POMONA, CALIF. - A 20 percent increase in business in the past year - a large part of it wheels for in-line skates - prompted custom molder Performance Engineered Products Inc. of Pomona to add three new presses. P.E.P. President Vishu Shah said one 28-ton and two 150-ton presses bring to 22 the number of molding machines at the 45,000-square-foot facility.
He said the firm's building has room for eight more presses before he will consider plant expansion. Its largest press has 300 tons of clamping force, Shah said.
The expansion includes the addition of statistical process control to each of the three presses.
P.E.P., which specializes in high-volume, high-precision PVC and engineering plastics molding, now produces 200,000 wheels for in-line skates per week from an impact-modified version of nylon 6/6 resin, according to Shah.
The company also manufactures products for the medical, electronics, pool and spa, irrigation and automotive markets.
Shah estimated P.E.P's 1994 sales at more than $5 million.