As if a major trade show isn't busy enough, CMT Materials LLC (W6888) will be loading up moving trucks a few months after NPE2024.
CMT, a maker of plug-assist materials for thermoforming, is moving its entire operation from Attleboro, Mass., to larger quarters in Stoughton, Mass., about 20 miles away. The move will expand the firm's North American footprint by nearly 50 percent, officials said in a news release.
CMT is moving to the headquarters of its parent company, Globe Composite Solutions. A 20,000-square-foot addition was recently completed at the site. Officials said CMT will make the move in late summer.
The larger facility is expected to bring several benefits, they added, including increased capacity, improved workflow and enhanced climate control. The larger space also will allow for higher processing efficiencies, reduced waste and sustainability improvements.
Overall, the move will help CMT keep pace with global demand for its leading plug-assist material, Hytac-brand syntactic foam, according to Sales and Marketing Manager John Moy.
"We continue to see a steady increase in orders for our copolymer and thermoplastic plug materials," Moy said in the release. "The company has seen a global increase in new projects, new machinery purchases and new tooling deliveries."
Moy cited strong growth in packaging applications for medical, food and beverage markets.
CMT also has established an Asian business entity called CMT East Asia, located in Shenzhen, China. Moy said the stand-alone operation has been a major asset, delivering access to new customers, applications, emerging trends and market insight.
In Attleboro, CMT recently added a second shift to make its thermoplastic line of plug-assist B1X and XTL products. The added production nearly tripled capacity for the firm's sheet and rod products.
Hytac syntactic foam is used by a majority of toolmakers and thermoforming processors globally, officials said. Thin-gauge thermoformed parts such as drinking cups, coffee capsules, fruit trays, barrier trays and horticultural parts are formed with plug-assisted pre-stretching.
Hytac plugs are designed with specific material properties to optimize plastic parts and provide low thermal conductivity, low specific heat and low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). As a result, officials said, the materials provide improved material distribution, enhanced clarity, reduced starting gauge and faster cycle times.
They added CMT offers a full range of materials allowing designers and operators to make plugs for a variety of polymers and their required geometries.