IRI members report more R&D spending
ARLINGTON, VA. - Members of the Arlington-based Industrial Research Institute Inc. are boosting research and development spending this year to win new business, and to cope with the challenges of higher energy prices, an uncertain economy and a weak dollar, the IRI reports.
IRI is an association of companies and federal laboratories. Its annual survey netted 78 responses, or 35 percent of its membership.
According to IRI, 38 percent of those surveyed are planning to boost R&D spending by 5 percent or more in 2008.
Unlike the 2007 results, when there was no change in the ratio of R&D dollars to sales, research spending is now increasing at a faster rate than sales growth.
IRI said most of the increase is to develop ``new-business projects.'' The trend continues, however, in money spent to support existing business.
Companies also report modest increases in hiring new graduates for industrial research and boosting the number of professional-level R&D employees. IRI said that hiring appears to be a move to replace workers who are retiring and to support the higher level of internal R&D.
Even so, much of the work will be outsourced or achieved through licensing technology from others, according to IRI, which terms that practice ``open innovation.''
Engel nets top prize for exporting efforts
VIENNA, AUSTRIA - Engel Austria GmbH earned the Go International Award at Austrian Export Day, held April 24 in Vienna, for its work to export injection molding machines.
Austria's minister for economic affairs, Martin Bartenstein, and Christoph Leitl, president of the Economic Chamber, presented Engel officials with the award.
Engel has subsidiaries in 27 countries and sales representatives in another 60 countries.
Engel injection presses and robots are produced at eight factories in Europe, North America and Asia.
Coperion increases screw factory output
RAMSEY, N.J. - Compounding extruder maker Coperion Corp. has completed a major expansion of production at its screw factory in Wytheville, Va., and the company is offering faster delivery times.
Ramsey-based Coperion bought four computer numerically controlled work centers to boost speed and efficiency. The company also added a saw, a key set machine and a vacuum heat-treating oven.
To beef up its third shift, Coperion also added 20 employees - and now employs 60 people in Wytheville.
IMDA extends time for awards entries
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. - The In-Mold Decorating Association of Scottsdale has extended until June 30 the deadline for entries to the IMDA Awards Competition.
Award winners will be recognized at IMLCon08 North America, scheduled for Oct. 22-24 in Tempe, Ariz. Award winners also will be featured in the October issue of Package Design Magazine and displayed at a special showcase of packaging innovations at the Pack Expo show in Chicago, set for Nov. 9-13.
The competition is open to any company associated with in-mold labeling or decorating on a worldwide basis. Judges pick the industry's best in-mold-labeled packaging and decorating products.
Winners are picked based on creativity in design and engineering, and innovation in the following categories: part design, thin wall packaging, injection molded parts, blow molded parts, IMD durable products, label design and product families.
An entry form with full details and rules is available at: www.imd association.com/resources/2008 awardsform.pdf, or by contacting IMDA executive director Ron Schultz at tel. 480-473-0301 or fax 480-473-0456.
Gloucester growing global sales, service
GLOUCESTER, MASS. - Gloucester Engineering Co. Inc., under its new ownership, is turning around financially and has been beefing up its global sales and service structure.
The film machinery company in Gloucester has named Michael Wainer as the new vice president of global installations and optimization services. He will direct six managers in the United States, Asia and Europe who help customers get the most out of their lines.
Wainer has more than 30 years of experience at Gloucester Engineering in sales support and project management.
Chairman John Sharood said the company is planning more expansions of its product lines and services.
Last fall, Sharood and Dick Murphy, partners in private equity firm Mousam Ventures LLC, led a management buyout of Gloucester Engineering.
Officials did not release sales figures, but Sharood said the machinery maker is doing well.
``The company's performance has exceeded our expectations and we are looking forward to having a record-breaking year,'' Sharood said.
Gloucester Engineering now has three service centers around the world, with new management and staff in place. Medhi Tabassi heads the center in Singapore that serves all of Asia and the Middle East.
In Europe, George Turk has been named service manager, based in Vienna, Austria. In the Americas, Bill Wild leads the service team of the Gloucester headquarters.
The company said it also has added service engineers at each center.
Gammaflux gets deal to supply controllers
STERLING, VA. - Gammaflux LP will supply its LEC and TTC hot-runner temperature controllers to Synventive Molding Solutions Inc. under a private-label agreement.
Peabody, Mass.-based Synventive is one of the largest suppliers of hot-runner systems in the world, said David Huntting, president of Sterling-based Gammaflux.
``They are a strong company with a leadership position in the automotive market,'' he said.
For about 20 years, Gammaflux had produced private-label hot-runner temperature controllers for Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. of Bolton, Ontario.
However, that relationship ended last year when Husky bought Moldflow Corp.'s Manufacturing Solutions Division, which included the former MSI brand of hot-runner controllers.
Husky brought the controller manufacturing in-house.
Erema exceeds sales
of 100 million euros
ANSFELDEN, AUSTRIA - Sales crossed the 100 million-euro ($155 million) mark for the first time at Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen GmbH.
During fiscal 2007-08, sales grew by 15 percent at the Austrian recycling equipment maker, to reach 102.4 million euros ($159 million).
Erema's fiscal year ended March 31.
Erema made 290 recycling systems. About half of the total lines went to customers outside of the European Union.
Erema of Ansfelden employed 346 people as of March, up from 319 a year earlier.
The company has had four straight years of record sales.
Erema North America Inc. is based in Ipswich, Mass.
Malvern Instruments purchases Viscotek
MALVERN, ENGLAND - Malvern Instruments Ltd., based in Malvern, has acquired Viscotek Corp. of Houston, which makes chromatography equipment for the characterization of natural and synthetic polymers and proteins. Terms were not disclosed.
Vicsotek was founded in 1984 by Max Haney, inventor of the four-capillary differential viscometer detector.
Malvern-based Malvern Instruments makes equipment for analyzing particulates, from bulk powders to polymeric materials.
Paul Walker, Malvern's managing director, said the acquisition strengthens his company's position in instruments for research into industrial and pharmaceutical polymers. Viscotek also complements Malvern in equipment for biomolecular medical research to fight diseases.
The U.S. operation, Malvern Instruments Inc., is in Westborough, Mass.
Parts for Egan CMR limited after 2009
PAWCATUCK, CONN. - Replacement parts for the Egan CMR control units will be limited after 2009, Davis-Standard LLC announced.
The firm said it has become more difficult to find sources for parts to support the CMR units because of the evolution of technology over the past 20 years.
Pawcatuck-based Davis-Standard will continue to support CMR customers by offering contracts, for $2,195 a year, for phone support and on-site technical assistance. Each contract will cover multiple CMRs at a single plant location.
The contract allows for unlimited technical help over the phone. On-site work will be charged at the established service rates.
Germany's Graewe reaches milestone
NEUENBURG, GERMANY - Graewe GmbH of Neuenburg, which makes downstream extrusion equipment for plastic pipe, profile and sheet, delivered its 3,000th machine earlier this year.
The milestone machine was a fully automatic double-coiler, type ADW 800 R, shipped to a customer in Turkey. The equipment is used for coiling drip irrigation pipes, mainly used for agricultural applications.
In 2007, Graewe shipped more than 50 automatic coilers, and the company said it expects to surpass that rate this year.
Dundee Plastics Machinery Sales Inc., headquartered in Northbrook, Ill., has represented Graewe in North America since 1995.
