Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Resin pricing news
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Commodity TPs
    • High Temp TPs
    • ETPs
    • Thermosets
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
    • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
    • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Historic Thermosets
    • Historic Recycled Plastics
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
November 20, 2014 01:00 AM

Netstal, Electra Form team up for PET preform partnership

Jim Johnson
Staff Writer
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Jim Johnson
    Paul Caprio, left, president of Krauss-Maffei Corp. and its Netstal division, and Brian Karns, vice president of Electra Form Industries.

    VANDALIA, OHIO — This is a partnership that's really years in the making, a story of timing and opportunity and patience.

    The Netstal division of Krauss-Maffei Corp. is teaming up with Electra Form Industries in a partnership to offer PET preform machines and molds as a package deal.

    The hope, of both sides, is that unifying the brands through this partnership will help drive sales for each company in North America.

    Netstal makes injection molding machines for PET preforms, and Electra Form makes preform molds. Each company has been working independently for decades.

    With market leader Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. dominating the PET preform market, the two companies hope to grab a little more of the pie for themselves by working together.

    Manufacturing PET preforms differs from other injection molding markets as equipment is typically purchased as an entire system.

    “In preform production, you buy everything as one working cell. It's just how it works,” explained Paul Caprio, president of the Krauss-Maffei Corp. and its Netstal division, in Florence, Ky.

    Husky has a stranglehold on the market, with Netstal a distant second, Caprio said. While providing plenty of praise for Husky as a competitor, the company president he wouldn't mind taking some of that business.

    “In America, it's always been tough because it's Husky's backyard,” he said of the Bolton, Ontario-based company.

     “We think the market would like to have a strong second player. Right now, it's really one. One and done,” Caprio said.

    Netstal PET-Line machines are built in Switzerland and shipped to the United States as complete units. While Caprio has been with Krauss-Maffei for 20 years and in charge of that company's U.S. operations for about 15 years, he has only been running the Netstal division of the business for a couple of those years.

    Brian M. Karns is vice president and general manager of Electra Form's operations in Vandalia, which is located near Dayton, Ohio. He's been with the company for 35 of its 37 years of operations and helped push the idea of a partnership about 18 months ago.

    Electra Form once had a similar agreement with Milacron LLC, but that company stopped making PET preform presses long ago.

    Karns sees the new partnership as a way to build more molds, and Caprio sees the partnership as a way to sell more machines by giving both companies an opportunity to provide a turn-key offering.

    Karns started broaching the idea with Netstal during an open house that company had at its Florence site in 2013. Now, a year-and-a-half later, leaders from both companies are touting the advantages they claim come with the partnership.

    Such a union actually has been on Electra Form's mind for a long, long time. Fourteen years.

    That's how long it's been since the mold maker first brought up the idea of working with Netstal, but the notion did not gain any traction on the machine maker's side, Karns recalled. Netstal was satisfied with working with European mold makers.

    But with Caprio now in charge of Netstal here, that company became more receptive to working with Electra Form on this side of the pond.

    “I think it means in particular with the North American market, the mold maker and their location is very important because of repairs, because of wear items, to get them all local on your time,” Caprio said.

    While about 80 percent of Electra Form molds are actually made by sister companies in Poland, the finishing touches happen in Ohio. Workers there also can make repairs and provide parts for molds in use in North America, cutting service time needed when compared to working with European mold makers, the men said.

    Caprio said the success that Krauss-Maffei has had over here in other parts of its business helped the company realize it did not need to use PET preform mold makers in Europe for its machines being sold here.

    “I think they are giving us our due, credit,” Caprio said about company leadership in Europe. “You guys can do a good job on your own.”

    Both Caprio and Karns said the two companies are starting their partnership in North America, but see the opportunity for it to expand elsewhere over time. Electra Form, thanks to its presence in Europe, sees the potential to supply molds to Netstal in that region as well.

    “This makes us a serious contender because of the local mold maker,” Caprio said. “North America is where we are starting. But for us, this should go all around the world. Our customers will have Electra Form molds at their disposal as an offering. We think there's a bigger piece of the pie for all of us to go after.”

    Electra Form, as part of the partnership, has purchased a PET-Line machine that's up and running at its site in Vandalia. The machine serves as a demonstration unit for potential customers and provides limited production capabilities.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Arcitell's composite Qora Cladding goes to market
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    Redline's ‘outrageous cultural behaviors' retain top employees
    2
    Cuts at KraussMaffei to spare US, assembly jobs
    3
    M. Holland, Lavergne strike deal on recycled resin distribution
    4
    K'Nex Brands sold to Florida-based toy company
    5
    PureCycle now planning April startup for PP recycling plant
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Resin pricing news
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Commodity TPs
        • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temp TPs
        • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
      • ETPs
        • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Thermosets
        • Historic Thermosets
      • Recycled Plastics
        • Historic Recycled Plastics
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified