WATERBURY, Conn., Feb. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Forum Plastics LLC (Forum), a premier global contract manufacturer catering to OEMs, today announced that it will begin to operate under the DBA Forum Contract Manufacturing. The addition of the DBA name is designed to better represent the wide range of services and capabilities offered to manufacturers across all industries. The corporate name rebranding will also be accompanied by the launch of an updated website designed to reflect the company's modern approach to complex manufacturing solutions.

The tradename is designed to more accurately reflect the breadth of services offered by the manufacturing solutions provider.

Forum promises to continue its legacy of partnering with clients to develop and manufacture complex products with a constant eye on quality. Notably, Forum continues to meet the requirements for ISO 13485:2016, a standard in quality for the design, production, installation, and servicing of medical devices. The company also holds ISO 14001:2015 certification for environmental management systems. In addition, Forum is ITAR compliant and registered with the FDA under Medical Devices, enabling clients to proceed with peace of mind that their products will be produced with the utmost precision, quality, and sensitivity.

Throughout its 30+ year history, Forum has dynamically grown in response to client demand, market trends, and technological developments, allowing it to remain at the forefront of not just molding but also value-added services such as printing and laser marking, cleanroom manufacturing, automated assembly, and prototyping. "Forum Contract Manufacturing may be one of the best kept secrets in the medical device, industrial, and military and defense industries," said Mark Polinsky, President of Forum. "Forum has incredible on-time delivery, unparalleled quality, and is on a constant quest to lower cost while reducing our carbon footprint."

International news agency Reuters broke the news last week and has reported that the acquisition is a key element in General Motors’ strategy to ‘make up ground on Tesla’. Tesla is said to have leaned on TEI, as well as three other suppliers, to facilitate its Gigacasting processes for the casting of large car structures in one piece.

While the new DBA name more accurately reflects Forum's ability to partner with manufacturers with a variety of contract manufacturing needs, the brand remains focused on the tenets that have helped it achieve success over the decades. Forum prides itself on a customer-focused approach by providing project support throughout the entire development and manufacturing process. Clients experience quick response times, program management services, and assistance through every stage of the development process from concept to final parts approval. The result is a contract manufacturing partnership with Forum that empowers clients to achieve even the most challenging engineering requests with accuracy and excellence.

Joseph Stephens, Forum Plastics LLC, DBA Forum Contract Manufacturing, 1 203-754-0777, [email protected], www.forumcm.com

"Forum Contract Manufacturing may be one of the best kept secrets in the medical device, industrial, and military and defense industries. Forum has incredible on-time delivery and unparalleled quality and is on a constant quest to lower cost while reducing our carbon footprint."

Come 2021, TEI was using two VX4000 sand 3D printing systems from Voxeljet and soon would earn itself a reputation as one of the largest users of sand 3D printing in the United States. Earlier this year, it was revealed the company had purchased a third VX4000 machine – expanding its additive manufacturing capacity to up to 2.5 litres per year – and was working with General Motors, producing cast cores for the series production of large-format, weight-saving structural components for the electric Cadillac CELESTIQ vehicle.

With its expanded sand 3D printing capacity, TEI has been able to print hundreds of cores for several vehicle sets in one night. It is this capability that initially attracted General Motors to partner with the company and subsequently acquire it. It is understood that TEI will remain its own business with General Motors operating as its parent company.

Established as Forum Molding in 1992, the company has a rich history of providing plastic injection molding and manufacturing solutions, predominantly for global medical clients. As demand for more robust molding and thermoplastics solutions increased, Forum remained dedicated to pursuing new offerings to cater to client needs. Evolving into a role as a contract manufacturer for its clients, Forum Plastics expanded its services beyond injection molding to additionally include rapid prototyping, modular molding, automation, cleanroom assembly, and CT part scanning. While Forum has historically specialized in medical molding, clients with general industrial molding, such as electronics, automotive, and consumer products, now turn to the contract manufacturer for everything from precision injection molding to fabrication.

By integrating TEI into General Motors, the automotive giant told Reuters it was ‘bolstering its portfolio of innovations and secure access to unique casting technology.’ TEI has reportedly been working with Tesla since 2017, with the casting company then agreeing a three-year contract with Voxeljet for the purchase of 3D printed sand moulds and cores in February 2018. While working with Tesla, TEI is believed to have supported the development of Tesla’s Model Y, Model 3, Cybertruck and heavy-duty Semi truck by prototyping large moulds.

Based in Waterbury, CT, Forum Plastics LLC is a global contract manufacturer and partner of OEMs with a foundation in engineering and expertise in complex geometries and technically challenging injection molding, insert molding, and overmolding. For over 30 years, Forum has supported the manufacturing needs of clients across industries, most notably for medical devices where precision, accuracy, and quality are of the foremost concern. Forum provides molding services as well as mold design and fabrication, prototyping, multi-component assembly, and pad printing services, among others. Visit www.forumcm.com for more information.

General Motors has acquired casting manufacturer Tooling & Equipment International (TEI), a long-term user of Voxeljet’s binder jetting technology and supplier to Tesla.