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Custom injection molder Plastech Corporation is investing in technologically advanced equipment for their future and has chosen ENGEL to lead them in this new direction. ENGEL North America, member of the ENGEL group, a world leader in the design and manufacture of injection molding machines and parts-handling automation, has installed a 2-platen ENGEL duo 3550/500 US with an integrated ENGEL viper 40 linear robot in Plastech Corporation’s Rush City facility.
The past, present and future
Plastech Corporation has been in the business of state-of-the-art custom injection molding for over 55 years. Still under the leadership of its original founder Dennis Frandsen, they have grown from a start-up with 4 presses and a handful of employees to the highly successful company of today with 44 injection molding machines ranging in size from 30 to 1500 tons. Plastech currently serves markets including recreational vehicles, appliances, lawn & garden and automotive. But looking to the future, Plastech plans to expand their business in a new direction and support customers with an even higher level of technological expertise.
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“The machines we’ve used in the past allowed us to provide tight-tolerance technical parts, but for the future we are looking for technically advanced equipment that provides higher precision, repeatability and reliability, as well as processing and economical efficiencies,” says Jerry Miller, Director of Operations for Plastech Corporation. “ENGEL was our choice to start us on this new path.”
The new system
The recent installation of the new ENGEL 3500/500 US ton duo machine, with its integrated viper 40 robot, was a great experience.
“One of the reasons ENGEL was chosen to supply the new press was their level of service. It was definitely supported with this move in,” shares Miller.“ The installation and start up were smooth and fast. We were up and running within days.” The new system is dedicated to running clear polycarbonate for the appliance industry – allowing quick changeover times and lower scrap, which translates to lower cost for customers.
Impressive offerings
Plastech’s customers know that their best interests are always at the forefront. The decisions and investments made are focused on increasing the levels of service and efficiencies, with a continual focus on product quality and cost. All injection molding machines are equipped with 3-axis robots to ensure consistency and to maximize utilization. All molds are inspected, cleaned and placed on a preventative maintenance schedule; with this and all required repairs performed by an in-house staff of 7 full-time journeyman tool makers, Plastech is able to save their customers both down-time and money.
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The company provides a wide range of processing capabilities from gas-assist and glass fiber (long and short) to insert molding and in-mold decorating, and has expertise with materials from polyethylene and polystyrene, through engineering resins such as Xenoy, PEEK, nylon PVD, polyesters and Ultem.
Plastech also have extensive experience with additives including UV stabilizers, silicone, impact modifiers and flame retardants. Their molding services are complimented by a host of secondary processing operations including spin, sonic, hot plate and vibration welding, hot stamping and heat transfer, as well as full assembly, packaging and shipping services.
The impressive employee retention levels of the company – 40% have been with the company over 10 years, 20% over 20 years, and 10% over 30 years -- emphasize not only the levels of expertise they maintain, but also the company’s stability. For customers, it means being supported by well-trained, experienced personnel that are dedicated to the successful completion of every job with the highest levels of quality and service.
About Plastech
The Plastech Corporation facility in Rush City, MN, is almost 500,000 square feet in size, including 110,000 square feet for manufacturing and 350,000 square feet for warehousing, with close to 300 employees. The facility runs 24/7 364 days of the year, processes over 14 million pounds of plastic material per year, and, with 800 active tools running, performs approximately 450 mold changes per month.
