In order to meet on-going demands from some of its most strategic commercial safety customers, Hi-Technology Group had already invested in five new 50 tonne Sumitomo (SHI) Demag precision IntElect machines during the last year.
From the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, the precision technical moulder has been operating around the clock, manufacturing in excess of 2 million medical-related components a week.
As part of the medical response effort, night and day Hampshire-based Hi-Technology has been continuously producing parts for powered personal respirators and hoods, intravenous infusion pumps and docking stations, wireless call buttons, medical PPE, stairlifts, and soap/handwash dispensers.
Due to the technical nature of many of these components, most are manufactured in the company’s dedicated precision moulding cell. Featuring five 50 tonne IntElect units, in May the Sumitomo (SHI) Demag team assisted once more, rapidly installing another all-electric system, this time a higher-spec 75 tonne IntElect2.
Recently recertified to ISO9001: 2015 and ISO 14001 (Environmental Safety Standard), most of the COVID work, including industrial respirators, has been performed in the company’s moulding cell. Housing five IntElect systems, the facility also comprises several other precision, assembly and finishing machines, including heat inserters, pad printers and ultrasonic welding systems.
Given the volume and variety of technical components produced, reaching 3.6million mouldings ouput in a single week at the height of the health crisis, precision and repeatability is critical. This is where the IntElect excels Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s Managing Director Nigel Flowers explains. “The combination of direct drives plus the IntElect’s advanced toggle system ensures a more stable process. Any changes to force patterns are monitored and instantly dealt with. Because the injection process runs more steadily, the plasticised material flows more consistently into the mould cavities. This in turn helps ensure even weight distribution in each cavity and minimise part rejects.”