Pulsar's Nissin press part of expansion
CARLYLE, ILL. — Pulsar Plastics Inc. has purchased its largest injection molding press as part of a $1.1 million expansion of plant equipment to increase in-house production.
The Carlyle custom molder is installing a new Nissin injection press with a clamping force of 1,800 tons. The press, which replaces a 950-ton machine, is scheduled to start operating this week after being delivered to the plant the previous Friday, said Pulsar President Dale Pashea.
``We do a fair amount of large parts, and we've had to turn down a few jobs in the past or farm them out,'' Pashea said. ``Now that we've added a larger press, we'll have the capability to increase production. We don't like to farm out work.''
The custom molder also purchased an injection press with 110 tons of clamping force in May and a 725-ton press in December 1996, Pashea said. Those presses replaced aging or unproductive equipment, he added.
The company is considering an expansion of its 80,000-squarefoot facility next year on Pulsar's 6-acre site, depending on the amount of business launched in the next year, Pashea said.
Pulsar molds a variety of engineered products, including vending machines and lottery terminals, housings for the medical industry and earthmover parts. Currently, the company has 13 presses with clamping forces of 110-1,800 tons.
The molder recorded $17.7 million in North American sales last year, according to Plastics News' 1998 injection molders ranking.
DuPont sells interest in Hardcore venture
WILMINGTON, DEL. — DuPont Co. has sold its interest in joint venture Hardcore DuPont Composites LLC of New Castle, Del., to an investment partnership.
DuPont is ``refocusing along life sciences,'' Bob Paonessa said in a telephone interview. Paonessa is manager in Wilmington of DuPont's packaging and industrial polymers business unit. DuPont owned 49 percent of Hardcore, Paonessa said.
True North Partners LLC of Scottsdale, Ariz., acquired the interest in late May. Terms were not disclosed.
The company changed the name Hardcore DuPont Composites LLC to True North Composites LLC, doing business as Hardcore Composites, said Michael L. Pierce, one of three True North partners. True North owned about 17 percent of the operation previously and has 66 percent now.
Pierce said the partners in True North take a long-term approach to investments in small and medium-size companies. In another composites investment, True North owns a majority of processor TPI Composites Inc. of Warren, R.I., and, in turn, has an interest in process licenser Scrimp Systems LLC of Wyoming, R.I.
Hardcore Composites designs and manufactures large-scale composite structures for rail, container, civil infrastructure and construction markets. The business employs 95, up from 26 two years ago, and plans to maintain its New Castle operations.
125-ton Engel machines latest for Performance
POMONA, CALIF. — Performance Engineered Products Inc. installed its latest injection press, a 125-ton Engel vertical insert machine, in early June.
The Pomona-based firm is expanding for new customers and programs, said Mark Paulson, business manager. In the past few months it also added new Toyo presses with clamping forces of 145-245 tons, Paulson said in a telephone interview. It now has 27 presses, with clamping forces to 300 tons.
Paulson said his firm specializes in engineering resins and counts transportation, fluid handling, aftermarket auto parts, electronics and medical among its key markets. It offers secondary services such as welding and inserts and plans to add an assembly operation. It also has a mold-maintenance department.
Paulson said he recently joined Performance Engineered from an undisclosed custom molder, and Darrel Dakan signed up as tooling engineer and project manager early this month. The company, established in 1981, employs about 100 and had sales of about $10 million last year, he estimated. It is owned by Bishu Shah and Carl Dispenziere.
Plainfield relocates to $6 million facility
PLAINFIELD, ILL. — Plainfield Cos. moved its headquarters and its Plainfield Molding Inc. unit to a new $6 million, 93,000-square-foot facility at the end of May.
Plainfield's headquarters and its molding division moved about 10 miles to make the company more efficient, said Rich Andre, director of sales and marketing for Plainfield Cos. The plant features all-underground utilities and a one-floor plant design.
Andre said the company has 300 employees at the new facility. The plant has 30-, 70- and 100-ton presses, and the facility will add six or seven more, he said.
Plainfield Cos. reported 1997 sales of $40 million. The parent firm has three facilities, which do precision stamping and injection molding. The plants are located in Plainfield; Naperville, Ill.; and El Paso, Texas.
Plainfield Molding Inc. specializes in manufacturing insert molded parts for the automotive, appliance, and telecommunications industries.
