CARCLO TECHNICAL PLASTICS
Establishing production operations in Czech Republic / Further expansion planned
In a move to support customers that have set up operations in the Czech Republic, Carclo Technical Plastics (PO Box 14, 62 George Street, GB - Wakefield WF1 1ZF; www.carclo-ctp.co.uk) is setting-up a moulding plant in Brno. The 3.000 square metre factory is located in the business park being established by Flextronics International, although, as yet, Flextronics is not a Carclo customer. It will start production in December.
The Brno factory will have 16 injection moulding machines deployed in a cell system, located in the centre of the GBP 1m building. It will operate round the clock, seven days a week with the minimum of labour. All services and any assembly operations – which play a key role in Carclo´s supply of proprietary products – will be located around the core moulding activity. This production system was adopted by Carclo´s Carrera business in the US and is in action in four of its five factories, as well as at the Scottish site of CTP Davall (Harthill, Shotts, Lanarkshire ML7 5NT).
Carclo´s Brno plant, with one operator, typically, controlling five machines, will employ 35-40 staff. However, the company has also bought an adjacent area of land on the same business park. This is likely to see the establishment of two other manufacturing cells, one with a further 16 machines dedicated to injection moulding and the other for assembly work for customers such as Ford and General Motors. The setting up of the Czech business, plus the company´s existing plant in China, will have no immediate effect on Carclo´s UK moulding operations, but that may not be the case in five years time.
Following its five-year diversification away from general engineering into technical plastics moulding, Carclo now derives some 80% of its GBP 165m turnover from its moulding and associated assembly operations. Its main markets are automotive (40%), telectronics (30%) and medical / optical (20%). Sales are growing in all three sectors, despite the general downturn in demand in telecommunications and the flat automotive business.
The Brno factory will have 16 injection moulding machines deployed in a cell system, located in the centre of the GBP 1m building. It will operate round the clock, seven days a week with the minimum of labour. All services and any assembly operations – which play a key role in Carclo´s supply of proprietary products – will be located around the core moulding activity. This production system was adopted by Carclo´s Carrera business in the US and is in action in four of its five factories, as well as at the Scottish site of CTP Davall (Harthill, Shotts, Lanarkshire ML7 5NT).
Carclo´s Brno plant, with one operator, typically, controlling five machines, will employ 35-40 staff. However, the company has also bought an adjacent area of land on the same business park. This is likely to see the establishment of two other manufacturing cells, one with a further 16 machines dedicated to injection moulding and the other for assembly work for customers such as Ford and General Motors. The setting up of the Czech business, plus the company´s existing plant in China, will have no immediate effect on Carclo´s UK moulding operations, but that may not be the case in five years time.
Following its five-year diversification away from general engineering into technical plastics moulding, Carclo now derives some 80% of its GBP 165m turnover from its moulding and associated assembly operations. Its main markets are automotive (40%), telectronics (30%) and medical / optical (20%). Sales are growing in all three sectors, despite the general downturn in demand in telecommunications and the flat automotive business.
13.09.2001 Plasteurope.com [16478]
Published on 13.09.2001