Performance Engineered Prod-ucts Inc. plans to spend about $500,000 this year to boost injection molding capacity and upgrade related equipment. The Pomona, Calif., firm has ordered a 200-ton Toyo H Series press and expects to buy five more presses within six months, said PEP President Vishu Shah. The firm now has 22 injection molding machines with clamping forces ranging from 28-300 tons, some of which it will replace with the newer presses.
Shah said PEP also is buying new loading equipment, dryers and mold heaters in a program to replace equipment the private company has had since it was established in 1981.
PEP will push to make electronics and computer parts molding a bigger part of its business and to that end recently hired Robert Fiordalisi for the new position of national sales manager, Shah said. Fiordalisi was sales manager at custom molder Andercraft Products Inc. in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
PEP had sales of about $7 million last year and counts electronics, automotive and disposable medical as key markets. Molding nylon 6/6 in-line skate wheels also continues to be an important program, Shah said. PEP targets a 10 percent sales increase this year with the help of Fiordalisi. It has concentrated on molding PVC, engineering materials and clear parts. PEP employs more than 70 in 45,000 square feet of leased space.