ELK GROVE VILLAGE, ILL. - Contrary to a published report in Japan, Toshiba Machine Co. Ltd. has not made a decision to open a U.S. facility to assemble injection molding presses, according to officials of the Japanese company's U.S. unit, Toshiba Machine Co. America in Elk Grove Village. An Aug. 9 report by the Tokyo Financial Wire said Toshiba will establish a U.S. assembly facility. In its Aug. 14 issue, Plastics News ran a Page 3 Newsclip citing that report. Toshiba officials did not respond to questions about the Japanese report until after the Aug. 14 issue went to press.
Toshiba does plan to increase the domestic content of machines the firm sells in the United States, with the goal of reaching a 50 percent U.S. content after two or three years, said Tim Glassburn, vice president of Toshiba Machine Co. America. Toshiba already installs U.S.-made injection unit components, electrical components, electric motors and customer-required options at its warehouses in California and New Jersey, he said.
But Glassburn said the firm has made no decision whether to create a separate assembly plant. Toshiba officials are ``still looking at it, but it has just not come to fruition,'' he said.
Netstal-Machinery introduces 2C line
FITCHBURG, MASS. - Netstal-Machinery Inc. has entered the market for two-color or two-material molding, with its 2C line of machines that have two injection units.
The 2C machines will become part of Netstal's HP Series of injection molding machines.
Netstal, of Fitchburg, said the 2C's major benefit is accessibility to the mold and part removal area. The horizontal arrangement of the second injection unit allows molds to be mounted from the front and top. Unrestricted parts removal also is possible from the front and top. Parts that drop from the mold can remove parts to the front, rear or below the clamp unit.
They are available in clamping forces from 100-350 tons, and combinations of five injection units with screw diameters between 24-80 millimeters. The machines also use the Netstal's DSP controller. They may operated with one injection unit.
Feedstock cost spurs Ciba price increase
BREWSTER, N.Y. - Ciba Resins has increased prices for its epoxy resins, polyimides and curing agents sold under Matrix Systems and Ciba Coating trade names.
The prices were effective Aug. 1. Spokeswoman Sue Warner said the increases are a result of higher feedstock prices, especially amines and dimer acids. Ciba raised prices in April.
Ciba Resins is a business of Ciba Polymers, a Brewster-based unit of Ciba-Geigy Corp. Ciba is a subsidiary of Ciba-Geigy Ltd. of Basel, Switzerland.
