Horsham-based Pentagon Plastics (www.pentagonplastics.co.uk) has taken delivery of two new injection-moulding machines from Premier Moulding Machinery. The first of the new machines is a Mars MAII 900/300 Universal, a 90-tonne hybrid model that replaces an older hydraulic one of similar capacity; the company says that this will deliver a good rate of energy saving over the coming years. The second machine is a Zeres ZE1200/430.

Pentagon specialises in producing bespoke thermoplastic components for a wide range of industry sectors. The new 120-tonne press will help it to meet the increasing demand for mid-range products, especially items for the medical sector. This machine represents the final stage of a £425,000 investment programme that has been carried out over the last four years.

Graham Fooks, mould shop manager at Pentagon, says: “Investment in ancillary equipment such as driers and water heaters has made a huge difference in the day-to-day running of the mould shop. Improvements in house-keeping are on-going and have helped to create a nicer and safer working environment; things such as the floor being painted really help to keep the momentum going. The investment hasn’t stopped with machines; we have also looked
at staffing and now employ two setters on each shift, which will cut down-times significantly and make planning a lot more accurate.

“The repeatability of the newer breed of hybrid and electric machines means that parts stay correct from the beginning of the run until the end. In addition, with close process-monitoring software, any discrepancies are flagged up straight away. Having the extra machine will help in several ways. When we are experiencing a particularly heavy demand for medical flanges, the new Z120 will be able to operate with some of the tooling that would previously only fit one of our presses.”