Ivar T. Quamstrom
D-M-E Company
Inducted 1987
Ivar Quarnstrom (1900 – 1966) was the originator, inventor, and pioneer in developing a practical system of pre-engineered basic tooling for the plastics moldmaking industry.
While working as a toolmaker/moldmaker in 1942, Quarnstrom conceived the idea of “standardized mold bases” for the plastics industry. He refined the idea, obtained several patents, developed, produced, and began marketing a line of standard mold bases that became the worldwide industry standard. The pre-engineered mold bases were manufactured in various standard sizes, having interchangeable standard components. Through his ingenious efforts, the plastics injection molding industry greatly reduced the lead time for critical tooling during and after World War II. At a time when critical skills were in short supply, his concept of “more quality molds per available moldmaker” continues to be an essential factor in the growth of the plastics industry.
Quarnstrom was cited by the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) as “the man whose ideas, put into practice, have done more to accelerate the growth of the injection molding industry . . . by enabling the supply of high production molds to keep up with the demands of the burgeoning plastics industry.” The company he founded in 1942 was Detroit Mold Engineering Company. (now known as the D-M-E Company) has expanded this concept into every industrial country of the world. A foundation in his name is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the education and development of mold makers and mold designers. According to its mission statement, the I.T. Quarnstrom Foundation “provides a source of funds, which can be made available directly or through approved agencies or societies to advance and accelerate the development and proliferation of training programs and curricula in these fields.”
Areas of Expertise:
Plastic machinery and molds