Vanguard Plastics Corp. of Southington, Conn., acquired a 100-ton Engel E-max injection molding machine for precision work and welcomed a project back from China.
Recently, the custom injection molder took on production of plastic parts for a consumer appliance application previously fulfilled in China.
Vanguard ordered the all-electric press — its first E-max — in June and put it into operation in in October.
“Vanguard is an early adopter of electric technology for injection molding machines,” said Shaun Bogan of Girioni Associates in Swansea, Mass., an Engel representative, in a statement. Engel Holding GmbH of Schwertberg, Austria, introduced E-max machines at the K2007 show in Germany and began distributing the technology in North America during 2008.
Vanguard reports that the E-max is 80 percent more efficient than the firm's hydraulic machines and at least 10-15 decibels quieter than some of its electric machines from 10 years ago.
The company employs 25 and operates 20 injection molding machines with clamping forces of 50-330 tons, including 11 Engel presses.
Vanguard and had sales of $6 million for the fiscal year ended Oct. 31. Prior to the tie-bar-equipped E-max, Vanguard purchased an all-electric, 200-ton Engel tie-barless E-motion press in 2007.
Using commodity and engineering thermoplastics, Vanguard makes more than 300 products for the water-filtration, automotive, construction and hardware industries.
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