MERRIMACK, N.H. — Dalau Inc. recently purchased a DMG five-axis machining center to boost its ability to make larger and more complex parts, and it plans to add a special extruder later this year.
The Merrimack-based company machines components from engineered plastics for radio-frequency, electronic and aerospace markets.
"Over the last 12 months, we've bought four five-axis machines," said General Manager Mark Sage. He said the company has been investing in machinery to handle bigger and more complex parts and to improve efficiency.
Dalau has invested about $2.4 million in the last 12 months or so, and its capabilities range from prototyping to large batches.
The newest machining center is a DMG beta 1250 TC and is capable of handling 16-inch diameters and 16-inch in length. It is housed in a fully enclosed temperature-controlled room with a counter-balanced CMM measuring arm to perform final inspection on the machine.
"The new machine is able to pick up a part so we drill on the other side. It can drill at angles. Basically, we can do the whole part on the machine," Sage said.
Dalau added two more operators to handle the work. It now has 80 employees in its 40,000 square foot facility.
Sage said that the semiconductor sector has been improving, but the company makes an effort to deal with multiple industries.
The company is adding fluoropolymer screw extrusion equipment that it will install by September or October. Sage said that it would be used to make PEEK, PCTFE and PVDF rod products to support its machining capabilities. The company also recruited an engineer to run the extruder.
Dalau also makes polytetrafluoroethylene products under the Dalcon trademark.
Dalau has had a U.S. operation for 20 years. Dalau is a subsidiary of Dalau UK, an Essex, England-based, family-owned company that bills itself as the largest PTFE processor in the United Kingdom. The company also has subsidiaries in Turkheim, Germany, and Suzhou, China.
