Contract injection molder Plastic Molding Technology Inc. installed three new all-electric presses, an overhead crane and auxiliary equipment to boost capabilities.
PMT is pursuing multiple continuous improvements in its 60,000-square-foot facility in El Paso, Texas, and plans to invest more than $1.5 million on them through 2017.
A 500-ton Toyo Si-500-6 was added in November, and a pair of 200-ton Toshiba EC200SXV50-8 presses went online in February. PMT removed three 150-ton presses from service.
More than half of PMT's 59 presses of 40-500 tons are all-electric models.
The Toyo, the largest press at PMT, has an integrated touchscreen programmable logic control system, a HyRobotics Corp. three-axis robot and a Novatec Inc. dryer system. PMT uses the press to support new projects with a current automotive customer and molding larger parts for new and existing customers.
The Toshiba presses provide capacity in a popular tonnage range and boost PMT's efficiency for technical molding applications. Both Toshibas utilize Novatec NovaWheel desiccant dryers and customized HyRobotics three-axis cells.
PMT has standardized its operations to use robots from HyRobotics, which is based in Incheon, South Korea, and, primarily for the U.S. market, operates an engineering, software programming and technical center in St. Peters, Mo.
FIM Cranes & Service of Seminole, Texas, customized and installed the five-ton overhead crane, which facilitates faster mold changeovers. R&M Materials Handling Inc. of Springfield, Ohio, made the crane components.
For now, the crane serves only the three new presses, but it has the capacity to cover four more machines of similar sizes.
PMT is experiencing growing demand from key customers including maquiladora operators for electrical components and larger technical parts and is working on new projects supporting the transportation, irrigation and general industrial markets.
In a statement, CEO Charles A. Sholtis said PMT wants to assure that all of its operations conform to 5S workplace organization methods. PMT uses enterprise resource planning software from IQMS Inc. of Paso Robles, Calif.
PMT was founded in 1973, employs 96 persons full time and had 2015 sales of $15.5 million. The projection for 2016 is $17 million.
