In the latest exhibitor interview, we spoke to Carl Strom, Owner of C-Sert Manufacturing LLC.

C-Sert manufacture thread-repair inserts for heavy industry, right here in the USA  – Plastics processors, steel mills, stamping and forging plants, power plants, etc.  For the Plastics Industry, the primary application is restoration of damaged threads in injection presses’ platens.  C-Serts come with a Lifetime Warranty against all mechanical failure, including thread wear.

---

What do you think sets your company apart from your competitors?

They say that anyone who claims not to have competitors is a fool, but, really, C-Sert has no competitors.  Yes, other companies make inserts for repairing damaged threads, but their repairs don’t last, or often don’t work at all.  C-Serts carry a Lifetime Warranty.  That’s for the entire service life of the equipment they repair.  It’s a performance warranty, not just materials and labor.  It covers pull-out, back-out and thread wear.  No one else offers even a 5-minute warranty.

 

Are there any new technology developments that your company is working on at the moment?

C-Serts are covered by 4 U.S. patents, with more patents on the way.  Our next thread-repair product is an insert for replacing damaged hydraulic and pneumatic threads (NPT, BSP, etc.) in high-pressure systems, up to 12,000 PSI.  Currently, no such product exists.  The traditional alternative is to move up to a larger fitting size, or to plug-weld, drill, and tap the hole.  Both methods solve the problem, but also create new problems of their own.

 

What are the biggest challenges facing the injection molding industry today and how can this be overcome?

We think the biggest problems are the public’s perception that plastics are an environmental threat, and the governmental regulations that will result.  We think that our industry has to get beyond public relations to real solutions – feedstocks that are less reliant on petroleum, products that are biodegradable, support for a surcharge (paid for by consumers) that will make recycling a good business proposition.

 

How do you see the sector developing in the next five to ten years?

We foresee strong growth for our sector over the next decade, probably even stronger than over the past decade.  One-time-use products (plates, cups, cutlery) will either be reformulated to make them more acceptable, or their sales will decline.  Food and consumer goods packaging will evolve to meet new environmental expectations.  Durable goods sales will continue to grow as plastic replaces metals.

 

You are exhibiting at the Injection Molding and Design Expo, what are you most looking forward to?

We’re looking forward to getting new customers.  Of course!  We’re also looking for injection molders – maintenance managers, techs, toolroom foremen – who are open to new and better ways of repair.  C-Serts aren’t cheap, so it’s important that our users understand value and return on investment – avoiding downtime, saving precious labor, making a repair just once and forever, not again and again.

---

C-Sert Manufacturing LLC will be exhibiting at the Injection Molding and Design Expo 2022.