American Technology Components expands; chooses LS Mtron machines

Based in the Recreational Vehicle (RV) Capital of Elkhart, Indiana, American Technology Components (ATC), founded in 1986, is a leader in the manufacture of custom-designed electronics and plastic components. The privately held company supplies the Automotive, RV, Marine, Agricultural, Construction and other vehicle industries with injection molded parts and assemblies.

ATC’s business is strong. With 210 employees located in three locations in Elkhart, the company is in the midst of an extensive expansion that includes the construction of a new building, where it will consolidate all three locations into one new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. The new 140,000 square-foot location will provide 30% more space than the current three buildings combined and is scheduled to open in Spring 2023.

New Molding Machines from LS Mtron

As part of its expansion, and to keep up with its growth, ATC recently purchased three LS Mtron WIZ-TA servo-hydraulic toggle injection molding machines; two 140 ton and one 190-ton machine. These machines are up and running and being used to support the electronics side of ATC’s business, molding housings and holders. The company also plans to order a new 900-ton LS Mtron machine to use in its new building.

ATC Director of Manufacturing Rob Baxter said that the company chose LS Mtron machines for their reliability and strong technical support.

“We needed better support from our molding machine supplier, and we got that with LS Mtron,” he said. “We also got well-built, reliable machines that are exceeding our expectations. They have an easy to learn molding interface along with added options of core pull, gas assist and air blow ejection, all features that are helping our molding productivity.”

Immediate Benefits

ATC molds a wide variety of parts, including multiplex systems, control panels, charging solutions, wiring solutions, control modules, wiper systems and travel accessories (cup holders, bumper caps, slide locks, etc.). They mold their parts out of numerous materials including Polypropylene, HDPE, LDPE, ABS, Nylon, Polycarbonate, and Santoprene and many others. The company specializes in insert, over and core assisted molding as well as secondary assemblies for its plastic products.

Baxter said ATC saw immediate benefits after starting up the new LS Mtron machines.

“It was a plug-and-go integration,” he said. “The LS Mtron equipment has an easy-to-read process screen and intuitive navigating on process controls, which is a benefit for our machine operators. It wasn’t long before we saw faster cycle times, oil consumption savings and power savings.”

Baxter added that the new LS Mtron machines are also much quieter than the company’s older machines, and that cycle time savings have been significant. Oil capacity is 50-75 gallons less than the company’s older presses. For power savings, ATC projects the new LS Mtron machines are at least 35% more efficient.

Future Growth

ATC will move into its new facility in Spring 2023 and will also be adding its fourth new LS Mtron machine, the 900-ton model, to its lineup. The company will be considering replacing many of its older molding machines with additional new LS Mtron models.

“The LS Mtron machines are a huge upgrade over the older machines currently being used at ATC,” said LS Mtron Regional Sales Manager Mark Seed. “The increased productivity, and profitability that the company is seeing from the new machines is really significant.”

“LS Mtron’s technical support is always there for us, whether it’s to answer questions or be onsite if needed,” said Baxter. “We appreciate their support and look forward to working with them as we continue to grow our business.”

About LS Mtron Injection Molding Machines

LS Mtron Injection Molding Machines was founded by South Korean tech giant LG Corporation, one of the world’s largest plastic molders. LS Mtron produces up to 2,800 machines per year, not only for use by its own network of LS related and LG founded companies, but for many other molders around the world. In the USA, LS Mtron Injection Molding Machines is led by Peter Gardner, Business Director. The company’s US headquarters are in Duluth, Georgia (near Atlanta), and its Tech Center is in Wood Dale, Illinois (near Chicago). The company also has a large machine testing and Tech Center in Brownsville, Texas, and a Parts and Service Center in San Diego.

Source : https://www.plasticsnews.com/sponsored-content/american-technology-components-expands-chooses-ls-mtron-machines

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