Hayes Industries Ltd. has purchased its first two Haitian injection molding presses, to mold a high-volume line of post-tensioning products for the concrete sector at the Hayes plant in Sugarland, Texas.
Hayes purchased two Haitian Mars machines — with clamping forces of 101 and 135 tons — in the fourth quarter of 2012. They join six existing presses in Sugarland dedicated to molding the Posi-Lock Plus, an encapsulated anchor for construction.
The two Mars machines, placed back-to-back, run in a semi-automated cell 24 hours a day for six days a week.
"We're starting with Haitian as the machine of choice for replacement machines," said CEO Norris Hayes, who invented the original Posi-Lock in 1988 and founded Hayes Industries in 1992.
The company has a total of 26 injection molding machines, making proprietary products and custom molded items.
The original Posi-Lock, used in foundations, parking structures and other concrete applications, took the industry by storm. By encasing the metal anchor in plastic, creating a corrosion-resistant product, Posi-Lock became the only overmolded anchor system. The patented Posi-Lock Plus improves on the design by providing the system in a single component, making it easier to use in the field. Hayes also makes post-tensioning equipment.
Hayes bought the Mars presses from Absolute Haitian Corp. of Worcester, Mass.
Bobby Field, executive vice president of Hayes Industries, said the company is boosting capacity as the construction industry rebounds. "The demand for our post-tensioning products and equipment for construction required that we add machines quickly," he said.
The Sugarland company, which also does extrusion coating of tubing, electrical cabling and wire rope, serves a range of industries including oil and gas drilling, construction, defense and consumer products.
Absolute Haitian President Glenn Frohring said the machinery supplier helped with financing, through Direct Capital.
Absolute Haitian is the exclusive sales and service partner in the U.S. and Canada for Ningbo, China-based Haitian International Holdings Ltd.