Holm ends extrusion in Scottsburg, Ind.
SCOTTSBURG, IND. — Refrigeration gasket maker Holm Industries Inc. plans to discontinue plastic extrusion operations at its headquarters in Scottsburg, according to a recent filing with the state.
The company's filing with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development said that 37-39 workers will be laid off during the period of March 16-29. About 35 of the workers are represented by a union and have bumping rights.
Holm cited ``declining sales and the continuing weak economy'' as reasons for the consolidation. Work will be transferred to other Holm facilities.
The company said the Scottsburg plant will continue to produce raw materials and component parts for other plants.
Company officials did not respond to requests for comment.
Holm's Web site lists 10 other locations for the firm's facilities. They include Ciudad Juarez and Monterrey, Mexico; New Ulm, Minn.; Galesburg, Ill.; Fort Smith, Ark.; Evansville, Ind.; Aurora, Ohio; Kane, Pa.; Anderson, S.C.; and Hartselle, Ala.
Holm Industries was founded in 1978 by Andrew Holm to supply the appliance and construction industries.
Kleiss Gears investing in micromolding
GRANTSBURG, WIS. — Injection molder Kleiss Gears Inc. now claims to be the first U.S.-based gear maker to use micromolding technology supplied by Wittmann Battenfeld GmbH.
In a Jan. 19 news release, Kleiss President Rod Kleiss said Wittmann Battenfeld's Microsystem 50 machine was needed because of increasing market demand for smaller precision-molded plastic gears, especially for the medical industry.
Producing microgears on the Grantsburg-based firm's existing machines ``resulted in too much waste material to make the gears cost effective for our customers,'' Rod Kleiss said in the release.
The new micromolding machine will be delivered by the end of February, spokeswoman Jane Kleiss said in a phone interview. In April, Kleiss Gears plans to start its first micromolding production run of a gear used by a major medical OEM.
The new machine can make gears weighing less than 100 milligrams with almost no material waste and significantly less energy consumption than traditional injection molding machines, officials said in the release. These savings then can be passed on to Kleiss Gears' customers, they added.
Kleiss Gears employs 12 and operates six injection molding machines. The firm — with annual sales of about $4 million — makes its products from polyetheretherketone and other specialty engineering resins.
Appleton adds 9-layer blown film line
TURNERS FALLS, MASS. — Appleton Performance Packaging recently started up a nine-layer blown film line at its Rhinelander, Wis., plant.
``We have gained capacity, versatility and efficiency to run a wider variety of films to meet the growing needs of our customers,'' Kathy Bolhous, vice president and general manager, said in a news release. The new line complements Appleton Performance's five-, seven- and eight-layer lines in Rhinelander. With the new line, Appleton will be able to speed up development of complex barrier films for food, medical and industrial markets, according to the company.
Brampton Engineering Inc. of Brampton, Ontario, supplied the nine-layer system. A spokeswoman said cost and capacity details are not being revealed.
Appleton Performance makes multilayer films and pouches in Rhinelander. It also runs film plants in Milton, Wis., and at its headquarters in Turners Falls. The firm is a business unit of Appleton Paper Inc. of Appleton, Wis. About two years ago Appleton Performance was created by combining American Plastics and New England Extrusion.
Publisher buys William Andrew assets
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS — Dutch publisher Elsevier BV announced Jan. 20 that it is buying the publishing assets of William Andrew Inc., including the Plastics Design Library and other reference books for the plastics industry.
William Andrew, based in Norwich, N.Y., was founded in 1990 and also serves the rubber, adhesives and sealants, coatings, paints and ink, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, materials, formulations, industrial chemicals, safety, health & hygiene, semiconductors, microelectronics, nanotechnology, energy and animal science sectors.
Amsterdam-based Elsevier began distributing William Andrew's books outside North America 18 months ago. ``Purchasing the content assets of William Andrew now is the logical next step in our relationship,'' said Jim Donohue, managing director for Elsevier's science and technology books unit, in a news release.