The DMU 100 P duoBLOCK 5-axis machining centre with PH Cell 2000 pallet storage and handling system on the shop floor at Euroform, Budapest.

"With targeted investment in technology and the training and further education of junior staff, we will continue to successfully meet these challenges.”

"The recent Corona pandemic, the war in Ukraine and high inflation have clearly shown us that we need to develop constantly in order to remain competitive.

GI Plastek (Wolfeboro, NH) has merged with Precision Southeast Inc. (Myrtle Beach, SC) to create PSI Molded Plastics Inc. Citizens Bank’s Commercial Banking unit is providing $23 million in credit to help fund the merger.

The firm currently uses eight machining centres from DMG MORI for tool production, including DMU monoBLOCKs, an HSC 75 linear and, most recently, a DMU 100 P duoBLOCK with PH Cell 2000 automation system for pallet handling to allow unattended production at night and during the weekends.

Euroform has been using machine tools from DMG MORI since 1995, latterly in a modern factory that it moved into in 2011 and expanded in 2016. Managing Director responsible for day-to-day business at Euroform, Krisztina Zwick, mentioned the supplier's broad machine portfolio and good service: "DMG MORI was one of the first machine tool manufacturers to open a subsidiary in Hungary, which meant that response times were always quick when service was required. Our latest investment in automation was necessary to utilise the machine during unattended shifts, giving us a competitive edge.”

Five-axis simultaneous machining of workpieces up to 1,100 mm in diameter by 1,600 mm and weighing 2,200 kg had already been carried out on a DMU 100 P duoBLOCK in the factory. Euroform's experience with the machining centre was consistently good, leading to the purchase in 2022 of a latest-generation model with a 1,000 × 1,250 × 1,000 mm working envelope.

Wolf concluded: "Automated manufacturing and digital processes are essential, given the current challenges in the global marketplace.

Based in the Hungarian capital Budapest, Euroform was established in 1993 to provide a tool and mould making service from design to production and trialling. Approximately 70 employees fulfil innovative solutions for a range of different injection moulding processes, mainly for customers in the automotive industry.

When Euroform ordered the new DMU 100 P duoBLOCK, DMG MORI already had a large pallet handling system in development, based on the smaller, proven, modular PH Cell 300. The bigger capacity automation system handles pallets measuring up to 1,100 mm in diameter, so is able to deploy Euroform's 1,000 × 800 mm pallets. The PH Cell 2000 has twelve pallet positions on two levels and can accept workpieces up to 1,350 mm tall. (Other variants are available with three or four racks housing up to 17 or 21 pallets respectively.)

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."

As Euroform almost exclusively manufactures one-offs, pallet handling such as the PH Cell 2000 is the optimal solution. Operators set up jobs offline on several pallets using a zero-point clamping system while machining is in progress on another mould, so production downtime is minimal, even at night.

In August 2009, Wincove Capital acquired GI Plastek. Six years later, Gladstone Investment Corp. acquired Wincove-GIP Acquisition Inc. (d.b.a. GI Plastek) from Wincove Capital.

The transaction facilitates the merger of two Gladstone Investment Corp. portfolio companies to establish a custom injection molding company with facilities in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Indiana that offer a comprehensive range of plastic injection molding capabilities. The credit agreement was used to pay off existing debt and to consolidate the debt capital in the resulting consolidated entity.

Another focus that accompanies business development at Euroform is digitalisation. The company has had a paperless working environment for many years, from design through to quality control. The mould maker is an enthusiastic adopter of the digital 'my DMG MORI' app when it comes to online service requests, which Zwick said significantly accelerates the process of calling in a service technician.

Stefan Wolf, Euroform's managing partner said: "We play a pivotal role in automotive supply chains and our work begins in the early development phase of a new vehicle. Technical competence is crucial for exploiting the potential of innovative manufacturing solutions and CADCAM systems."

Precision Southeast Inc., which also has a facility in Indiana, specializes in custom injection molding along with several engineering services, including metal-to-plastic conversions, rapid prototyping and tooling. The company’s press sizes range from 20 to 600 tons. Precision offers overmolding and in-mold assembly and a range of value-add services, such as assembly, ultrasonic welding, leak testing and decorating that includes pad printing and hot stamping.

The merger establishes a custom injection molding company with facilities in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Indiana that offer a comprehensive range of plastic injection molding capabilities.

GI Plastek is a manufacturer of custom injection molded products using structural foam, gas assist and straight injection molding. It also offers value-added assembly and secondary finishing operations, including painting, inserting and decorating. The company’s press sizes run from 220 to 1,574 tons. In 2016, GI Plastek added two new large tonnage machines with an 1,100- and 500-ton clamping force and installed a new multi-booth mechanized paint line for a total investment of $2 million, according to the company’s website.