New York molder adds large-tonnage capability with new Haitian press

Eck Plastic Arts president Brett Pennefeather oversaw load-in and assembly of the MA 9000 II S/6800 in three days. The machine was making parts within two weeks’ time. Photo Credit: Eck Plastic Arts

There’s a first time for everything, even after 70 years. Eck Plastic Arts, which was founded in 1949, has just installed its first Haitian injection molding machine, in a move to beef up its fastest growing market segment.

And they didn’t do it by halves either – the new Haitian 1,012-ton Mars II S injection molding machine is four times larger than the Binghamton, N.Y.-based company’s next largest press.

Eck Plastic molds plastic parts for original equipment manufacturers, including vacuum forming, injection molding and fabrication of sheet plastic. The company caters to industrial equipment manufacturers for markets including medical and defense equipment suppliers.

And as for growing the company’s already fast growing injection molding business, it might not be that hard – even during a global pandemic. “At the time the machine was ordered, we had one project lined up for the 1,012-ton Mars; now we have five other projects lined up right behind that,” said company president Brett Pennefeather.

Pennefeather noted that Eck Plastics chose the Haitian machine because of its easy-to-use tie-bar puller. “Our ceilings top out at 11 feet and machines this size are about nine feet high. The only way to install or change out a mold is to load the mold from the side,” he said. “We ordered the MA II S with an automatic tie bar puller that was on the preferred side of the machine and that operated with a push of a button. The lead time on this customized option was shorter from Absolute Haitian than from competitors, and other competitors’ tie-bar pullers were not automatic.”

Absolute Haitian, based in Worcester, Mass., is the exclusive sales and service partner in the U.S. and Canada for Haitian International, which is based in Ningbo, China.

The MA 9000 II S/6800 was delivered to the Binghamton plant in June 2020, and preparing for installation wasn’t particularly easy, since a new concrete floor had to be poured and new electrical and plumbing services installed while keeping employees and contractors safe during COVID-19. Delivery of the large-tonnage machine was equally challenging as the riggers, Rogers Service Group, had to navigate several tight intersections and a narrow delivery dock. “The clamp alone weighed about 50,000 pounds and was assembled outside and then rolled into the building,” said Pennefeather.

The MA II S machine was making parts within two weeks, with the first production run being a souvenir drinking cup shaped as a baseball bat and sold at major and minor league ballparks. “The delay in opening professional baseball ended up working in our favor as it took the fire drill out of starting up the machine,” Pennefeather said. “It gave us more time to make sure everything was assembled properly, and auxiliaries were hooked up correctly as we familiarize our team with this new machine make.”