Edward F. Bachner
Chicago Molded Products Corp
Inducted 1973
Edward F Bachner (1988 – 1974) was a leading activist in developing machinery and processing innovations as a custom molder. Bachner was the founder of Chicago Molded Products Corp., Chicago, IL, in 1919. In 1926, Bachner’s company produced the first phenolic washing machine agitators. Bachner pioneered other plastics applications while becoming one of the organizers and early officers of the SPI (now PLASTICS).
Edward noted on his induction into the Plastics Academy Hall of Fame: “Since I entered the plastics industry as a custom molder in 1919, there has steadily emerged a significant pattern, which I feel offers reliable insight into the prospects for the custom molder: renewal of opportunity.
From the earliest days, as new materials and improved equipment and molding techniques made new applications possible, business opportunities were created for the custom molder. Because plastics were new, developments were more frequent, and the opening of new business opportunities was continuously repeated. This pattern is continuing and has every prospect of expanding. As a result, the place of the custom molder in the structure of the plastics industry is very secure. Of course, the basic justification for the custom molder’s existence is their ability to serve a customer better than the customer could serve themself.
This service extends from developing new applications to producing good parts in the required volume. The molder serves, in fact, as an extension of the customer’s capabilities. This extension implies that the molder organizes himself to provide adequate engineering, research and development, equipment, molding know-how, and innovative vigor.
In this concept of custom molding, there is at one end the once innovational, although now commonly produced and highly-competitive product — which tends to move out of the original molder’s exclusive hold. But at the other end, there is a steady flow of new applications replacing those showing diminishing returns.
On balance, there is more coming in than there is disappearing. Of course, while this is true for the custom molding industry, it does not automatically follow that it will always be true for individual molders. And this is of the essence: the molder must see themself in this positive role and be prepared to react to these opportunities. They have to alert themself constantly to the posture of remaining in the front line of development. Even while giving their best to obtain the greatest mileage from the older applications — finding new ways to improve quality and minimize cost — they must be aware that although these are yesterday’s winners. They may still be today’s sustenance; they must get on with creating today’s winners and preparing for tomorrow’s.
Aside from applications that will evolve from within the plastics industry in improved materials, equipment, and molding techniques, there will come — from the technological advances of science and industry in all fields — what might be likened to an endless conveyor belt bulging with the products of tomorrow.
Think of how much can come out of a few of the way-out techniques, such as fluidics, computer-aided design (CAD), chemical propulsion, optical communications, lasers, fuel cells, solar energy, light-emitting diodes, liquid crystals, explosive joining, controlled fusion — to name a few.
Finally, Ed offered a word of counsel to young people looking for career direction: for the engineer, and the technically minded, the custom molding industry can be a good choice, especially for the individual who thrives on change and who can shift gears readily. Mr . Bachner saw the custom molder as entering a new business every few weeks or months — constantly undertaking the manufacture of an entirely new product — starting from scratch.
Plastics machinery, Plastics processing