Sanko Gosei Technologies USA Inc. opened its first U.S. facility just over a year ago and since then, has invested over $2.5 million in machinery to take steps to build toward becoming a Tier I automotive provider.
A new 2,250-ton KraussMaffei injection molding machine is on order, according to Jeff Baker, vice president of sales at the Fort Wayne, Ind., company. The press is due to be delivered in November.
“We've had multiple audits and we are well on the way to becoming a Tier I supplier,” Baker said. The company is aiming to supply companies such as Honda, Toyota and Subaru.
The KraussMaffei press will become the 21st injection machine at the Fort Wayne plant. The company added a 950-ton all-electric Ube machine in May. The presses range from 200 to 3,000 tons.
He said that since Sanko Gosei bought the assets of Bhar Inc. in May 2015, it has been working to increase capacity.
At the same time, the company is also investing in tooling capabilities. New additions include a spotting press, an electric discharge machine and a five-axis computer numerically controlled machine center. The tooling initiative allows Sanko to build molds globally and deliver them to Fort Wayne for final development and sampling. It is one of seven tool building locations that the parent company has worldwide.
Sanko Gosei Ltd., which was founded in 1940 in Toyama, Japan, is a $500 million supplier of injection tooling and injection molded parts. It has 21 production sites in 13 different countries, with about 2,500 employees.