Product category:
Plastics and Rubber Moulding Subcontracting Services
News Release from: A K Industries | Subject: Subcontract plastics moulding
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 30 August 2007
Added value for technical mouldings
A plastics moulding and sub-assembly subcontractor, AK Industries of Hereford, undertakes technically demanding design and production for many industries.
Constantly pushing boundaries, the 100-employee company AK Industries of Hereford works with PERA and commercial partners on a number of projects and has won praise from within and outside of its sector Employing some thirty machines ranging from six up to 450 tonnes, AKI includes robot handling with automated assembly and multi-component capability among its facilities
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 14 Sep 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Well trained staff give high standards of work, they understand what is important and can be relied upon to do the right things at all times which cuts mistakes and lowers costs.
Its customers are found mainly in automotive tier two, pipework, HVAC; medical; electronic enclosures and health.
A number of high-profile innovation initiatives have involved the company, chosen because of its ability to work collaboratively and to think outside of conventional norms.
These projects include, as a prime partner, a plastic syringe needle developed for insulin injection, voice-delivery packaging for pharmaceutical products to help those unable to read, a wound treatment vacuum product, heat recovery devices for domestic and commercial applications and more.
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Injection moulding company has invested in a micro-moulding machine, which has fast change-over and small tool sizes allowing small parts to be produced quicker.
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A subcontract plastics injection moulder's 'Product Realisation and Optimisation Process' allows the company to go 'beyond injection moulding' and provide customers with a complete service.
High Temperature, High Performance Polymers
The Grivory range gives designers flexibility in material choice as they are based on semi-crystalline, partially aromatic polyamides and sit between the conventional engineering plastics
PERA CEO, John Hill, says of the firm, "Pera, in partnership with various national and regional Government agencies, is the largest provider of productivity and innovation support to small firms in the UK and in our 60 year history we have worked with over 100,000 firms.
However, very few of these firms have demonstrated the same ambition, enthusiasm and ability to harness innovation to create customer value as AKI.
We regard AKI, and its joint managing directors in particular, as unusually visionary and exemplars of precisely what UK manufacturing firms need to transition towards in order to survive and thrive in the 21st century global, knowledge based economy.
The key is not simply to attempt (and fail) to be the cheapest supplier, but to be the one that adds greatest value to customer operations and product value propositions.
We think AKI manage to achieve this!" Its decisive approach to adding value is at the heart of AKI's success.
The company works hard to work with its clients rather than simply supplying parts to order.
Its expertise allows technicians and directors to advise on the best materials, processes, even designs to enable customers to obtain the best and, therefore, most cost efficient solutions.
More than just a manufacturer, AKI offers design and product development services, project management, rapid prototyping, visualising, even consultancy on assembly and packaging.
Its design capabilities include SolidWorks and Moldflow and its tooling design and consultancy are considered to be among the best available.
Added value is the order of the day, with complex cores a feature of the company's work, allowing undercuts and other advanced features in mould tooling, often doing away with the need for secondary processes and reducing production cycle times.
Much of the company's tooling maintenance work is carried out in-house and it usually designs the tools it buys in.
Certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 13485, AKI employs a MRP system and offers traceability and SPC as required by customers.
Working in partnership with clients, AKI is currently planning for future expansion.
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