While AI offers exciting opportunities, it will never replace the core values that define what Accumold is — it simply makes the company better at delivering them.

(16th June 2025, Ankeny, Iowa, USA) In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) dominates headlines and stirs conversations across every industry, the question isn't whether AI will impact manufacturing , it's how. At Accumold, the global leader in precision micro molding, the answer is clear. AI is a powerful tool to enhance human expertise, not replace it.

For more than 50 years, Accumold has built its reputation on solving the most complex micro manufacturing challenges. From life-saving medical devices to cutting-edge micro-electronics, the company's customers rely on it for technical leadership, uncompromising quality, and an unwavering commitment to partnership. While AI offers exciting opportunities, it will never replace the core values that define what Accumold is — it simply makes the company better at delivering them.

"At Accumold, we see AI as an enabler, not a substitute," says Roger Hargens, President and CEO. "It's about empowering our people to work smarter, make faster decisions, and provide our customers with better outcomes. AI is a tool in our toolbox, not the craftsman."

One area where AI has already made a measurable difference is in Accumold's quoting and project planning processes. By analyzing decades of historical project data, AI helps Accumold's teams create more accurate quotes and delivery forecasts. It identifies patterns in material usage, lead times, and project complexities that might take human analysts days to compile. This allows the company to provide customers with faster, data-driven insights that improve project feasibility assessments and enhance confidence in delivery timelines.

Importantly, AI doesn't make decisions at Accumold. It informs decisions. The expert judgment of Accumold's engineers, project managers, and customer-facing teams remains at the heart of every proposal made. AI simply accelerates access to the right information, allowing the company's teams to focus more on what they do best, collaborating closely with customers to solve design challenges and optimize manufacturability from the outset.

This is particularly critical in a manufacturing landscape that is evolving faster than ever. Markets like medical devices, micro-optics, and wearable electronics demand precision at a scale and speed that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago. While AI can't replace the creative problem-solving or hands-on experience that Accumold's teams bring to every project, it plays a growing role in helping the company stay ahead of customer needs, improve forecasting accuracy, and streamlining operational workflows.

"We're not interested in adopting technology for technology's sake," Hargens adds. "We're interested in anything that makes us a better partner to our customers. AI helps us do that by improving efficiency and allowing our experts to focus on what really matters, innovation, collaboration, and getting things right the first time."

In this way, Accumold's approach to AI reflects the very ethos of the company itself: grounded, pragmatic, and relentlessly focused on delivering real value. As the manufacturing world continues to evolve, Accumold remains committed to leading that evolution responsibly, intelligently, and always with people at the center.