Nova Tool & Mold, a designer and maker of high-quality injection molds and related tooling, is committed to maintaining a competitive edge for itself and its customers. "It's not enough to have the best equipment and staff possible," says John Novosel, Jr., head of the family company in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

"We need to make sure that every element performs at its optimum level," he continues. "That is one of the reasons we needed to revise our tooling storage."

In the past, Nova's tooling storage was a random system of steel cabinets placed throughout the plant. Tools were either easily misplaced, causing delays in production, or lost, causing costs to rise. A change was necessary.

A manufacturer of storage systems was contacted and with its local distributor worked with Nova personnel to develop a tool crib in its own room within the 22,000 sq ft manufacturing floor.

This tool crib is easily accessible to the team on the floor and is suitable for both small, light parts and large, heavy parts and equipment. Storage units are modular, moreover, to accommodate growth.

A major portion of the tool crib consists of the storage manufacturer's wall system, which is a system of configurable drawers, roll-out trays, and adjustable shelves.

Drawers hold such items as carbide tips, drills, reamers, taps, and all major mold components, such as ejector pins, guide pins, and bushings. A range of heights and depths of the drawers makes them efficient storage for a variety of items.

Roll-out shelving trays are built with standard conveyor rollers for safety and ergonomic storage. A shelf, says Novosel, "can hold items up to 770 lb in weight. The easy access to heavy items reduces the chances of any of our employees straining their backs."

A 6-ft-long workbench within the tool crib serves as a workstation for the crib attendant. It contains modular drawers to store all paperwork, records, and catalogs.

"As important as the organization of tools and parts is," says Novosel, "it is equally important that all paperwork and files be organized and easily accessible."

Inventory control of tools taken from the crib is maintained by having an employee leave his ID tag when he receives a tool.

Improvements are seen in the fact that Nova can now track tools at all times. "Just having a structured system for tracking tools has dramatically improved operations. Now, when you look at what the (system's components) are accomplishing on the inside of the tool crib, we wonder how we ever survived without them," says Novosel.

"As Nova Tool & Mold grows," he adds, " we will not have to worry about losing control of our inventory. That is a great relief. The system has completely organized and streamlined our operation. We have ensured that we will be able to maintain our competitiveness in the industry."

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