Tag Archives: plastic

7 Reasons to Choose UPM for Your Custom Injection Molding

Our team at Universal Plastic Mold has a long history of serving customers’ custom injection molding needs, and we continue to keep our standards high and be the best provider on the West Coast. Proper custom injection molding isn’t something that can be done just by any company. It takes added skill and commitment to superior services and end results, which got us thinking. What sets Universal Plastic Mold apart from other injection molding providers? Thankfully, the answer wasn’t hard to reach. If you’re wondering what keeps us at UPM at the head of the pack, here are the top seven reasons to choose UPM for custom injection molding services.

Superior Plastic Injection Molding

It’s taken us a long time to get here, and we only get better with age. See what makes us a leader in our industry, and why we’re the best choice for custom injection molding.

1. Our Experience. Universal Plastic Mold has been in operation for over 50 years. That’s 50 years of fine tuning our processes, training our employees, and honing our product until we achieved the best result possible.
2. Our Collaboration. At UPM, we strive to be a real business partner to our customers, so we spend a considerable amount of time carefully listening to our clients and ensuring we understand their needs, challenges, and goals. This approach has paid off, with us now having many customer relationships that have lasted through the years.
3. Our Facility. The UPM facility is world class, with over 127,000 square feet of production and warehouse space, a location that’s close to all major retail distribution centers, cutting-edge technology, superior equipment, and positioning near Los Angeles, the U.S./Mexico border, and the Port of Long Beach.
4. Our Level of Quality Assurance. Above all, we’re committed to genuine customer satisfaction. We maintain high quality standards through  the establishment, maintenance, and continual improvement of our ISO 9001:2008-certified, ISO/TS 16949-compliant quality management system.
5. Our Reliability. UPM proudly staffs over 300 employees, is in operation 24/7/365, and is an all-in-one facility. This dedication is how we ensure our customers are properly taken care of.
6. Our Eco-Friendly Commitment. It’s our mission to prove that we can serve our customers to their highest specification in a timely, cost-effective way without being a detriment to sustainability efforts. In fact, UPM is one of the largest producers of post-consumer recycled plastic products in the western U.S.
7. Our Logistics & Lean Manufacturing. The UPM facility has fully-integrated inventory management and warehousing on site. Our lean manufacturing program eliminates hassles, reduces unnecessary spending, and simplifies shipping processes.

 

This is how we make getting quality custom injection molding easy for our customers. UPM is all about ease without sacrificing quality, and clearly we have what it takes to offer our customers superior service and a lasting partnership. For questions about our custom injection molding capabilities or to learn more about UPM, please call us at 1-888-893-1587 or visit us on our website.

How UPM Provides High-Quality Large Injection Molding

At Universal Plastic Mold, we’ve always had a strong commitment to our customers, and we continue to prioritize providing the best service possible. We’re well known for our large part injection molding capabilities, and we pride ourselves on being able to deliver the highest quality large injection molding. Our team has a lot to do with it, but one aspect of our success that often gets overlooked is our unsung hero: our facility.

Our UPM facility is world class, with 37 injection molding machines ranging from 200 to 2,000 tons that use the most state-of-the-art technologies, such as robotics, gas-assist, and water-assist capabilities. At over 127,000 square feet of production and warehouse space, we’re one of the largest injection molding manufacturers on the West Coast with high tonnage machines. Our facility plays an important role in us being able to provide exactly what our customers are looking for in a timely, cost-effective way, and we want them to be confident in what we can produce.

Here are just a few facts about our facility to prove what we’re capable of:

• 100,000 square feet of manufacturing space
• 25,000 square feet of warehouse space
• 9 acres of space dedicated to UPM
• Close to all major retail distribution centers
• Complete overhead cranes (25-ton external) able to easily pick up molds
• 12 bulk resin silos
• 35 miles east of Los Angeles
• 110 miles from U.S./Mexico border
• Only 28 miles from Port of Long Beach
• Geared toward direct shipment to major retailers, such as Walmart, Target, & Home Depot

Not only do we have the space, team, and technology to meet any large injection molding need, but we also can do it sustainably. The need for eco-friendly manufacturing practices is at its peak, which is why UPM continues to be on of the largest producers of post-consumer recycled plastic products in the western U.S. With our knowledge of environmentally friendly resin conversion, we help supply greener products, proving that plastic manufacturing can be advantageous to our customers without harming the environment.

Our facility is one of our greatest assets, one that keeps us capable of serving our customers the way they deserve. If you’re in need of quality, reliable large part injection molding, there’s no better partner than Universal Plastic Mold. For questions or to learn more about our large injection molding service, please call us at 1-888-893-1587 or visit us on our website.

Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Plastic Injection Molding at UPM

Creating products that are “green” is one of UPM’s top priorities. We take pride in staying green and supporting the environment with our choices. In the process of sustainable, eco-friendly plastic injection molding, we try to eliminate all tainted items by avoiding the mishandling the use of our plastic raw materials. Appropriate allocation of resources and knowledge maybe the key to our ability to keep our processes sustainable and kind to the environment.

Certified for Quality
Our company meets the highest standards for quality management. Our ISO 9001 certification confirms that we have been verified and that all our procedures meet or exceed industry standards. We are fully in control of all aspects of the quality management process, every step of the way.

Waste Reduction
We are an all-in-one facility that can handle complex assembly, packaging, and direct shipping locally. UPM’s lean manufacturing programs drives us to reduce waste and we recycle the excess plastic that is generated during the molding process. If done correctly, there will be no plastic waste generation whatsoever, allowing us to deliver products for a lower overall cost. Also, through our recycling initiatives, we’ve managed to salvage 100 cubic yards of box waste, making a huge difference in the whole operation.

Energy from Waste
UPMs power consumption has gone down dramatically due to vast improvements in mold technology and plant efficiency. The machinery used in our facility, just like home appliances, runs on electricity, so we managed to reduce our needs by using energy-from-waste technology. This reduces the cost of molding by 80% per kilogram of plastic and makes us a landfill-free facility.

Furthermore, plastic waste is eliminated from the molding process through the use of high-tech equipment. With better processing techniques in place, running simulation software and process modifications like hot-runner technologies and valve gates, we have managed to reduce the need to re-grind the waste generated, saving even more electricity.

UPM thinks green. From concept to market adoption, we are there every step of the way. As a corporation, we believe that it’s our responsibility to provide our clients with clean solutions that minimize waste while maximizing growth.

Visit Us In Long Beach, CA Design-2-Part Trade Show

Universal Plastic Mold would like to invite you to come visit us at the Long Beach Design-2-Part Show at the Long Beach Convention Center, October 26-27. UPM will be displaying a wide variety of injection molded parts that showcase our manufacturing capabilities, services, tooling, and design capabilities. Our representatives will be there to answer any questions and to review any upcoming projects that you might be working on. The Design-2-Part Show is the region’s largest design & contract manufacturing show. The show features exhibiting companies covering more than 300 manufacturing and service categories for the metals, plastics, rubber, and electronics industries. Please see the attached VIP below Invitation and click through to register for free admission. We look forward to seeing you at the show.

UPM Adds New Kaeser Air Compressor

UPM recently installed a new @KaeserUSA 75 horsepower direct drive air compressor to replace an aging air compressor. “The new compressor is much more energy efficient and allows us to maintain our volume and pressure using less electricity”, said Walter Pipan, UPM’s Plant Engineering Manager.

“Plastic injection molding businesses are always looking for ways to reduce costs to remain competitive in the marketplace”, remarked Steve Dowling, UPM’s VP of Operations. The new compressor will work in parallel with UPM’s secondary air compressor to ensure redundant air supply to its injection molding machines, molds, and automation.

UPM’s 100,000 square foot facility and large tonnage injection molding machines require a reliable and good quality compressed air system. This is just one way UPM reinforces the core value of “Operational Excellence”. UPM strives to be disciplined in everything, remove waste, and correct problems quickly to allow its customers to receive the highest quality products on-time.

UPM Receives 2012 Supplier of the Year Award From Pelican Products

The award recognizes Universal Plastic Mold for demonstrating consistent and relentless excellence in quality, technology, flexibility, and supporting Pelican’s many supplier initiatives in the spirit of true partnership. The distinction was awarded during Pelican’s 2012 annual Supplier Appreciation Event, held in the Naismith Basket Ball Hall of Fame, Springfield, MA, on September 18, 2012.

“It is a great honor to receive the ‘Supplier of the Year’ award from Pelican and to be recognized for our dedication to quality products and superior customer responsiveness,” said Jason Dowling, President. “We value the excellent partnership we share with Pelican Products and believe the relationship enables both innovation and unsurpassed customer service. We also commend and thank our employees who have dedicated themselves to the success of both UPM and Pelican.”

“By utilizing UPM’s ability to mold and assemble parts, UPM also can be a full service 3PL provider create a competitive advantage for our customers”, said Jeff Racoosin, UPM’s Director of Sales and Marketing. “By utilizing this advantage we can partner up with our customers to become market leaders to work together to proactively tackle growth.”

Providing flexibility to customer’s molds and secondary equipment

One of the best things about UPM is its flexibility in interfacing with customer supplied molds and equipment, integrating them into our existing manufacturing process. As rising fuel and shipping costs have now forced customers to seek partners in key geographical regions, we at UPM have the experienced personnel and equipment to interface almost any molds and secondary operation machinery into a specialized manufacturing program that meets the needs of our customers.

Walter Pipan, UPM’s Facility Manager states, “With our large maintenance crew, we are able to provide all phases of support to the customer as far as automation, electrical, and mechanical interfacing. We also know that we need to respond quickly and assess every job accurately in order to produce little or no downtime. This, along with UPM’s direct ship capability to major distribution centers, UPM provides our customers with a satellite manufacturing operation second to none in the western United States.”

 

Streamline your Production Program with Logistics and Supply Chain services.

Building a manufacturing process can be difficult enough. Between managing all the expenses, working out material selections, patents, tooling, and more, you can quickly find yourself with a headache. When you start to consider the complexity of creating your supply chain and balancing the many variables that go into place, it’s obvious that choosing the right manufacturing partner is critical. We at UPM help our partners avoid having to deal with all those details by designing a program that works at the absolute lowest cost. This not only boosts your margins, but frees your company up to work on activities that allow your company to grow.

We have a large 9 acre facility with 127,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space. Our facility can load and unload both international and domestic containers, as well as store your product in a clean and safe manner whether it is bulk stacked or pallet racked.

 

Our experienced shipping team works wonders in order pulling, labeling, and consolidation for our clients as well as maintaining a 98% inventory accuracy on our finish goods. Our fleet of trucks transport local cartage and handle outbound and inbound freight for both domestic and international intermodal shipments. We handle everything from pulling the order, consolidating your freight, scheduling the pickup, and producing and managing the necessary shipping documentation needed for inventory control. We take pride in being a very versatile 3PL provider and can provide for any special program needs.

Michael Hartman, UPM’s Logistics Manager, explained it this way, “In a consistently changing global environment, UPM stays flexible and keeps your logistical supply chain flexible and lean. We have the ability to perform container pickup, customer consigned inventory, complex intermodal shipping programs, and much more. Because we are a full service manufacturing company, we are able to greatly lower the rapidly increasing shipping and logistics expenses currently plaguing businesses.”

Our Take on Plastic Molding Quality Assurance Process

UPM consistently strives to uphold our reputation as the plastic injection molder who thrives on handling the tough jobs that other molders can’t get right. One part of UPM’s “secret sauce” to achieving high quality is the great experience of our management team. The other part is a carefully nurtured culture which makes top quality a must. Ensuring consistently high quality manufacturing isn’t a job which can be achieved by a great quality control department alone, however. Quality control is a philosophy, and when anyone sets foot inside our facility and goes to work, they immediately become one of our 300+ “inspectors”, all of whom are trained to spot and remove any sub-par quality parts on sight. This creates a production environment with multiple levels of safeguards for inspection, and an ultra-low reject rate.

This commitment to proactive screening and removal of bad parts is further supplemented with a world class Quality Assurance department (QA). The QA department is skilled in identifying key attributes such as visual appearance, weight, load bearing strength, and dimensions, based on requirements given by the customer. By utilizing a methodology that begins with identifying these key product requirements, QA is able to quickly build specialized multi-point testing protocols that ensure the same top quality result between differing batches and even varying materials. As stated by our QA Manager, Pat Brady, “I’ve been in quality assurance 39 years, in a variety of industries from aerospace and medical, all the way to automotive. UPM has very experienced staff, advanced technical knowhow, and enjoys conquering technical challenges. This is why we are known for solving technical challenges that others cannot handle.”

One example of this point in action was with a customer who was producing plastic beer kegs. Their last supplier couldn’t get the process and quality dialed in to a point of reliability. The specific problem they encountered was the plastic warping from its perfectly circular shape into a slightly oval shape. This caused the multiple components to not fit together, effectively ruining each run that was afflicted with this problem. After bringing the program to UPM, however, we quickly spotted the issue, and quality control built a custom set of parameters to prevent another flare up of that defect. Now the program is running with full stability and both UPM and the client couldn’t be happier.