Derby-based Shawpak, a leading manufacturer of thermoforming machinery, has made its largest-ever capital investment in order to target new business in the food and medical sectors.

The company (a division of Riverside Medical Packaging) has spent £600,000 on a five-axis Chiron 1250 vertical milling machine — supplied by Engineering Technology Group (ETG) (www.engtechgroup.com) — that will enable it to nearly halve cycle times on the 80-off customer tools that it will produce over the next 12 months.

Alan Wade, Shawpak’s works and engineering director, said: “Demand for our thermoforming technology is growing rapidly, so we need to manufacture more parts within the same timeframe.

"We initially hired a Bridgeport XT630, which showed us the type of performance we could expect form a five-axis machine, but we knew we needed an even better solution, and that’s when ETG suggested a ‘state of the art’ Chiron 1250 five-axis machine.

“It’s our largest-ever single purchase, but one that has the potential to really help us drive our business forward within the food sector.

“One contract — to build a machine that seals a double burger pack — has already been won, and this wouldn’t have been possible with the previous machinery we had.”

Jon Mannion, ETG regional sales manager, said: “The Chiron 1250 is a fantastic five-axis machine, and it quickly became clear that this was the ideal solution for Shawpak, allowing the company to make the most of the opportunities currently available.

“It also underlines how we try to work with customers.

“We listened, understood and were flexible in our approach, with the installation being completed quickly and efficiently.”