Montreal-based Plastic Age Products Inc. installed its largest machine yet — a 2,000-metric-ton injection molding press — for the versatility it offers in serving a diverse customer base.
Founded in 1969, Plastic Age is starting its 50th year of custom molding with its 12th machine purchase from Krauss-Maffei Corp., a Florence, Ky.-based subsidiary of Munich, Germany-based KraussMaffei Group.
The new machine is operating at Plastic Age's 122,000-square foot facility, which also houses its smallest KraussMaffei at 200 metric tons. The dozen machines produce parts for the automotive, construction, sports, recreation, military, landscaping, retail, and food manufacturing markets.
"We mainly focus our KraussMaffeis on parts that have high quality standards," Plastic Age President Mark Smolka said in a news release. "We want to make sure that we consistently deliver top-notch parts and this can be difficult if variability in the process cannot be controlled with precision. This is why we trust our KMs."
Plastic Age's strength and strategy relies on its ability to run a wide variety of products, Smolka added.
"We have to deal with a variety of customer needs," he said. "In today's market, on-time delivery, quality, and pricing are the driving force for all manufacturers. KraussMaffei delivers on all fronts."
The machine maker became the molder's supplier of choice when Plastic Age bought a used KraussMaffei in the spur of a moment to meet demand for a product that needed extremely fast injection speeds.
"When we received the machine and started running it, it became apparent that in comparison to newer competitors' machinery, the technology driving the machine was as good, if not better," Smolka said. "Then, after hundreds of hours of production time, it became obvious that these machines are built to last."