New Berlin continues to invest in its press fleet

New Berlin Plastics Inc. is investing in new machinery that will help it capture new custom injection molding contracts.

The company has been buying new injection presses to extend its capabilities and to update its press fleet. Of special note is a 4-ton Sodick plunger press to handle very small part molding, explained New Berlin Plastics sales analyst Karl Held.

“Customers have approached us with micromolding opportunities,” Held said in a phone interview. “We want more exposure and accessibility in micromolding.”

The Sodick press's two-stage, V-line plunger allows very fine control of the molding process by separating material preparation done by the screw and precise dosing on the plunger side. In addition to tiny parts production, the technology is well suited to thinwalling.

“We are continually upgrading our fleet of presses,” Held said from the company's headquarters in New Berlin, Wis. Medical and specialty food service are among the markets New Berlin can target with more modern machinery. Its diverse customer base now includes clients in electronics, recreation and defense sectors.

Held estimated his company will invest more than $1.5 million in 2015-16 in new machinery. The order list includes seven Toshiba electric injection presses and four robots. The Sodick press came on stream in February 2016. Besides the Sodick machine, New Berlin Plastics runs 40 injection presses with clamps from 40 to 1,200 tons. The firm's press count has hovered around 40 in the past few years as it replaces older machines with new, more precise and more efficient ones.

Held said New Berlin Plastics closely studies its molding processes using an in-house performance standard to ensure its machinery is up to the task. Over the past three years the program led to installation of 12 Toshiba electric presses

“Our objective is a robust process, and one often-overlooked factor of that equation is the capability of the molding machine,” according to senior processing engineer Eric Pipkin.

New Berlin Plastics' sales are expected to grow more than 12 percent this year from $18.7 million logged in 2015. Its staff is expanding to handle the growth. About 15 new positions are opening up on top of the 115 currently employed.

New Berlin Plastics President Jim Schneberger indicated a company can't improve its performance if it is unaware of deficiencies or denies they exist.

“While most customers won't say it directly, their unspoken desire is a supplier that doesn't charge them for incompetence and waste,” Schneberger stressed in a news release.