Ube Machinery completes plant expansion in Michigan

Ube Machinery’s Ann Arbor facility.

Injection molding machinery maker Ube Machinery Inc. has completed the expansion of its machine building facility in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The expanded plant was officially opened on Oct. 25, and drew more than 200 Ube Machinery customers, vendors, employees, and state and local officials, including Michigan Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley.

The 20,000-square-foot expansion will provide additional manufacturing and machine stocking space to meet what the company calls growing demand from its customers.  It also includes a new state-of-the-art powder coating line and a 60-ton overhead crane.

The expansion began in January 2018, and will double the annual capacity for assembling mid-large size injection molding machines, including the two-platen servo hydraulic, servo hydraulic toggle, and all-electric machines.

Before the expansion, the Ann Arbor plant was 73,600 square feet, and assembles Ube brand all-electric and servo hydraulic injection molding machines as well as machines under the U-MHI Platech Co. Ltd. name.

Ube Machinery was formed by Japan-based parent company Ube Industries Ltd. in 1978, and the company has been located in Ann Arbor since 1996.

Ube Machinery is represented in Canada by Toronto-based Belplas Inc., which is headed by Steve Bell.