takes a hands-on approach to teaching newcomers about extrusion. He has respect for universities with polymer education programs, but has found, in his experience, that "those students typi- cally have bad habits that are hard to break." That refers to gap he believes exists between theory and practice. So Steele himself has developed a 75-page book that all technical employees are required to read, focusing mainly on process design and flow design. "That book is our training program," he says. "And when it comes time to put a line together, I tell my people, 'Remember what you read in that book.' But of course, there are times when we must set things up differently than what's in the book. So it's important that we explain to them why and make sure they understand." "To make a good extrusion tool, there are just some things you can't put on a piece of paper." Microspec has 18 extrusion lines from 0.5- to 2-in. diam. @plastechmag 43 Plastics Technology On-Site Microspec Corporation