Aligned to industry and customer-driven sustainability principles, UK technical moulder Broanmain Plastics will unveil how it is navigating the energy and cost of living curveballs. Including a number of production and energy efficient enhancements it has taken to assist domestic OEMs meet sustainability KPIs, reduce supply chain risks, manage stock holdings, spur UK engineering innovation, increase value and maintain production continuity.
On Stand C195 at Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2023, Broanmain Plastics will showcase the continual improvement steps implemented at its Dorking factory to get ahead of the spiraling energy crisis costs and reduce its mass manufacturing production carbon footprint.
From capturing live dashboard data to further machinery investments, relocating to one production site and the introduction of overlapping double injection moulding shifts to reduce machine shut-offs and restarts, Broanmain will highlight to visitors how its new approach continues to embody mass-production efficiency and reduce over-production to minimise utilities consumption.
A number of process and site improvements are already delivering tangible savings, including approximately £17,000 p/a in compressed air power consumption. Additionally, the company’s investment in all-electric moulding clean-tech has increased its production capacity and mass repeatability, while reducing energy use by over 70 percent compared to hybrid and hydraulic machines. Broanmain is also benchmarking the savings and reduction in curing time of upgrading to variable speed drives on its other moulding machines.
Balancing the ‘rightshoring’ benefits
In today’s cost of living and energy crisis, shipping heavier and bulkier weighted components across continents can incur large costs and is not carbon neutral. Adding a 500-ton machine to the company’s Dorking fleet, means customers can now rationalise their supply chain and have all their precision components – from 0.1mm-sized micro components right up to polymer parts with shot weights of up to 3kg – moulded, finished, assembled and despatched from Broanmain.
Managing Director Jo Davis comments: “Supply chains in the plastic industry are highly sensitive. Evidenced during the pandemic. Now, for UK OEMs seeking bespoke moulded and fabricated parts all managed through one vendor, Broanmain offers the flexibility, tools, production and assembly resources to undertake manufacturing projects of all volumes. We also project manage tooling commissions. This expertise helps to de-risk projects, supports real-time production, provides customers with supply-chain assurance and enhances quality control.”
Cucumber Lighting Controls is the latest British business to select Broanmain as its preferred mass-component manufacturer. As well as overseeing the initial development of 14 mould tools designs, Cucumber was adamant that they wanted to partner with a British moulder with the capacity and flexibility to mass-manufacture estimated significantly high volumes in an ever-changing market sector.
Cucumber Product Manager John Mercer comments: “The logistical benefits of appointing a British company that has the capacity to mass mould and store components for us, combined with a skilled and collaborative team that can oversee the design and production of technical tools, are multiple. The advanced samples have been extremely impressive. We feel confident to have selected a responsive and dependable partner that is aligned to our sustainability KPIs and mature market knowledge, who will equally challenge us on all aspects of getting our innovative products ready for market in early 2023.”
Whatever your design challenge or sustainable plastic moulding question, the Broanmain production experts have a solution. Test their knowledge at Southern Manufacturing & Electronics, Stand C195, Farnborough, 7-9 February 2023.
Image 1 Maintenance Engineer Steven Romano has helped Broanmain to introduce a number of process and site improvements to help cushion the financial shock of energy price rises.
Image 2: Domestic mass production can help OEMs to rationalise vendor supply chains, reduce stockholdings and mitigate future risks