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Why I’m Not Sure “Why” Is The Best Place To Start
Simon Sinek’s Start with Why is a book whose central premise is that intense focus on your individual purpose, cause, or goal — your “why” — can actualize hopes or ideas in real life. If you’re looking for an inspirational book, “Start with Why” is as good as any...
Does Your Reflection Look Yellow? How to Tell if it’s Time for a New Mirror
The sole function of a mirror is to produce accurate, clear, crisp reflections. Shape, manufacturing processes, and the choice of raw materials all influence the original quality of the mirror, as well as its ability to hold up over time. Are your mirrors bubbling,...
Are Polycarbonate Mirrors Really “Unbreakable?”
Polycarbonate "Impact Strength" The material property most related to cracking is called "Impact Strength". Calling that property "impact strength" is a bit of a misnomer because the unit of measure is actually a measure of energy per unit of material thickness. This...
Bonding Mirrors: Use The Right Type Of Adhesive Or Don’t Expect The Bond To Last
It is critical to use the right type of adhesive to correctly and securely bond mirrors to their backings, because of the multi-layer structure of the mirror. The reality is that most bonding occurs on a mirror’s back coating, which means the adhesive has to bond the...
Hawk-Eyed Employees or Advanced Equipment: What’s the Key to Ensuring Optical Quality Mirrors
For optical plastics manufacturers, everything rides on the quality of the lenses and mirrors produced. Ensuring optical quality, however, is not easy. A difficult, time-consuming process, optical-quality assurance is one of the best examples of man and machine...
Protecting Mirrors: Choosing the Right Coating for Your Application
In order for plastic to be reflective, it has to be coated with a layer of metal. That metal layer, however, is so thin that it is extremely vulnerable — and it needs to be protected. Without it, the metal can easily be scratched, chipped or chemically attacked,...
NEWS
ISO 9001:2008 Certification — The Stamp Of Approval On Replex’s Quality Management System
Any manufacturer can boast about the level of their quality management system — and many do. But when a company has ISO 9001 certification, they don’t need to boast. This certification means that an accredited third party has audited their entire operation and...
Meeting the Sky-High Mirror Demands of the Airline Industry
When we make mirrors for the aircraft industry, these manufacturers obsess over three things: the weight of the mirror, its ability to withstand impact, and its resistance to fire. There is only one mirror material that can meet the highest standards for all three of...
Baptism by Fire: How a Disaster Strengthened a Business and a Community
On Memorial Day 2006, Margaret Hampton was on her way to get picnic supplies for holiday festivities in the town of Mt. Vernon, Ohio, when she saw thick, black smoke belching into the sky a short distance away. Just minutes from her home, she drove toward the inferno....
TIPS
Man And Machine Working Together To Achieve CNC Precision
Every time a CNC machine cuts a piece of plastic, it is the result of a deep unification of man, machine and computer. Sure, the end result is just a tool drilling into material, and what’s so special about that, right? Well, long before any cutting or drilling takes...
CNC Machine Operation: The Complicated Path To Perfect Plastics
Cutting the perfect shape with the cleanest edge without raising cost is only possible if no mistakes are made, no labor is squandered, and no material is wasted during the manufacturing process. In order to provide the best quality product with the best value to...
Ordering Plastics Internationally: The Five-Step Plan for Success
As a manufacturer that does business across the world, we’ve learned that only a reliable, step-by-step process can ease the risk and anxiety that both parties undertake when engaging in an overseas purchase order with a new partner for the first time. From testing...
How to Ensure There Are No Defects in Your Mirror, One Step at a Time
Finding even the slightest defects in mirrors is a process that begins long before the mirror is a finished product. From the time the raw materials arrive at the plant, operators and quality control specialists need to have their eyes peeled for potential pitfalls....
From Corrosion to Optical Quality to Customer Care: The Business of Problem Solving
When you’re in the plastics business, your work involves problem solving as much as it does making optical-grade plastics. Understanding customers’ challenges and coming up with solutions is as difficult, gratifying and important as making reliable mirrors and lenses....
Identification And Elimination: Finding The Source Of Defects In Plastics
Those of us in plastics manufacturing know to keep an eye on products throughout the entire production timeline. Consistency and continuity in quality control is the key to identifying and remedying errors and defects in an accurate, timely fashion. When a defect...
No Defect Plastics Manufacturing Requires Quality Control From Start To Finish
In order to produce quality plastics with no defects, the manufacturing process needs to begin and end with stringent quality control measures. Choosing quality raw-materials suppliers launches the process, and then we ensure our in-house manufacturing has all the...
Taking the Mystery Out of Metal: Different Back Coatings for Different Mirrors
For a mirror to be highly reflective, its back is evenly coated with a thin layer of metal. The metal you choose will depend on the mirror’s purpose and application. They all have different compositions, different properties, different uses and different prices....
Truth is Better than Trends: Don’t Look for Patterns Where There Are None
Go to any casino in the world, hang out by the slot machines and ask the players about their “strategies.” “This machine is due for a hit because I watched the last guy strike out five times in a row.” “This machine is lucky because they make you go out of your way to...
The Ultimate Test: Putting Your Mirrors Through 20 Years of Salt, Fog and Sun
Most mirrors are going to look fantastic right out of the factory. But how well will they hold up after five, 10, 15 or 25 years of exposure to weather, harsh temperature changes, water, and natural sunlight experienced during outdoor use in the elements? Testing is...
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