Plastican adds molds for open-head pails
LEOMINSTER, MASS. — Plastican Inc. is investing in additional molds to expand capacity to produce open-head pails at several of its facilities this year.
Leominster-based Plastican called it a sizable capital investment. The investment covers a new 5-gallon pail and will provide significant new capacity at multiple plants sometime later this year, the company said.
Plastican operates four plants, in Leominster, Dallas, Phoenix and Macon, Ga. It makes containers for products including paint, food, construction supplies, janitorial supplies, lubricants, specialty chemicals, swimming pool chemicals and pet-care products.
The privately held firm said its level of capital investments for existing and new products are “at historical high levels.”
New process doubles playpen's production
HARBORCREEK, PA. — Port Erie Plastics has doubled its production rate on an injection-molded playpen by using technology supplied by Cinpres Gas Injection Ltd.
Cycle times for the redesigned portable children's playpen have dropped from 190 seconds to 75 through a new processing method that uses a Cinpres gas controller, officials said in a May 18 news release. Refinement of the process could lower cycle times to almost 60 seconds, they added. The method also reduces material usage and creates a stronger and lighter finished product, the release said.
The original product “had design issues that were preventing effective production, cycle times were too high and the scrap rate was unacceptable,” said Port Erie senior project engineer Joe Winkler. “With the recommendations of Cinpres engineers, we have been able to significantly improve part processing,” he added.
Cinpres, based in Middlewich, England, is a leading supplier of gas-assisted molding technology. Port Erie is a custom molder employing 400 at a 575,000-square-foot manufacturing and warehouse complex in Harborcreek.
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