CORONA, CALIF. - Custom injection molder AMA Plastics Inc. recently completed a move into a newly leased facility in Corona, putting the company's operations under one roof. Formerly in Anaheim, Calif., AMA had been operating out of five 10,000-square-foot buildings that necessitated moving materials and finished goods by forklift from one building to another. The new building gives AMA 90,000 square feet that can be expanded to 160,000 as the company grows.
The move allowed AMA to expand its engineering capabilities with the addition of two Toyo injection molding presses in a dedicated technical center. The presses, one with 90 and one with 200 tons of clamping force, mean AMA now can perform mold tryouts and qualifications without interrupting production presses.
``Our production rates have gone up with the sampling area and dedicated presses,'' said AMA President Mark Atchison. ``These two presses fit 85 percent of the molds we build.''
The technical center is located in a lab-like setting with a conference room adjacent to the engineering department. AMA does 15-25 mold samples a week, Atchison said.
AMA also operates 30 production injection molding presses with clamping forces of 35-400 tons. Current floor space will allow expansion to 60 machines.
The company also dedicated 5,000 square feet to a secondary operations department, where employees perform hot stamping, sonic welding and assembly functions.
The new plant has an expanded mold-making area with 23 mold makers, as well as a separate area for mold maintenance and repair.
AMA also has a molding operation in Tucson, Ariz. Atchison said the company recently signed a lease giving that operation another 15,000 square feet, bringing the total there to 65,000 square feet. That plant houses 22 presses with clamping forces of 35-500 tons.
The company will celebrate its 25th anniversay in June. AMA was founded by Atchison's father and uncle. The sons of the two founders now own and operate AMA, since their fathers' retirement.
AMA serves the electronics, medical and consumer products industries. It employs 200 in Corona and 125 in Tucson.