Projecting a double-digit increase in sales, Plastic Molding Technology has invested close to $1 million in new injection molding and auxiliary equipment this year.

SustainaPac LLC  also joined PulPac’s licensee network and sought to use Dry Molded Fiber technology to produce single-use food service packaging products for the North American quick service restaurant market.

Viktor Börjesson, PulPac’s chief partnerships officer, continues: “As the inventors of Dry Molded Fiber, our knowledge about the technology is unrivaled. Huarong brings 40 years of experience in building machines for the plastic industry.

That proverbial rising tide that lifts all boats? Contract manufacturer Plastic Molding Technology (PMT) is riding that wave. The company announced today that it has invested close to $1 million in new equipment this year to support new contract awards that will require additional capacity.

PulPac is launching the PulPac Scala, a new machine platform combining its Mill-to-Web fibre unit with injection moulding technology, in the hopes of increasing the accessibility of Dry Molded Fiber worldwide.

“Its name is, of course, a play on words. Due to its low investment threshold, any producer who wants to gain market leverage in this new, exciting, and fast-growing market can start small and then scale up.”

Approximately 100,000 injection moulding machines are produced every year, PulPac says, and many of them only produce single-use plastic. The PulPac Scala seeks to rectify this – bringing Dry Molded Fiber to customers and requiring a lower investment than the PulPac Modula while fitting into a 40-foot container.

PMT has taken delivery of 10 new Maruka USA Toyo injection molding machines so far this year, including three 55-ton, four 110-ton, and two 200-ton presses. PMT also invested in its first injection molding machine under 40 tons, with a new Toyo 20-ton horizontal machine. The new investments will support key customers in the telecommunications, medical device, and electrical industries.

Earlier this year, Curt G. Joa, Inc. (JOA) worked with PulPac to bring the PulPac Modula production platform for Dry Molded Fiber to the North American market – aiming to meet growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions.

Alongside its turnkey partner Huarong Group, PulPac is now releasing the compact, reportedly scalable Dry Molded Fiber machine platform. The fibre-forming technology claims to offer efficiency in resources, energy, and cost and hopes to overtake single-use plastic consumption globally.

“We merged our cutting-edge tech to Huarong’s existing and functioning clamping unit, and the result is a compact, hassle-free, plug-and-play machine for Dry Molded Fiber manufacturing.”

PMT now has a total of 72 injection molding machines in its 60,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, and operates 24/7 in its strategic border location in El Paso, TX.

“Several of our customers are experiencing record growth within their respective industries to support infrastructure in the USA,” said PMT CEO and owner Charles A. Sholtis in a prepared statement. For its part, PMT is projecting a double-digit increase in sales this year. It’s putting that extra money to good use by investing in new injection molding machines and auxiliary equipment that will, in turn, support booming customer demand.

PMT also procured auxiliary equipment for the new presses, including several HY Robotics 3-axis robots and sprue pickers, Novatec dryers with central conveying systems, and conveyors with part separation. Two new Gorbel overhead crane systems will provide safe mold transport and set-up in the company’s white room space and on the plant floor.

“When we launched Dry Molded Fiber a few years ago, we did it with a great machine platform,” explains Sanna Fager, chief commercial officer at PulPac. “The PulPac Modula is still the best fit for producers with high volumes and a need for modularity. But one size doesn’t fit all, and we saw an opportunity to make Dry Molded Fiber approachable to even more packaging producers.