A critical component of Milacron’s business strategy is the customer-first mentality that reinforces continuous innovation to meet the rising global demand for injection molding machines. To stay ahead of the curve, Milacron’s global businesses continue to develop multifaceted ways to satisfy even the most complex business needs of the customers.
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Grupo Comeca’s Uniplastics Container Corporation plant, nestled in the foothills of South America, relies on Milacron injection molding machines to produce a variety of industrial packaging applications for its customers around the globe |
Guatemalan-based customer, Grupo Comeca, has not only discovered savings but better utility in its packaging operations business segment through a new Milacron IMM platform recently launched in the Latin American market.
With more than 45 years serving a wide range of manufacturing needs for international customers all over the globe, Grupo Comeca has turned to Milacron for several decades to provide not only industrial pails for paints and oils but crates for the agriculture and beverage industries. The company’s geographic presence spans across nine countries from Canada to Argentina, where it supplies crates and pails to a host of well-known global consumer and B2B corporations.
According to the company’s Plant Manager for Container Corporation of Grupo Comeca, Eduardo Castillo, the company first turned to Milacron in 1994 for its plastics processing needs as the company expanded beyond tin containers. “That very first Milacron machine is still in full operation for us in Costa Rica today!” he said, also noting that the company’s Colombia facility has Milacron machines in addition to another five in Guatemala.
Earlier this year Grupo Comeca purchased a new large-tonnage machine that’s one of two new platforms Milacron now offers exclusive to the Latin American region. The K-Series was designed for single-component and multi-use configuration injection molding applications that require high-quality, consistent results in a more compact footprint, at a lower initial investment level.
Developed for regions with rapidly growing industrial needs, the Milacron K-Series is ideal for customers who may be looking for an IMM that delivers performance value and quick commissioning. The two-platen servo hydraulic platform delivers high productivity and low energy consumption, which is also appealing to a wide variety of processors.
According to Castillo, Grupo Comeca has experienced a 20% reduction in cycle time with its new Milacron machine and an increase in production capacity. “We can now produce a pail in a very fast cycle, compared to the past,” he said. “This speed had not been possible with other machines that we have with other brands.”
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Grupo Comeca produces plastic crates with a variety of Milacron injection molding presses at manufacturing plants across Mexico, Central and South America |
In addition, their new K-Series takes up far less space in their manufacturing facility. He said Grupo Comeca’s new 800-ton K-Series is next to another 650-ton machine and it takes up the same length. “Space is critical to us, yet so is production. A machine with a more compact footprint that is also more powerful allows us to produce more parts in a more contained area.”
Milacron’s Director, Global Business Development, Fadi Abdal, explains that the company’s new A- and K-Series platforms check many processors’ boxes in a region of the world that is currently experiencing a surge in large-part plastics, like automotive and industrial, while also juggling the need to offer valuable performance options to customers, as well as being mindful of their carbon footprint. “With superior production quality, enhanced energy efficiency compared to conventional hydraulics, and a commitment to sustainable production, our machines are propelling the injection molding industry in this region towards industrial intelligence,” he said. “Our new machines for the Latin American market are developed at entry-level value but built for a performance market. We truly partner with our customers throughout the lifecycle of their operations to achieve their business goals.”
Grupo Comeca’s manufacturing operations run shifts 24 hours a day, seven days a week from July through Christmas, and five days a week (Monday through Friday) the first half of the year. It’s a stable operation with many moving parts that rely on industry-leading injection molding machines that are engineered for performance, versatility, and reliability.
According to Castillo, the region will not be slowing down anytime soon, and they are equipped to handle the surge, thanks to this partnership. “The growth potential of the plastics processing industry in Latin America remains very positive.” He said the company’s container segment has grown in upwards of 175 percent since 2014, and Milacron has been alongside them every step of the way.
“We have experienced innovation with Milacron over the years that has helped us grow with reliable machines at an affordable price,” he said. “Not only have we improved our cycles about 20 percent in recent years, but we have reduced our costs, and are now producing better products than ever before for our customers.”
The future of the collaboration between the two companies looks very promising, he said. As Grupo Comeca’s footprint expands in response to customer demand, the processor will continue to rely on Milacron for solutions, technology, and service as its leading partner in plastics.
“Grupo Comeca has big expansion plans with serious investment projections in the plastics business. We can only hit our targets with partnering brands that we can trust, and Milacron is for sure one of them,” Castillo said.
