Plastics News - Injection molding

Friday, Dec. 05, 2008

Injection molding

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Wisconsin´s Polyfab adding capacity
SHEBOYGAN, WIS. (Dec. 4, 3:30 p.m. ET) -- Polyfab Corp. is boosting its capacity with the addition of a 380 ton Krauss Maffei injection molding press. It is the second Krauss Maffei press that the company has added in the past five months, according to Wally Bartelt, Polyfab’s sales and marketing manager.

Siemens Energy shifting molding work to Mexico
EL PASO, TEXAS (Dec. 3, 5:30 p.m. ET) -- Siemens Energy & Automation Inc. will close an El Paso, Texas, plant and move manufacturing to its Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, plant next year. About 150 jobs will be cut. Siemens plans to move 29 injection molding presses of 22-300 tons to Juárez from El Paso and gradually phase out the Texas operations from January through June.

Lear sells stake in JV with Toyota Boshoku
SOUTHFIELD, MICH. (Dec. 3, 8:45 a.m. ET) -- Lear Corp. has sold its share of its joint venture with fellow auto supplier Toyota Boshoku Corp., with Toyota Boshoku’s North American unit taking full ownership of Total Interior Systems America LLC in Princeton, Ind.

Duraco Products files for Chapter 11
STREAMWOOD, ILL. (Dec. 2, 12:40 p.m. ET) — Consumer products injection molder Duraco Products Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors. The Streamwood, Ill., firm said its assets were $50,000 or less and liabilities were between $1 million and $10 million.

Key Plastics makes cuts in France, Slovakia
FARMINGTON HILLS, MICH. (Dec. 2, 12:35 p.m. ET) -- Auto supplier Key Plastics LLC has entered insolvency for its French operations and is cutting jobs at those locations and in Slovakia as part of a financial and operational restructuring plan.

Montrose buys presses to replace 3 older ones
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J. (Dec. 2, 10:25 a.m. ET) -- Family-owned custom injection molder Montrose Molders Corp. is updating its capacity with the addition of three new Nissei presses.

SPE finds innovations everywhere
LIVONIA, MICH. (Dec. 1, 5:10 p.m. ET) -- You’ve heard it all before: The auto industry is tanking, there are fewer cars being sold and technology is being stripped from cars left and right. But the Society of Plastics Engineers’ Automotive Division does not agree with that argument, and in its annual awards event, the group set out to honor real breakthroughs in both cars and parts making.

HPM makes big down payment, moving ahead
MOUNT GILEAD, OHIO (Dec. 1, 5:15 p.m. ET) -- HPM made a Dec. 1 deadline to make its down payment -- a total of $165,000 -- on taxes owed to Morrow County, Ohio, and now a threatened foreclosure has moved to the “back burner,” County Treasurer Daniel Green said.

Press sales down in 2008; no light ahead

AKRON, OHIO (Dec. 1, 11:55 a.m. ET) -- The hard-pressed U.S. injection press market has fallen again this year, and now faces the bleak prospect that 2009 could be even worse. Overall U.S. shipments totaled 2,862 units in 2007, and when 2008 ends, the market faces another double-digit decline, to around 2,300-2,500, or even lower, according to machinery officials.

MPC laying off 94 at Prairie du Chien
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, WIS. (Nov. 26, 7 p.m. ET) -- Custom injection molder Miniature Precision Components Inc. is laying off 94 workers at its Prairie du Chien operation.

N.C. molder closes after recent purchase
ASHEBORO, N.C. (Nov. 26, 8:10 a.m. ET) -- Custom and proprietary injection molder Sapona Plastics LLC will close an operation it bought in October. Sapona bought the thermoplastic division of Premier Molded Plastics Co. in Leland, N.C., for undisclosed terms. Sapona President Dean Lail said he expects the Leland operation will cease about Dec. 1.

Dow adds big press to make solar shingles
MIDLAND, MICH. (Updated Nov. 26, 7:45 a.m. ET) -- As part of a $50 million initiative to develop photovoltaic roofing shingles, Dow Chemical Co. is investing in injection molding. The company is installing a 1,350-ton Husky Quadloc Tandem injection press at its Midland headquarters.

HPM makes partial tax payment
MOUNT GILEAD, OHIO (Nov. 26, 7:40 a.m. ET) -- HPM, a division of Taylor’s Industrial Services LLC, has made a partial first payment of taxes owed, beating foreclosure-threatened deadline by Morrow County, Ohio. But HPM must make another payment by Dec. 1.

Berry laying off 71 in Ala., expanding in N.Y.
EVANSVILLE, IND. (Nov. 26, 6:20 p.m. ET) -- Berry Plastics Corp. will lay off workers at a subsidiary in Alabama as it adds capacity at a plant near Syracuse, N.Y.

Arson damages Ohio plant scheduled to close
BELLEVUE, OHIO (Nov. 24, 5:15 p.m. ET) -- A fire that has been called arson by the state Fire Marshal’s office damaged the warehouse portion of Progress Plastic Products Inc. early Nov. 23. The company announced last week that the plant would close.