Anaheim, Calif. — Unit Industries Group Inc. is turning to Absolute Haitian Corp. and its electric injection molding machines as it begins upgrading its press fleet.
Unit will use two Haitian Zhafir Zeres-brand electric machines — a 44-ton ZE 400 and a 135-ton ZE 1200 — at its Superior Mold Co. business in Ontario, Calif., for clean-room molding of medical devices and research-and-development projects. Initially, Absolute Haitian loaned Unit's ZE 400 for its display at the MD&M West trade show Feb. 9-11 in Anaheim.
A third press, a 427-ton Haitian servo-hydraulic Mars MA 3800, will go into Unit's Southern California Plastics Co. site in Santa Ana, Calif., for processing high-temperature polymers for aerospace components.
Going forward, Anthony Codet, Unit Industries owner, president and CEO, said he plans to use all-electric technology on machines under 300 tons and servo-hydraulic models for larger presses.
Santa Ana-based Unit Industries employs 350 in five companies occupying about 100,000 square feet, operates 90 injection molding machines of 5-720 tons and projects 2016 sales of about $25 million, Codet said. Medical accounts for about 35 percent of the business, defense for 30 percent and aerospace for 25 percent. Materials used include engineering thermoplastics and the thermosets liquid silicone rubber and diallyl phthalate. Unit's EMS division focuses on electronics for the aerospace and defense industries.
The Zeres Series, Haitian's newest product introduction in North America, incorporates a hydraulic circuit for operating cores, ejectors and carriage movement. Typically with an all-electric machine with a mold using core pull, that circuit may cost an additional $5,000 to $7,000, take space around the machine and require set-up time, according to Codet.
Codet said he has invested $3.6 million over four years in evaluating and purchasing equipment.
Absolute Haitian, based in Worcester, Mass., is the exclusive U.S. and Canadian sales and service partner for Ningbo Haitian Machinery Co. Ltd. of Ningbo, China. Codet credited Haitian's now-retired Chief Technology Officer Helmar Franz, for improvements in performance of the firm's machines. Franz was previously with Demag Plastics Group, now Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH.
Franz retired from the CTO post in October but remains on the company's 12-member board of directors.
