Toolmaker Reko International Group Inc. plans to market computer numerically controlled mold-making machines after having built several for its own use. The Windsor, Ontario, firm said it recently got U.S. patent rights to its CNC technology and plans to publicly debut the machines at the International Manufacturing Technology Show, scheduled for Sept. 4-11 in Chicago. It already is quoting on potential orders.
The machine program is an offshoot of Reko's C$33 million (US$24.1 million) expansion program begun when it went public in May 1994. Reko added 123,000 square feet of manufacturing space in five new buildings, established a three-press tryout facility, and doubled its number of CNC machines to 60, mostly obtained from various outside suppliers, said spokesman Joe Sirianni.
Reko will offer training, and quick service and parts delivery to North American customers, according to Ted Kiss, the firm's manufacturing manager for its machinery building division. Parts delivery time from European suppliers ``is often a problem,'' but Reko ``already has an inventory for its own machines.''
Its three CNC machine models include the Sarkan, an electric discharge machining type, Kiss said. All three models are suited to general-purpose metal machining. It built its first CNC machine several years ago to do a specific job in-house and since then built up resources to make such equipment on a regular basis.
Sirianni said Reko also plans to add one or two more injection presses in its tryout facility. It now has three HPMs, with clamping forces of 400-1,500 tons, which it installed last summer. It is taking on more outside tryout jobs and needs more capacity, he said.
Reko nearly doubled sales to C$45 million (US$32.9 million) in its first year as a public company, which ended July 31. Its after-tax profit was C$3.8 million (US$2.8 million). The company hired an additional 177 employees to boost enrollment to 430 at its seven plants totaling 192,000 square feet in the Windsor area. Its main market is automotive.
