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By Roger Renstrom
CORRESPONDENT
Published: August 27, 2013 3:52 pm ET
Plastics Plus Technology Inc. in Redlands, Calif., plans to install a clean room by 2014’s third quarter and said it also might buy three Arburg injection molding machines.
The company said it needs the clean room because its medical business is growing, especially in disposables such as exit drains and neonatal components.
“Although we have seen a significant increase in recent months for electronic components, the medical portion of our business continues to grow at a faster pace,” said Kathy Bodor, president and CEO, via email.
PPT has committed to a seven-month training program to implement lean principles.
Training will be provided by associates of the California Manufacturing Technology Consulting of Torrance, Calif., and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
“I have been working with [PPT] for seven years,” said Dennis Sonney, a CMTC manufacturing coach with links to the Department of Commerce’s efforts to improve American business innovation and global competitiveness.
Bodor said, “Ten percent of each work week is dedicated to structured classroom education. Additionally, hands-on training is provided to managers and key staff in every level and every department. This investment has already shown benefit in both our staff and daily operations.”
“We have earned our upgrade from ISO 9001 certification to ISO 13485,” said Jose Avellaneda, manufacturing manager. “We want the industry to know that manufacturing is not dying in California and is alive and growing.”
PPT, a certified woman-owned business, was established in 1979. It employs 47 including four toolmakers, occupies 36,000 square feet and projects 2013 sales of $7.4 million.
The firm operates 14 injection molding machines with clamping forces of 35-300 tons. “Toyo and Kawaguchi historically filled our shop,” Bodor said.
“We brought in our first Arburg when we purchased our new building in December 2006,” she said. “It is a 55-ton press, which replaced an aging Kawaguchi 80-ton. Two years later, we brought in another 55-ton [Arburg] as well as a 110-ton. These were for new medical applications [and] have run nearly non-stop since their purchases.” | |
