M.R. Mold & Engineering, a U.S. leader in highly complex injection molds for Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) and thermoplastics, is leveraging a deep-rooted focus on niche applications and strategic global partnerships, particularly with standard component supplier HASCO, to navigate a demanding global manufacturing landscape. Celebrating its four-decade history, the Brea, California-based company embodies a philosophy of technical expertise, customer-focused service, and operational integrity, supplying precision tools for clients in the USA, Australia and around the world.
Mastering a niche: complexity as a competitive edge
Founded in 1985 by Rick Finnie, M.R. Mold initially broadened its scope of products and services to encompass tools for thermoplastics but strategically refocused its efforts around the millennium on its core strength: liquid silicone injection molds. LSR injection molds demand a different know how and an absolute precision is necessary to some 1000s of a mm, added with M.R. Mold’s own proprietary cold runner technology, provide the right mix for todays need for automation and 24/7 approach. This specialization was a deliberate choice to stand out in a crowded market.
“I learned from a lady at a conference to quit complaining, develop a niche, and market that niche,” recalls Rick Finnie, who still runs the company as its president. “And that is what we did”.
Today, M.R. Mold’s expertise spans the design and manufacture of molds for a vast array of materials, from high-performance, high-temperature engineering plastics like Ultem (PEI) and PEEK to general-purpose resins like Polypropylene and specialized materials like Teflon (PTFE). However, the defining characteristic is the geometric complexity of the parts.
M.R. Mold does not compete on sheer cavitation count or high-volume commodity tooling. Its competitive advantage lies in low-to-moderate cavitation, highly complex 3D geometries, (for example like a facemask) and tight-tolerance tooling, particularly for the medical sector. “We very seldom have simple geometries. In most cases the 3D geometry of the part is rather complex,” Rick notes, pointing out that parts often feature intricate, sculptured contours with no flat planes. “A complexity that demands superior engineering and specialized machining capabilities, including our 5-axis milling machine”. Even fixturing and holding mold components for machining can be highly complex tasks.
Full-service model: from CAD to part production
With more than 30 highly skilled employees using cutting-edge technologies, M.R. Mold is in a position to consistently meet or exceed its customers‘ expectations. Six of these employees have been with the company for more than 25 years, providing an invaluable knowledge base. The company produces complete injection molds to fit to a universal base. These sets are designed to integrate into M.R. Mold’s universal base platforms, allowing customers to use a single base for numerous cavity inserts, a highly versatile and cost-efficient solution. A cornerstone of M.R. Mold’s value proposition is its Technology Center, equipped with six state-of-the-art molding machines, with both silicone and thermoplastic capabilities.
This allows the company to test and sample every mold before shipping, allowing the company to demonstrate optimal processing conditions and functionality. The ability to produce parts on-site supports extensive prototyping and allows for rapid changes and adjustments, ensuring the customer receives a mold that is not just technically sound, but fully proven for their process. In addition, M.R. Mold can provide complete solutions, demonstrating the best way to handle the liquid silicone process, which differs significantly from classic plastic molding, often involving unique cooling/heating cycles and customized ejection/de-molding strategies.
“That’s an advantage for the customers working with M.R. Mold,” says René Eisenring, President of HASCO America, “because they would not just have a tool that they take home and find out it’s not working… The tool is actually presented and demonstrated, and necessary changes can be made right on site.”
HASCO Partnership: ensuring global reliability and design efficiency
For more than 40 years, M.R. Mold has relied on HASCO’s standardized components to guarantee the precision, reliability, and longevity of its complex molds. This long-standing partnership plays a decisive role in meeting the logistical and technical demands of a globally active tooling manufacturer.
Technical precision and component quality
M.R. Mold integrates a wide range of HASCO components into its molds, particularly in the crucial areas of guiding and movable mold parts. The company highlights the design of HASCO’s leader pins and bushings with “the little stub or the rear guide on the back of the head of the pin”, as Rick puts it. “That acts as a tubular dowel or, you know, acts as a dowel that aligns the plate behind it.” This unique feature enhances alignment, tool life, and ease of assembly. Locking and ejection systems from HASCO are also an integral part of M.R. Mold’s tool designs. The use of Parting-Line Locks (mold closures) and guided ejection systems with what Rick calls the “the early return system (HASCO Z163 / Z164) to make sure that the ejector plate is in its home position”, contribute to consistent process stability.
In addition, M.R. Mold benefits from HASCO’s comprehensive portfolio of auxiliary items such as fittings and quick connectors. Having invented the quick connector decades ago, HASCO today remains a full-range supplier offering globally standardized systems that comply with all major international profiles, including the European, US and French standards.
Global service and logistical reliability
While M.R. Mold takes pride in its fully American workforce and local sourcing, the company’s tools are delivered to customers around the world. This is where HASCO’s international infrastructure provides a crucial advantage. With subsidiaries in key markets such as USA, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and China, HASCO ensures that identical German made components and expert support are available wherever M.R. Mold’s tools are in operation. This local access guarantees fast response times for maintenance and replacement, strengthening global customer confidence.
Supply chain reliability is another cornerstone of the partnership. The extensive stock maintained by HASCO America proved invaluable during periods of worldwide supply disruption. Even when individual suppliers faced challenges, M.R. Mold could continue production without interruption. This resilience underlines HASCO’s commitment to reliable delivery performance and directly supports M.R. Mold’s own promise of punctual tool shipments.
Design-to-manufacturing efficiency
M.R. Mold’s engineering department, led by Rick Finnie with more than four decades of experience, makes extensive use of HASCO’s digital services to streamline the design-to-manufacture process. Engineers download high-quality 3D CAD models of HASCO components directly from the rewarded HASCO web shop, allowing them to integrate standard parts seamlessly into their SolidWorks and Siemens NX environments. This significantly reduces design time by eliminating the need to manually model standard components. M.R. Mold’s capability to run process-simulation to ensure quality, even before cutting into the steel.
Beyond geometry, the HASCO web shop also provides valuable real-time data on stock availability and delivery times. M.R. Mold’s purchasing team uses these digital tools to simplify ordering and quotation workflows while simultaneously identifying specialized components, such as vented or non-turning ejector pins, that can further enhance mold performance.
Partnership built on precision and trust
The collaboration between M.R. Mold and HASCO exemplifies how standardization, innovation, and global service can merge to create efficient, high-performance tooling solutions. With HASCO as a trusted partner, M.R. Mold continues to push the boundaries of precision moldmaking while maintaining the flexibility and reliability that its global customers depend on.
Market focus and global outlook
M.R. Mold maintains a strong focus on the medical industry, which accounts for approximately 85% of its business. This sector, covering everything from respiratory care to surgical components, offers stability regardless of economic fluctuations. The company is actively pursuing growth, having recently invested in new high-speed milling and EDM equipment. While half of its tools stay in the U.S., the other half are exported to countries including Mexico, Canada, Central America, and Europe.
As a seasoned industry veteran, Rick Finnie emphasizes the importance of honest customer communication, often advising against unfeasible designs or unattainable tolerances, even if it means declining a quote. This integrity, coupled with M.R. Mold’s specialized tooling and the reliable global support of partners like HASCO, solidifies the company’s position as a premier, high-quality supplier in the global specialty mold market.