'Lights out' injection moulder expands plant

'Lights out' injection moulder has installed a new injection moulding machine to meet growing demand for its products and to assist in new product development.

Tray specialist Gratnells has installed a new Sandretto Nove T injection moulding machine at its Harlow plant in order to meet growing demand for its products and to assist in new product development The new Sandretto machine has a 5000kN locking force capacity and is currently producing the larger size of educational trays for which the company is famous throughout schools worldwide.

Gratnells moved from its North London, Edmonton base to Harlow this summer.

Establishment in the new location has seen output steadily rising.

Gratnells's fleet of three Sandretto machines is responsible for producing the bulk of plastics trays for use in UK schools.

The company, previously in metals fabrication, entered this niche of the plastics sector in the mid-1980's - and now leads the competition by some distance.

In production, Gratnells operates a 'lights out' continuous system of injection moulding, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Its Sandretto Series 8 moulding machines have been delivering fault free performance in this respect for the past 14 years.

The Series 8s are a particular favourite on the shop floor - 'a fantastic work-horse, never lets you down' - notes Steve Cadman, operations manager at the plant.

This track record of consistency was a key factor in the Gratnells decision to source another moulding machine from the same company.

Gratnells Marketing Director, Murray Hudson says that 'although our customers are fiercely loyal, and associate the product with our company name - the 'Gratnells tray' - this market is fiercely competitive, especially on price.' Hudson adds that 'the Sandretto performance, not only in terms of machine reliability, but also in terms of service and back-up from Rugby, gives us the confidence and consistency that we need in order to quote the most competitive prices.' The new Sandretto NOVE T has opened up new moulding options for Gratnells; not least for twin-shot tray capacity and for the development and production of a new tray for export markets which is set to launch in a few months time.

Machine training on the Series 9 for Gratnells personnel at Sandretto UK, Rugby, has underlined the features that distinguish it from its predecessor, such as the process control systems and the core-pulling mechanisms.

The Gratnells education tray is moulded in talc-filled polypropylene - another factor in its winning performance - and the bulk of production comes in four primary colours, which are added through liquid dispensing.

A further thirty custom colours are also available.

Tray lids are also produced in-house, moulded in a clear random co-polymer polypropylene.

Three standard sizes of educational tray are made at the plant, nominated F1-3.

The new twin-mould cycle time for the F1 tray, the company's best seller, has recently achieved a considerable reduction in cycle time.

Gratnells's 100,000ft2 facility has the capacity to hold 1600 pallets for both trays and the Gratnell adjustable storage system in house.

Materials throughput at the plant is handled through a total of five silos; two at 35 tonne capacity and three at 25 tonne.

The Gratnells business is highly seasonal - arranged around the school terms - and exports account for a significant proportion of the company's sales.

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