Broanmain, a family-owned moulding company that has been in the business of manufacturing and assembling injection moulded thermoplastic products for over 50 years, has just recently installed its first all-electric machine. The investment is part of the company’s wider investment strategy to update and expand its current production capacity. Other recent purchases have included a precision CMM machine, a profile projector for advanced quality control and a lathe to turn components.
Broanmain saw its orders accelerate significantly during the first half of 2021. Not only from existing customers: among these were several new customers, who brought a number of new precision moulding projects. The moulder is currently operating at full capacity.
In a move designed to boost its agility and quality control, the company has now invested in an IntElect 180 ton machine from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag. The new machine gives Broanmain the processing control, precision, fast cycle time and environmental credentials it needs to support existing and new technical mass moulding projects, with as potential added benefit, less material waste
“Given the current material supply challenges and prices at a six-year high, ensuring every single pellet is moulded into a high-quality part is critical to meeting our sustainability goals,” said
managing director Jo Davis. She noted that the IntElect can deliver energy savings exceeding 70 percent compared to hybrid and hydraulic machines. Additionally, the machine’s parallel mould movement as a result of the direct drive shaves at least several seconds off every cycle.
An additional advantage is the machine’s ‘intuitive controls and easy set up enables us to run longer split shifts when we are at maximum capacity, ensuring we meet customers’ on-time delivery requirements’, she said.
Broanmain manages the tool design and moulds plastic components for a number of tier 1 to tier 4 suppliers in the automotive, aerospace, industry, medical and consumer markets. Many of these parts are used globally by blue-chip organisations.