Correspondent Richard Higgs reported the following from the Association of Rotational Molders spring meeting, held March 21-23 in Barcelona, Spain.
ARM making videos in several languages
The Association of Rotational Molders plans to use video to reach out to the world's growing number of rotomolders.
Board members of Oak Brook, Ill.-based ARM recognize that language may be a barrier in attracting new members.
So, it is updating ARM's 10-year-old video presentation with editions in German, Spanish, Italian and French, said ARM President Patrick K. Long.
``In 1976 when we started the organization, we never anticipated anyone outside Canada and the United States would be interested in joining. We were surprised but glad when we were contacted ... from outside the U.S.,'' he said.
Turkish rotomolder lays off 30 workers
Floteks Plastik Sanayi ve Ticaret AS, a pioneering rotational molder in Turkey, recently laid off 30 workers after a program to improve efficiency.
The cutback followed the company's ISO 9001 certification last year, said Floteks' founder and owner Celal Beysel.
Floteks switched from textiles to rotomolding when it was still an unknown process in Turkey.
``There were no compounders, no custom grinders, no mold makers, no experts, and not even workers,'' Beysel said. More importantly, there were no customers.
Floteks learned quickly to be self-sufficient. It has built its own machinery, extruded its own compounds, and made models, patterns and molds, Beysel said.
Floteks employs 110 at its Bursa plant where it runs five shuttle and two clam shell machines. It can mold plastic products up to 6,500 gallons. About 80 percent of its output is proprietary.
