Canadian toolmaker Profine Molds Inc. is investing more than $1 million in new equipment to beef up its technological capabilities and production capacity in response to new contracts.
The Oakville, Ontario-based blow mold and injection mold tooling specialist has bought two new computer numerically controlled five-axis milling centers, a larger-format electric discharge machining center and new coordinate-measuring machines as part of the C$1.5 million (US$1.3 million) equipment expansion.
The CNC machines also are linked to updated computer programs that will allow the mold maker to make engineering changes on the fly, noted President Manuel Gomes.
During the past six months, Profine has added eight employees to bring its global staff up to 68, said marketing manager Wayne Stoddard in a Jan. 16 telephone interview.
The additions in equipment and personnel allow the company to produce larger molds and make all the molds for an entire purchase program that may include six separate molds, he said. The new technology built into the machines also allows Profine to offer its customers a range of engineering that allows it to compete for more business.
The measuring equipment will be used in quality control, but also in reverse engineering to help Profine find problems on molds it did not make.
