Core Technology Molding Group LLC has invested more than $1 million for Engel injection molding presses, clean room construction and Motan material-handling equipment.
The certified minority business enterprise in Greensboro, N.C., added two new E-max presses — 110 tons and 200 tons — to its Class 100,000 clean room in March. The machines join a 60-ton Engel E-motion press previously installed in the 1,500-square-foot clean room.
“We will be able to produce parts for two new Bausch & Lomb [Inc.] programs as well as other existing medical parts,” said Geoff Foster, Core Technology's president and CEO.
Rochester, N.Y.-based Bausch & Lomb is the plastics processor's largest customer. Core Technology supplies parts to a Bausch & Lomb plant in St. Louis that makes cataract and vitreoretinal surgery products.
During 2009, Core began operations in the clean room, which has 27 high-efficiency particulate-arresting filters.
Elsewhere in its plant occupying a total of 87,000 square feet, Core Technology dedicates a 200-ton Engel hydraulic press to make parts using Trexel Inc.'s MuCell microcellular foaming process. “We obtained the license in March 2008 and started using the process in the summer of 2009,” Foster said. “Our customers are seeing our ability to hold tighter tolerances, reduced cycle times and reduced weight.”
Using MuCell enabled Core to overcome a flatness issue, in particular with a customer's large part. “MuCell helped us control the process,” he said.
Core Technology employs 85, operates a total of 25 presses of 60-1,100 tons and projects 2010 sales will be 40 percent higher than last year's. The company withholds dollar amounts.
A division of QSI America Inc. of Orlando, Fla., completed an ISO 13485 audit of Core Technology in January, and Foster anticipates receiving the certification in May. “Many manufacturers of our size are not certified to the stringent medical standard,” he said. Core continues with certification under ISO 9001:2008.
Process engineering and training firm RJG Inc. of Traverse City, Mich., conducted an assessment of Core in April. “We were introduced to scientific injection molding,” Foster said. “It is planned to have a Master Molder I trained skills [course] in-house this year.”
A global pharmaceutical-medical device manufacturer invited Core Technology to attend the Diverse Manufacturing Supply Chain Alliance conference May 12-13 in Lincolnshire, Ill. Foster may learn more about the nonprofit organization and its corporate mentoring program with the possibility of involvement supplying DMSCA members. Core Technology is certified as a minority business enterprise through the Carolinas Minority Supplier Development Council of Charlotte, N.C.
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