RA Labone to install six new moulding machines in...

Ilkeston manufacturer of plastic injection mouldings, R A Labone are in the process of expanding their site to make space for up to six new moulding machines. 

Labone supply products to numerous blue-chip customers across the globe, primarily in the automotive, medical and electrical equipment sectors.  

Account Manager, Will Selwood explained: “We have got two main manufacturing units on our site and the new warehouse will support the materials for both of those units. The current stores area will become an extension to the existing mould shop.”  

Labone currently have 24 mould machines on site ranging from 6T-150T. This includes horizontal, vertical and rotary machines. Labone plan to purchase a 220T Engel machine to arrive towards the end of 2017. This will support a new project that has been been awarded, but there will be capacity remaining for further enquiries. 

Labone’s metal pressing plant comprises C-frame and 4-pillar machines from 16-100 tonnes as well as a number of pneumatic and hydraulic machines for secondary operations and assembly where required. 

Selwood added: “We supply pressings direct into customers but we also do a lot of overmoulding of pressings. If we get an enquiry for an insert moulded part, we can manufacture the pressing and then overmould all onsite. Many of our competitors either just do metal pressing or moulding but we can do both. We also have our own toolroom which is used to manufacture new press and mould tools and maintain tools currently running in production." 

The company have a long history of supplying products to the Automotive Glazing sector. Labone also manufacture flexible connectors for heated front windscreens which are most commonly used on Ford and JLR models.

Selwood continued: “We are already in contact with a range of customers, but we are always looking to expand our customer base, primarily in the automotive and medical sector."

“The majority of the new enquiries we are seeing are within the automotive sector and 80% of our current business is within the automotive sector but we are definitely open to supplying into new sectors.”

The new warehouse will be completed for September 2017 and Labone have purchased one new mould machine which they have already installed, as Selwood concluded: “It is very exciting here at Labone as we are looking to grow the business constantly and the new warehouse will certainly lead us in the right direction.”