Johnny Ash is a legend, at least in some plastics circles.
Ash, a process technician with Preformed Line Products' Rogers, Ark., plant, has just been named the 2020 champion for Paulson Training Programs Inc.'s SimTech Challenge. It's the second year in a row he's won the crown.
The challenge features a different virtual molding problem each month, which encourages participants to keep their molding skills honed for problems that may pop up in real production. Paulson first introduced the SimTech Challenge at NPE2018.
Ash took home the top prize for 2019 and Paulson announced Dec. 22 that he'd won it again for 2020 with 739 total points.
"What's Mr. Ash's secret?" Paulson asked in announcing the winner. "In looking at his data, it's clear 'consistency' is the secret ingredient. While Mr. Ash didn't win first place each month, he consistently placed in the top three, seven of the 11 months and raked in those points."
Alexandru Crai, from OMS Besser Group, was close behind with a total point accumulation of 713.
Ash has worked at Preformed Line Products for 32 years. Editor Don Loepp wrote about Ash and other participants in August.