Omega Plastics invests in Sumitomo Demag all electric machinery to save costs

Gary Powner, managing director at Omega Plastics (L)

UK plastics manufacturer Omega Plastics has invested in an all-electric injection moulding machine from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, in a bid to save energy costs and the environment.

In an 18 April statement, the company, which has sites across North East England, said pressure is mounting on plastics processors to carefully consider what equipment to invest in for the future.

According to Gary Powner, managing director at Omega Plastics, the investment makes sense despite a premium of 20% compared to hydraulic machinery.

“When you then subsequently save between 40% and 70% on energy costs, it doesn’t take long to recoup the additional cost and start making further savings,” he noted.

This is Omega Plastics’ second all electric machine from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag and it will replace an older hydraulic machine at its factory in Blyth, one of three facilities the company operates.

The company bought its first Sumitomo Demag IntElect machine three years ago.

In addition to that, Omega Plastics has also invested in clean tech, all electric machinery at its factory in Hartlepool.

In June last year, it installed a new 50-tonne injection moulding machine manufactured by Fanuc at the Hartlepool site, to increase medical production by 25%.

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has reported a significant shift in the market over the last three years as its customers move from traditional hydraulic machines to more environmentally-friendly alternatives like its Systec ‘Servo’ hydraulic option and the IntElect all-electric machine.