Blyth-based Omega Plastics, which has facilities at three sites in the North East, is taking steps to tackle its environmental impact by investing in ‘state of the art’ electric injection moulding machines from Japanese-German manufacturer Sumitomo Demag (www.sumitomo-shi-demag.com).

Managing director Gary Powner said: “It makes perfect sense to invest in the latest clean technology. At the moment, there is a premium of about 20% to pay compared to that of a hydraulic machine, but when you subsequently save 40-70% on energy, it doesn’t take long to recoup the additional cost.”

Omega Plastics provides advanced prototype and production moulding and tooling services for the automotive, packaging, manufacturing, electronics, medical and pharmaceutical sectors.

The company has bought two all-electric machines from Sumitomo Demag to date. The latest will replace an older hydraulic machine at its factory in Blyth.

Mr Powner added: “We bought our first Sumitomo Demag IntElect machine about three years ago, and it has never missed a beat. It is quick and easy to set up — the NC5 control system is very intuitive.

“It’s class-leading, and that’s why we are investing again. We have recently invested in clean-tech all-electric machinery at our factory in Hartlepool, so this latest investment will go a long way towards bringing all of our facilities up to the same high standard.”