Medplast expands tooling, revamps sites

(Tempe, AZ) announced the expansion of its mold-manufacturing facility in West Berlin, NJ, which will specialize in complex molds serving the healthcare and select industrial markets. The West Berlin plant has recently added high-speed CNC machining centers and EDM systems with robotic tool-changing capabilities. The company says the plant was completely upgraded and redesigned to optimize efficient work planning and further focus on clean manufacturing processes to comply with current GMPs (good manufacturing practices) for medical manufacturing.

“The new machines and totally upgraded facilities allow us to more effectively compete in the demanding markets that we serve, said Robert Piccoli, VP and general manager of MedPlast West Berlin, adding, “All engineers and project managers have a strong tooling background, and all toolmakers have a minimum of 10-15 years experience in the industry.”

MedPlast West Berlin specializes in multishot and overmolded applications. The newly expanded facility will support the adjoining molding operation as well as the other four MedPlast plants located throughout the U.S. A similar expansion is planned for the Tempe facility in 2009.

Founded in April 2008 through the acquisitions of ATP’s Engineered Rubber and Plastics Group and K&W Medical Specialties, Medplast is headquartered in Tempe, AZ and has five manufacturing sites spread among Arizona, Iowa, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The company has approximately 800 employees and 375,000 sq ft of manufacturing space.

At Medical Design & Manufacturing West (MD&M; Anaheim, CA; Feb. 9-12; organized by MPW parent Canon Communications), John Madden, Medplast’s director of sales told MPW that the newly combined company generates more than 70% of its revenue from the medical sector, and plans to grow the business 20% year over year. Medplast has 200 injection molding machines, ranging from 28 to 750 tons, as well as 50 rubber molding machines, allowing it to offer parts in thermoplastic and thermoset, including liquid and gum silicone rubbers.

In addition to the added tooling capacity in West Berlin, the company has also added a 6000-sq-ft white room space to the New Jersey site for two-shot molding. Wisconsin’s site also has new manufacturing space and equipment, and the company’s headquarters in Tempe is being completely made over, with plans to add a Class 100,000 clean room and a white room. —[email protected]