Moldmakers’ forum exposes payment abuse

“Look! There goes another one. Hope I get paid eventually for the molds I made for that car, too.”

Moldmakers on the short end of the stick when it comes to payment have a new blog, toolanddieing.com, where they are encouraged to call out those Tier automotive suppliers who are remiss in paying their debts for molds already in service. It’s part of an ongoing effort to get payments passed through from the OEM to the moldmakers.

The blog, called “Deadbeat Tooling Payments,” is seeking comments from all of the mold, tool and die makers who’ve seen a vehicle on the street for which they are still awaiting payment. It’s a common occurrence, from what I understand.

The big holdup—both meanings of the word, a delay and being robbed—remains PPAP (Production Part Approval Process), the qualification process that every mold goes through that certifies that the plastic components coming off of it are to spec and ready for use on production vehicles. Funny, but no one ever seems to know quite when PPAP has taken place or even if it is completed.

But then one day, while out about town, a moldmaker spots the make and model of the vehicle that he built the bumper molds (or other parts) for— and for which he has yet to receive payment. He calls the Tier One but no one seems to know when PPAP is scheduled. That ambiguous PPAP date has somehow disappeared into a black hole, and no one_either at the OEM or the Tier supplier—claims to be responsible for knowing the date or the results, let alone actually concerning themselves with payment to the moldmaker.

If you have been or are stuck in this situation, the blog wants you to write about it and answer these questions:

• “Are you presently still waiting for a tooling payment and the vehicle is on the street? If so, what is the vehicle and how long ago was it launched?”

• “In the past, what vehicles did you notice driving around the streets that you were still trying to collect payments on?”

Details desired include the name of the OEM, the vehicle, tool delivery day, vehicle launch date, and the dollar amount still owed on the molds, tools and dies, with “other appropriate comments” welcome.

It’s about time that OEMs and their large Tier suppliers got called on the carpet for this type of payment abuse! Blog away! —[email protected]