California injection and blow molder DaMar Plastics Inc. is investing more than $500,000 for equipment and infrastructure in a new location.
DaMar placed a June order with a domestic supplier for a complete system to fill blow molded bottles of 1-3 liters with commercial chemicals. The system, including conveyor lines, should be operational in January, said Sal Acampora, DaMar's vice president of sales.
Currently, DaMar blow molds the containers and, for filling, ships them to a Los Angeles-area firm.
DaMar boosted blow molding capacity with a dual-head machine in January. The machine, from Changshengda Machinery (Zhejiang) Co. Ltd., can blow mold up to four containers at a time. DaMar operates another dual-head blow molder, from the former Sterling Extruder Corp., and a Rocheleau single-head machine. Shot sizes range from 5 grams to 10 pounds, enabling DaMar to produce a variety of plastic jars and bottles.
DaMar added blow molding to its operations in 2006.
In July, DaMar relocated to a leased, expandable 55,000-square-foot facility in El Cajon from an owned 38,000-square-foot plant in San Diego about 10 miles away.
The company has clean room capability for medical devices and manufactures its molds in-house. Its complete toolroom includes computer numerical control machining equipment. Principal end markets are medical, chemical, commercial, industrial and military.
President David Kabbai said an aggressive development program and DaMar's blow molding and bottle-filling capabilities will result in higher throughput.
Kabbai and his sister, Michelle Kabbai, acquired DaMar in 1986. The El Cajon plant is the family business's fourth location, each increasingly larger. The company was established in 1967.
In 2006, DaMar began using a customer-owned station for filling small containers for proprietary applications. Acampora said that served as a catalyst for the company to add its own blow molding and bottle-filling capabilities.
DaMar operates 12 Toshiba injection presses from 85-720 tons — 10 hydraulics and two electrics. It employs more than 35 people, including mold makers, around-the-clock five days a week, and projects 2012 sales of $3.5 million, up from $3 million last year. “We want to continue to grow,” Acampora said.
In David Kabbai's 2005 business decision, DaMar shut down its ATI division, which injection molded proprietary handlebar grips for bicycles. Competitors in China undercut that business, Acampora said.
