Dual-material moulder boosts Steinl sales

By Patrick Raleigh ERJ On-line news editor

Shawbury, Shrewsbury- LWB Steinl GmbH & Co. KG achieved record sales last year, thanks largely to demand for its new injection moulding machines, which are capable of moulding both TPEs and EPDM rubber, according to managing director Peter Steinl.

The Altdorf, Germany-based firm sold around 70 of the C-frame TPE/EPDM machines in 2003, from a total company sales figure of 380 units, Steinl told attendees at Rapra Technology Ltd's Rubber Open Day.

Sales of the new machines have now reached 110 since their launch just 18 months ago, Steinl added at the event held 20 April at Rapra's Shawbury headquarters. The machines are finding particular demand for corner moulding onto automotive profiles and glass encapsulation, he said.

With many of these sales, “the customer did not know at the beginning of the project whether his customer was going for rubber or for the TPE side,” Steinl explained.

“Instead of investing in two different types of machines now you can invest in just one machine able to run with both materials. That makes the risk very much lower as you are not talking about double price you are talking about just a little price on top,” he said.