In the wake of new contracts, custom injection molder Plastic Specialties Inc. has added equipment and may open a plant near the Mexican border.
The Rochester Hills, Mich., company was awarded significant new automotive business aft er gaining QS 9000 and ISO 9002 approval earlier this year at its two plants, said President Thurston Dean.
``The rating helped open the doors with our customers,'' said Dean, whose company took almost a year to perform QS 9000 work. ``Companies could do more business with us than before.''
Plastic Specialties molds parts for vehicle electrical sensors, brake systems, door panels, bumper fascias and heating components. It primarily works with large suppliers, including Eaton Corp., LDM Technologies Inc., Teleflex Inc. and United Technologies Automotive, which now is owned by Lear Corp.
At its 34,000-square-foot Rochester Hills plant, Plastic Specialties has installed three Milacron horiz ontal presses, with clamping forces of 55, 85 and 88 tons, during the past two months. A 150-ton Newbury shuttle press was installed five months ago to perform insert molding, primarily to add metal conductors to the plastic housin gs of electrical sensors.
The company also has installed a 150-ton Van Dorn Demag injection press at its 11,000-square-foot plant in Sterling Heights, Mich.
The investment in new presses totals more than $400,000, Dean said. The mach ines include controllers for automated operations.
The company, which also molds parts for consumer appliances, is considering a plant near the Texas-Mexico border, Dean said.
``We're looking at locations there, but it depends on written agreements with customers before we move ahead,'' he said.
The company also recently opened a new sales office in Southfield, Mich.
Dean and private investors bought Plastic Specialties six years ago from Robertshaw Controls Co. The firm's two plants operate a total of 41 presses, with clamping forces of 15-1,000 tons.
Dean did not disclose the firm's current sales volume. According to Plastics News' injection molders survey, Plastic Specialties recorded $ 7.2 million in sales for fiscal 1998. Dean said those figures have risen.