MOD carts away second Leonardo rotomolding cellMOD carts away second Leonardo rotomolding cell

Rotomolding processor Meese Orbitron Dunne Co. (MOD; Ashtabula, OH) was the first in to install a fully automated Leonardo rotomolding cell in a North American facility, and now the firm says its second of these is up and running, too. The machines are designed and manufactured by Persico SpA (Nembro, Italy).

Installed in the processor’s La Mirada, CA facility one year after the first rotomolding system was installed in the company's Madison, IN plant, the new unit enables MOD to offer its customers automated processing from facilities near both coats. Rotomolded parts often are large, so processing near a customer is almost a given; rotomolding also remains a manpower-intensive process on most equipment as employees must open molds, fill them with powdered resin, close them, and then later manually remove parts. The Leonardo systems (more on these, MOD and other rotomolding issues here and here) do away with the need for this labor.

According to MOD, the automated system operates faster than traditional rotomolding machines and yields more consistent product quality yet requires less energy and reduces material waste, offering faster lead times with substantial reductions in overhead.

The first product to be manufactured on the system was MOD’s 72S bulk laundry truck, a new design with rounded corners, internal ribs and strength, but enabling customers to save on fuel by transporting their standard volume of goods at less weight, according to MOD President Robert Dunne, who added, “The improvements we made to this laundry cart design would not have been possible to manufacture on other rotomolding machines.”

The leading U.S. manufacturer of rotomolding machinery, Ferry Industries Inc. (Stow, OH), last November signed a marketing agreement with Persico whereby Persico will act as Ferry’s European sales and service force for Ferry’s Rotospeed line of rotational molding machines, and Ferry serves as Persico’s North American agent for its Leonardo machines. —[email protected]