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Turning Problems into Progress

When one of the automotive industry’s leading OEM’s faced the unexpected bankruptcy of one of their major suppliers, the hunt was on for a new source for a key component on a very sophisticated part… and time was of the essence. The part was a complex ignition module for an in-line six cylinder engine, a design where an individual ignition coil is mounted on each cylinder. This high volume, three-component part presented a manufacturing challenge that demanded the highest expertise in insert molding and Advanced Molding Technology.

And one company stood out as the best solution. GW Plastics.

Experience and Expertise
The GW Engineering Team went right to work assessing the situation. The existing molds were older and the process, slow and labor intensive. The first recommendation: upgrade and automate.

Two new advanced tie-barless injection molding presses were installed with state-of-the-art three-axis robots and fixtures. This allowed for automated insert loading, which optimized the process by delivering a more consistent cycle resulting in a higher quality part.

A new four-cavity mold was built to allow three different inserts for a total of 12 per cycle, all loaded and checked with automation.

Two existing molds were re-engineered and modified to run horizontally rather than vertically due to the unavailability of vertical insert machines in the time frame required by the customer.

And in just five months, the entire revamped process was up and running, delivering 12,500+ parts per day with improved quality and increased efficiency.

A Winning Combination
GW Plastics Engineering Team for the Automotive Market is pleased with the performance and proud of the results for the customer. The entire process for three high-volume complex components was optimized in less than six months. This allowed the customer to exit from a troubled supplier, under a very tight dead-line, quickly re-engineer a complex program, and keep GM in production, avoiding a shut down of an automotive assembly line. The program is a win for GW and the customer.

See what GW Plastics can do for you.

Let’s innovate together.