Pittsfield, Mass.-based Pittsfield Plastics Engineering LLC (PPE) will spend $1 million at its headquarters site to expand capabilities for large-part injection molding with a focus on the sanitary waste market.
The new investment comes on the heels of the company's multi-million-dollar expansion in 2023 in large-tonnage injection machinery, robotics and other auxiliary equipment to meet the needs of its newest customer, a manufacturer of products and services for the residential and commercial sanitary waste industry.
Founded in 1968, PPE's current investment is an important part of a growth strategy that has resulted in a steady increase in business volume over the last several years, according to Bruce Dixon, PPE CEO and chief financial officer.
"We're thrilled with the opportunity to supply key large parts for this leading supplier of septic tank systems," Dixon said in a news release. "Our investment also opens the door to new opportunities in large-part molding with other existing and prospective customers in the industrial, electrical and construction markets."
PPE ramped up its capabilities in large-part molding with the purchase of a 1,600-ton press from Absolute Haitian Corp. The Jupiter 14000 Series unit offers a shot size capability of up to 22 pounds.
The press, which will be the largest in PPE's injection molding machine stable, will produce a 14-pound shroud for a septic grinder pump. Made of high density polyethylene, the shroud part is about 2 feet in diameter and 10 inches tall.
The new press is scheduled for installation by February 2025.
"These investments have essentially enabled us to expand our toolbox so we may deliver best-in-class processing for more complex and demanding applications," said Nick Roth, PPE's national sales and project manager.
PPE will also produce components such as lids, covers, adapter units and electrical shrouds on its existing small- to medium-size injection molding machines.
Other significant facility improvements include a new 10-ton overhead crane from Konecranes of Springfield, Ohio, to handle large molds.
The new crane supplements existing 5-ton cranes.
PPE also enhanced its automation systems with the purchase of a three-axis robot from Sepro. The company plans to build an automated work cell incorporating end-of-arm tooling and a Keyence vision system to perform insert molding, degating, and quality inspection.
"We've steadily ramped up our automation expertise and we've reached a level of capability where we can provide the efficiency and quality that our customers demand," PPE plant manager Eric Haddad said.
In addition, PPE officials expect to add technical, supervisory and administrative staff in the next year to meet growing demand for large-part molding and its other captive product lines. The number of employees could increase by up to 10 percent.
PPE already hired a sales development group, Philadelphia-based Jim Rohn Process, as a sales and marketing arm to help drive new business development.
PPE's injection molding machine fleet will consist for 25 presses ranging from 90 to 1,600 U.S. tons once the new machine is installed.