Even better gate quality can be obtained by combining HPgate technology with HRSflow's FLEXflow technology. Here, the needle position can be precisely controlled, thereby further reducing the influence of process conditions. The result is high-quality reproducible parts with optimal gate aesthetics.

Until she retired in September 2021, Clare Goldsberry reported on the plastics industry for more than 30 years. In addition to the 10,000+ articles she has written, by her own estimation, she is the author of several books, including The Business of Injection Molding: How to succeed as a custom molder and Purchasing Injection Molds: A buyers guide. Goldsberry is a member of the Plastics Pioneers Association. She reflected on her long career in "Time to Say Good-Bye."

“Summit’s focus on customers during the design, prototyping, and low-volume production stages of a product’s life cycle perfectly aligns with Fathom’s unique customer-value proposition,” Fathom CEO Ryan Martin said in a prepared statement. “We’re excited to work with the Summit team to explore opportunities to even better serve its customers through Fathom’s comprehensive digital manufacturing platform while also providing Fathom’s existing customer base expanded domestic quick-turn precision tooling and molding capabilities,” added Martin.

HRSflow is a division of INglass S.p.A. and specializes in the development and production of innovative hot-runner systems for the injection molding industry. The group of companies has more than 1,100 employees and is present in all the major global markets. HRSflow produces hot-runner systems at its European headquarters in San Polo di Piave, Italy; in Asia at its plant in Hangzhou, China; and at its U.S. facility in Byron Center near Grand Rapids, MI.

The valve gate technology enables the manufacture of high-quality parts without flash and is easy to replace in the event of wear.

Founded in 1996, Summit provides plastic injection mold design, precision mold making, and close-tolerance injection molding with a specialty in small to medium prototype injection molds. Summit primarily serves long-tenured customers in the medical and packaging end markets with its fleet of more than 30 machines, said Core's announcement.

Another advantage comes from the special needle geometry: The conical contact surface allows better thermal control of the needle temperature, while the precisely aligned cylindrical needle closure creates a seal. With conventional conical configurations, there tends to be formation of a plastic layer at the gating point when the valve closes. When the mold opens, this layer is torn from the part and could lead to flash formation. In order to achieve adequate detachment and avoid flash, a fine adjustment of process conditions typically is required. By eliminating this layer, HPgate reduces the time needed to optimize the respective process parameters. Targeted molding quality is attained much faster, which is basically equivalent to enlarging the process window.

In-house metalworking capabilities include engineering design, sheet metal shearing, punching and bending, roll forming, hardware integration, welding, grinding, polishing, painting, and assembly. Summit’s thermoplastics engineering expertise allows the company to process multi-shot and bi-injected tooling and perform insert overmolding. Pad printing, hot stamping, ultrasonic welding, and assembly are also offered by the company, which operates a 26,000-square-foot facility northwest of Chicago in McHenry, IL.

Core Industrial Partners’ portfolio company Fathom acquired the precision tooling and injection molding supplier serving customers in the packaging and medical markets.

“Summit’s leading customer base includes some of the largest and most recognizable players in the medical and packaging spaces,” said Matthew Puglisi, Partner of Core. “This acquisition significantly enhances Fathom’s domestic injection molding and tooling capabilities, and we’ll continue to actively pursue acquisitions, similar to Summit, that simultaneously broaden our customer base, enhance our service offering, and deepen our presence in attractive, recession-resistant end markets.”

Any time the process window can be opened to provide more optimal molding conditions, molders love it. With its new HPgate, hot-runner specialist HRSflow (San Polo di Piave, Italy) introduces an innovative, quality-enhancing, cost-saving valve gate technology for the manufacture of high-quality parts without flash. Unlike conventional products, the gate is machined on a hardened metal insert produced by HRSflow. This insert is simply screwed into the mold, so it’s easy to replace in the event of wear.

Monroe Capital LLC provided financing for the acquisition. Winston & Strawn LLP provided legal representation to Core and Fathom in the transaction.

Chicago-based private-equity firm Core Industrial Partners announced today the acquisition of Summit Tooling Inc. and Summit Plastics Inc. by its portfolio company Fathom. The precision tooling and injection molding supplier is the fourth add-on acquisition to the Fathom platform since Core made its initial investment in 2018.

The new HPgate concept from HRSflow (right) introduces a hard metal insert screwed into the mold, in which a conical cylindrical gate is machined. If it becomes worn, the closure can be easily restored without performing conventional cost-intensive work on the mold.

Dan Martin, President of Summit, commented: “Since my wife, Michelle, and I founded Summit 25 years ago, we’ve been committed to providing outstanding quality and customer service to build the business into a leader in the design, engineering, and construction of molds and molded components. We’ve now reached an inflection point in our growth trajectory, and we believe Fathom is the perfect fit in terms of both culture and customer-value proposition to help take Summit to the next level.”

HPgate rids the moldmaker of the time-consuming and complex task of machining standard cylindrical gates. In fact, with the gate geometry already machined on the insert, HPgate eliminates the difficulties associated with cylindrical configurations, including narrow tolerances, large and variable depths and coaxiality between the needle and gate. Equally beneficial for the moldmaker is the hardness of the insert, meaning that a softer steel could also be chosen for the mold plates.