The company recently commissioned a new Matsuura H Plus-405 PC12 horizontal CNC machining centre. The Matsuura is a 12-pallet, four-axis machining centre offering the capacity to replace three older machines with one, while increasing productivity. UHT selected this technology for its remote monitoring capabilities and advanced automation. The machine can run 24/7, allowing the facility to increase its capacity by 50–60% while occupying the same plant footprint as the previous machines.
“Our Bolney workforce consists of highly skilled CNC machinists,” said Chris Stevens, CEO of Unibloc Hygienic Technologies. “Adding this machine helps leverage their experience and knowledge while automating repetitive processes that are highly detailed and time-consuming. We selected the 12-pallet machine for its ability to stack work runs and then run autonomously. We will use the Matsuura to machine shorter-run custom parts during the daytime shift and then machine longer production runs during evenings and weekends.”
Unibloc Hygienic Technologies also recently invested in two new state-of-the-art lathes for the Bolney facility, with anticipated deliveries in January and June of 2023. The new equipment increases machining accuracy, speed and reliability.
“Our ongoing investments enable us to adhere to a strategy of constant improvement that overcomes supply chain challenges and provides quick deliveries,” added Stevens.
The Bolney facility is where the Flotronic ‘One-Nut’ pump was pioneered, featuring a single-nut diaphragm design. This design significantly reduces process downtime by simplifying pump assembly/disassembly and providing savings in operating costs, along with best-in-class performance. The Flotronic One-Nut pump serves more than 1,000 companies worldwide, including iconic brands in food and beverage, consumer product goods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and other critical process manufacturing operations. The workforce in Bolney has expanded by 15% in the last year and as capacity increases, the company anticipates adding more staff.
Unibloc Hygienic Technologies offers precision-engineered positive displacement pumps, AODD pumps, drum pumps, and other highly engineered products for demanding hygienic flow control applications. UHT serves a variety of hygienic industries, including food, beverage, bakery/confection, meat and poultry, brewery, pharmaceutical, and transportation, under the Unibloc, Flotronic, Standard Pump, and Hygenitec subsidiary brands.
