Two custom molders - Matrix Plastic Products and Plastikos Inc. - reported expansions during NPE 2006 in Chicago.
Matrix of Wood Dale, Ill., is adding a Class 100,000 clean room with a Toshiba 22-ton electric press as it boosts its business in tight-tolerance molding. The clean room occupies about 1,500 square feet in the firm's 30,000-square-foot facility, said Andy Ziegenhorn, marketing manager.
Tight-tolerance molding was a natural fit because of Matrix's tooling capabilities. The clean room will use electric presses equipped with robots and vision systems for unattended front-line inspection.
The company has 11 presses in Wood Dale and 50 employees.
Plastikos of Erie, Pa., said it will add a shift of employees, taking the firm to a 24-7 operating cycle. Co-owner Bill Fogleboch said the firm is looking for sales people as growth in electrical and electronics speeds up.
``We're looking at adding two-shot molding in that arena,'' he said.
Officials upgraded the firm's Center II molding floor to create a climate-controlled, clean environment, according to a news release. The project included creating a third on-site quality-control lab for the 10 presses in that area.
Plastikos serves several end markets including automotive, consumer products, electronics, military and medical.
