More than 15% of plastics global production is used by the automotive market. On many models of cars the use of polymers has reached 150 kgs. The new Serie Mega ES is capable of meeting most of the requirements of these applications: from bumpers to dashboards, from headlights to "under hood components".

Read more about how our machines are used in the Automotive Industry below:

• Automatic Plastics
• PEP

Automatic Plastics
INVESTMENT IN QUALITY FOR AUTOMATIC PLASTICS

After 31 years in business, Automatic Plastics of Tinaheley in County Wicklow is now run by a specialist team which includes a second Al Lawless who identifies consistent quality as the prime reason behind the company’s continuing success. This is substantiated by the considerable investment in quality control equipment, such as non-contact video image measurement; with magnification of up to x 276 and employing the new Quadra-Chek 2000 interface, this permits the preparation of accurate ISIR studies on new products.

Al Lawless explains that many changes have been made in the company’s approach to quality management. “Our registrations to both ISO 9002 and the automotive QS 9000 represented major steps for us and we now have what I believe is one of the most advanced SPC systems operating in any custom moulding shop.

THREE NEW SANDRETTOS DURING 2002

Investment has not been confined to quality control as is evident in the moulding department, which has been expanded to 20 machines over the last 18 months. Most recent additions include three more Sandrettos – a 75 tonne, a 130 tonne and a 230 tonne of the new NOVE S range – bringing the total of Sandrettos to 13. A policy of regular machine replacement has always ensured that the average machine age is low; now it is a remarkable four years.


Automatic Plastics operates 20 injection moulding machines from 25 tonnes to 380 tonnes lock. To accommodate what has been a notable increase in capacity more space was needed. An addition of 1200 sq metres raised the overall factory area to 3000 sq metres but, significantly, increased production floor space by 80%.

NEW CRANE AND NEW TOOLROOM

The need to reduce tool change times prompted installation of an overhead crane in the moulding department. The move proved very effective and the situation has been further improved through a programme of tool maintenance made possible through the re-equipping and enlarging of the in-house toolroom.

Post-moulding processes such as pad printing, hot-foil stamping, ultrasonic welding and component assembly represent increasingly important aspects of the service offered by Automatic Plastics. Customers, from the pharmaceutical, domestic appliance, telecommunications and automotive industries – including Braun, BMW, Citroen, Renault, Porsche, Volvo and games specialist Hasbro – are spread throughout the UK and mainland Europe, as well as Ireland.

“It is as much in the added value operations we can provide as in our design input where we are proving we can be of most benefit to a customer” explains Al, “and we hold ‘ship to store’ status with many of them.”

MECHANISATION

To a visitor possibly the most noticeable investment made by Automatic Plastics is in automation and mechanisation. All 20 moulding machines are fed from a centralised materials handling system and all machines are fitted with de-mould robots. Indexing conveyors transfer the parts to the down-stream processes.

“Maintaining the position we’ve earned as one of Ireland’s leading custom moulders remains a challenge” states Al, “and to achieve it we go out of our way to provide the highest possible level of customer support.

“And I want to stresses that this couldn’t be achieved without the commendable attitude shown by our staff – supervisors who’ve been with us for 25 and even 30 years, for example, and a moulding technician who came to us from school in the 70s, soon after we started. When they sense the need they stay until the job is done; and customers benefit from this level of dedication.”

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PEP
Custom moulder PEP installs a new Automotive component manufacturing Cell

Precision Engineering Plastics (PEP) of Tottenham, North London, have set themselves ambitious targets, in the custom moulding sector, every year since they were formed in 1986 and every year they have met their targets both in terms of growth and investment in new equipment.

The latest addition to their 16 machine (20-300 tonnes) engineering moulding facility is a Nove S 220 tonne Sandretto together with a Servo Robot loading system and an automatic packing station. This addition compliments the recent installation of 2-shot capability. The new machine is for a specific dedicated cell to produce a high volume insert moulded technical engineering component for a Tier 1 automotive customer. This addition to the higher tonnage range strengthens PEP’s position in the specialist close-tolerance sector serving the automotive, engineering, electrical and medical industries. PEP’s manufacturing site is being extended by 5,000 sq.feet to cater for the company’s future expansion programme.

Mike Cox - Sales Director at PEP, explained that the equipment for the new cell was purchased to meet the specific requirements of an existing customer, as well as to meet the company commitment to stay ahead of the field in terms of expertise and equipment. Mike said “We have built the business by specialising in technical moulded components and by differentiating ourselves from other moulders in the UK through a “partnership philosophy” which we adopt with every client.”

Mike is confident that PEP’s continued investment in new machinery and a “one stop shop” approach will continue to pay dividends, “We are a QS9000 accredited company with in-house tooling expertise, modern state-of-the-art equipment and a firm commitment to full project management. We like to think of ourselves as an extension of the customer’s operation, committed to moving forward with our customers by offering the complete moulding package.”

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