Michigan molder invests in lights-out production, seeks expansion

Naples, Fla. — Custom injection molder Grand Traverse Plastics Corp. is investing more than $1.5 million to get into lights-out manufacturing at its headquarters in Williamsburg, Mich., while officials also are looking to make an acquisition in the Southeast, a company official said.

The company is converting one of its three facilities in Williamsburg into the lights-out operation by moving mold making and automation operations in the 33,000-square-foot plant to free up room for the fully automatic molding area, Jeff Ignatowski, vice president of sales and marketing, said.

"There was plenty of space that wasn't being utilized," Ignatowski said. The lights-out operation will occupy 20,000 square feet of space in the building.

Another feature of tight-tolerance, lights-out molding is that Grand Traverse Plastics is buying its first all-electric injection presses. Ignatowski said the company initially will buy three small-tonnage all-electrics, but the operation probably will grow to house 10 machines. The operation also will have five- and six-axis robots, along with automated material handling and box conveyor systems.

Ignatowski said the only labor needed will be for someone to move the boxes into shipping and a quality performance employee to check part samples using an offline Keyence optical inspection system.

Ignatowski said it will take about eight months to finish converting the space to molding and beginning shipping products.

Ignatowski outlined the project in a Feb. 26 interview at the Plastics News Executive Forum in Naples.

Grand Traverse Plastics employs 109 and runs 22 injection molding machines in two other plants on a company campus in Williamsburg. The fleet of presses has clamping forces up to 1,100 tons, and the company offers prototyping, part design and a range of secondary services. Sales in 2019 were more than $26 million.

Grand Traverse Plastics molds parts such as engine and rocker covers, oil fill tube caps and assemblies, and engine and transmission parts. The company also is working on applications for hybrid and electric vehicles. The processor is a four-time General Motors Co. Supplier of the Year.

Another market is material handling, where Grand Traverse Plastics has helped conveyor companies convert metal parts to plastic assemblies.

"We're predominantly automotive at this point, but we're actively looking to diversify into more general industrial. In fact, we're looking at acquisitions in the Southeast right now," Ignatowski said. Company officials want geographic diversity in addition to the new industrial markets, he said.

President Bob White said the lights-out operation will help the company grow. "We are investing over $1.5 million in new equipment, which will add new technical and automation jobs to the Traverse City area," White said.