Optoelectronics injection molding specialist QT Manufacturing has strengthened its position in the niche market through acquisition.
QT acquired C&F Tooling Inc. for undisclosed terms effective Jan. 1, said QT Chief Financial Officer and co-owner Anand Patel in a phone interview. Both firms are based in Dallas.
“The additional capacity will allow us to serve our customer base with greater flexibility and shorter lead times,” Patel stated. C&F expands QT's customer base, and its injection molding machines — now being relocated to QT's operation in Dallas — boost QT's capacity to mold parts from a range of commodity and engineering resins.
QT now has 14 injection molding presses with clamp tonnages from 30 to 120 tons. The company is running the presses around the clock to meet orders in telecommunications, fiber optics, medical, aerospace and consumer markets.
QT also employs precision CNC machining to make aluminum and steel components in low-to-high production runs. It recently garnered an AS9100 certification that is especially useful for its sales to aerospace customers. Also last year it received ISO 9001:2008 certification to ensure quality management for a wide variety of clients.
Anand said his company also has in-house mold-building for QT customers and for third party orders. QT was established in 1990 mainly as a tool shop for optoelectronic and sensor components. It branched into injection molding in the late 1990s and several years later it added precision metal parts to its capabilities. Anand and partner Bill Gilliland acquired QT in 2011 after careers in finance.
C&F was a 25-year-old precision molder focused on optoelectronic parts. One of the co-owners died a few years ago and the remaining partner decided to sell the business.
Anand said QT is moving C&F's five presses to the QT factory for efficiency and to take advantage of QT's quality systems. QT now employs 39 in its Dallas operation
