By Bill Bregar, Plastics News Staff
Kenton, Ohio -- Here's some good automotive moulding news: Pleasant Precision Inc. of Kenton, Ohio, has purchased a Nissei injection press and added five employees for a new job for Honda Motor Co. in nearby Marysville, Ohio.
The part goes into production this month.
The part -- a combination of ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), overmoulded with a grip of soft thermoplastic polyurethane - is a hand-operated emergency brake for the Honda Accord, according to Pleasant Precision president Ken Jenkins.
The Nissei machine, a special vertical insert moulding press with 150 tons of clamping force, was scheduled to be delivered 7 Dec and begin moulding 21 Dec, Jenkins said. Pleasant Precision officials and local government and economic development officials held a press conference 2 Dec at the factory.
Mould maker Pleasant Precision is known for its Round Mate interchangeable mould inserts. But the company has expanded its injection moulding side in recent years, to the current stable of 12 presses - five in a clean room and seven in a general moulding area.
Owner Ron Pleasant brought in Jenkins in 2007 to beef up the injection-moulding business. Jenkins said moulding has grown to be around 50 percent of sales, with the other 50 percent from tooling. Total company sales will be about $4 million in 2010.
"We are busy. We have a very good product mix," Jenkins said in a telephone interview. He said medical accounts for 65 percent of moulding sales. Automotive is about 20 percent.
Pleasant Precision is positioning itself as a full systems supplier, capable in building moulds, repairing transfer tooling, and injection moulding the parts.
"We were given this [Honda] business because we build tools. We won the opportunity because we are an injection moulder," Jenkins said.
He credited Steve Oppy, sales manager, who was instrumental in landing the Honda emergency-brake project.
Jenkins said the emergency brake has a handle of rigid ABS, overmoulded with a grip of soft thermoplastic polyurethane. He said Pleasant Precision moulds the emergency brake for a Tier 1 supplier to Honda, which he declined to identify.
Jenkins said Honda and the Tier 1 supplier have tried to "localise" moulding to be closer to Honda's Ohio factories, to reduce costs.
Pleasant Precision was already moulding some Honda parts for other Tier 1 suppliers, he said. The company is adding five employees for the new Honda job. That will bring Pleasant Precision's total employment to 38.
PIC: Jeff Vermillion, Pleasant Precision's lead toolmaker, displays the collar mould used to produce an emergency brake for the Honda Accord. (Pleasant Precision Inc. photos)
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