RICHMOND HILL, ONTARIO — W. Amsler Equipment Inc. has added its first computer numerically controlled milling machine — a key investment as the maker of all-electric blow molding machines plays to its strength as a North American manufacturer, and beefs up to handle the Mag-Plastic line.
“We can respond quickly” said Heidi Amsler, sales and marketing manager. Her father, Werner Amsler, founded the company in 1994, making all-electric reheat stretch blow molding machines.
Before, Amsler Equipment had to get all its machined parts from outside vendors. As a small company, the blow molding machinery maker often had to wait for orders, Werner Amsler said.
Adding its first CNC machine gives Amsler Equipment fast-access and assured quality, he said.
The Amslers discussed company strategy during an interview at the plant in Richmond Hill, north of Toronto.
Amsler Equipment is finalizing a contract with Mag-Plastic Machinery Inc., a competitor that stopped building blow molding machines several years ago. “We will be providing service for the Mag blow molders. And we will have a new service technician,” Heidi Amsler said. The technician, Don Nannie, had been a Mag service technician who is transitioning over to Amsler.
Heidi Amsler said the service agreement covers the United States and Canada.
She said that having in-house CNC machining “should help us on the support of the Mag line. If they don't have spare parts, then we can design them. We can make out own parts when they're not available.”
Amsler machines also will accept Mag molds. “They're transferable back and forth,” she said.
In other news, Amsler Equipment:
• Added a mezzanine level to get more space in Richmond Hill.
• Is upgrading the controller on its leak testers with a touchscreen operator interface. The controller will show a history of tests. Another feature is a self-teaching function where you first test a perfect bottle, “and then it will calculate parameters, such as how much air needs to go into the bottle, the test time, and all the fine-tuning can be done with that one good bottle,” Heidi Amsler said. The company will roll out the new controller in 2015. Amsler makes both stationary-head leak testers and flying-head units.
• Is winning new demand for its spin trimmers, made in-house. “We're seeing more people coming to us with wide-mouth containers. And spin trimming is becoming more popular for PET,” she said.
• Reports selling five, three-cavity blow molding machines in the past seven months to Triumbari Corp., a maker of PET bottles in Bolton, Ontario. The most recent one was delivered in May. Heidi Amsler said Triumbari replaced older Mag and ADS blow molders.
• Sold a four-cavity blow molder to Dahl-Tech Inc., a custom blow molder in Stillwater, Minn. This is Dahl-Tech's second Amsler machine.
