STOCKTON-ON-TEES, ENGLAND — British custom injection molder Elta Plastics Ltd. is riding high on component supply business won as a result of continuing projects from the world's automotive giants.
The Stockton-on-Tees firm has just installed four ATM Automation ES 1000 robots used to handle gas-assist injection molded parts on a new production line to make door handles for Ford's new Focus car model.
Elta has a fifth robot on order from ATM of Leicester, England, completing a £100,000 ($164,000) contract.
This investment is just part of a total of more than £800,000 ($1.3 million) Elta is investing in the Focus project. Already, Elta has installed six new Negri-Bossi injection presses to handle the business, said deputy managing director John Simpson.
Simpson agreed the British economy has slowed, but said the plastics parts business remains buoyant. Elta is taking on work from Nissan and Toyota.
Elta plans to add another eight injection machines by the middle of the year. The company currently has 46 Engel and Negri- Bossi presses.
Elta is a subsidiary of the Nifco Ltd. of Yokohama, Japan. The Stockton-on-Tees molding plant is Nifco's sole manufacturing facility in Europe.