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Technology
How expertise in multi-injection makes the difference by offering increased competitivity
The current Dollar rate does not make US Business for European companies very easy. Watertown Plastics Inc. based in Connecticut (USA) together with its main customer Axilone – a well-known French manufacturer of cosmetic caps and closures – decided nevertheless to invest in Multi-injection technology from Billion. This strategic choice creates a transatlantic link to bring Know-how from Europe in the USA. The aim is to generate more added values.
Watertown’s goal was to improve its products in the cosmetic sector. Surlyn from DuPont has been chosen as high-performance material for thick-wall parts. Surlyn is a very demanding type of material, in rheologic terms and with regards to injection techniques. Surlyn is used as transparent or coloured material; it allows particularly attractive surface finish, shining aspect or matt finish. For such a demanding project, and for their first step into multi-injection technology, Watertown chose Billion’s expertise. Billion’s reputation in USA and Canada is already very high. At Watertown Plastics Inc, the first Billion 2-shot machine installed is a H1300/2000-320T Hercule.
Process improvement – Unit prices reduction
With 52 employees, Watertown Plastics Inc., manufactures consumer, industrial, consumer electronics and cosmetic products. US market changes and competition from low-cost countries enters massively in this country. And Watertown must also face this phenomenon. To help to differentiate, it is necessary to improve production processes, to reduce unit costs and to design products with more integrated functions.
Hence, Watertown intensely looked around for new possibilities and technical alternatives in manufacturing.
Increased flexibility
A suitable technology identified by Watertown Plastics was the Multi-injection technology. Multi-injection may be used to inject different materials, different colours or different volumes of the same material. Added value may be added to the parts, for example with additional functions or thanks to special surface finish; and this can be carried out economically in a single phase on a production cell.
The V-configuration of the injection units from Billion allows Watertown the use as a single shot, a 2 shot or in a sandwich application.
Using 2 independent nozzles, the Overmoulding process associates several materials by placing successive layers over the initial mouldings. This can be effected by different mould technologies such as rotation, translation, robot transfer, core movements …
At Watertown Plastics, parts are transferred into the mould cavities with a robot.
Next step for Watertown will be the use of rotary platens or index plates to reach even faster cycle times.
USA? Why precisely Billion?
The French manufacturer is well-known for its comprehensive knowledge of 2-shot techniques. This includes expertise for the choice of materials, and material combinations, tool configuration and automation systems. A convincing and ambitious concept: complete technical process support from one hand.
Billion concentrated therefore its efforts in North America in the demanding cosmetics and packaging branches. Exactly here is the pressure on manufacturers even stronger to offer products with higher added value.
More demanding results regarding surface finish and printing capacities, well known from Watertown Plastics within cosmetic industry, require high technological equipment and process levels. The strategic collaboration with Billion will drive Watertown towards newly designed products and improved processes. This new configuration was also a wish from Axilone, Watertown Plastics main customer in cosmetic field. Axilone produces cosmetic caps and closures in other countries – and Billion has been providing multi and single injection moulding machines to Axilone for years.
The door opened to a new US-Market
This new multi-injection production equipment symbolizes for Watertown Plastics a new step towards more innovation. With 34 injection moulding machines, together with complementary technologies such as assembly, ultrasonic welding, printing and packaging, Watertown Plastics is well armed for its future development.
Accompanied by Billion, the goal is to develop this technology and add additional capacity to fulfil growing demand from cosmetic and display devices markets.
Through the collaboration with Billion and Axilone, they demonstrate that sophisticated high value products may be manufactured in the United States under competitive conditions, as they are in Europe.
