ELLINGTON, CONN. (July 1, 3 p.m. ET) — Dymotek Corp.'s use of technology, especially machinery supplied by Connecticut companies, was highlighted by Gov. Daniel Malloy's visit June 29 as part of his state Jobs Tour.
The injection molding company has added seven employees in the past month and is looking for nine more. It employs about 70 workers at its 35,000-square-foot complex .
The governor talked and listened to ideas offered by company officials, employees and invited guests. Among those participating were Friedrich Kanz, president and CEO of Arburg Inc. of Newington, Conn.; and David Preusse, president of Wittmann Battenfeld Inc. of Torrington, Conn. Both firms recently supplied new equipment to Dymotek.
Dymotek claims to be on the leading edge of injection molders, working with automated cells and liquid silicone rubber. It just added two Arburg presses: a 110-ton for thermoplastics and a 225-ton for LSR. The firm also added a Toyo 200-ton thermoplastics press this month, bringing its total to 23 presses. It added its second Wittmann robot a few months prior.
The company started in 1992 when owners Steve and Tom Trueb developed a proprietary product to cover pipes under sinks to protect wheelchair owners from burning their legs.
During the tour, the governor checked out a work cell producing air-admittance valves. The setup had a definite Connecticut flavor, said Robert Theriaque, Dymotek's project engineer. He pointed out an Arburg 225-ton press running with a Wittmann W732 model robot, which removed the part from the press. It was connected to a Branson Ultrasonic 2000X welder made by Branson Ultrasonic Corp of Danbury.
The system also included two other Connecticut company's products — Integrated Packaging Systems Inc. of East Windsor and Action Packaging Systems Inc. of Ellington. They provided the flipper system to exit the welder, and the labeler and laser engraver.
The body and caps of the valves are made of ABS with an LSR membrane.
Theriaque said the cell works meticulously. The welder is set to tight tolerances and actually rejects parts that don't measure up.
“The parts that pass the test are flipped and labeled and laser-engraved with a date code. We ship to 23 countries,” he said.
The air-admittance valve is used in construction and retrofitting on vent pipes. As water travels through, it creates a vacuum and lets air in the system. It also seals out gases when water stops flowing.
Kanz said using LSR and sophisticated automated turnkey cells help put Dymotek ahead of simple molding shops. He added, “Definitely a trend is going on.”
The governor said the state is working on a plan to help companies lower their electric rates. It is also seeking ideas on how to make state businesses more competitive.
Victor Morando, Dymotek's vice president of engineering services, said that the state's work with ConnStep Inc. of Rocky Hill, Conn., a nonprofit consulting group, has helped his company institute some kaizen techniques to improve efficiency.
He also noted that companies are looking for ways to help fund the purchase of molds and new equipment to help their customers get more efficient as well.
Dymotek officials said sales were up 20 percent last year and they expect 15 percent growth next year.
“One thing that is unique is the non-medical silicone use. A lot of companies mold silicone for medical, but we're really trying to work with non-medical as well as medical,” Morando said.