Hozelock invests £1m in giant injection moulding machine
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The garden watering equipment manufacturer Hozelock has announced a £1 million investment in state-of-the-art plant at its 33,400 sq m Midpoint Park factory in Birmingham that will enable the plant to achieve record delivery times for its premium hose systems, including the new super-sized 30m and 40m AutoReels with automatic hose rewind.
The new wall-mounted AutoReel models require the largest moulded casings – over 60cm in diameter – ever made by the company and a new 87-ton Demag Systec 1300T injection moulding machine (pictured) affords an enhanced production capability of over 1800 of these components per 24-hour cycle.
The imposing Demag Systec 1300T is the size of a double decker bus – 14.3m long, 3.7m wide and 2.9m high – with a shot weight of up to 5,220grms and a linked ATM ES3000 HS robot capable of lifting 40kgs. Complete with associated conveyors, sorters and new tooling, the fully automated new Demag will also support future new product development at Midpoint Park: its larger tools and greater number of impressions increasing capacity without the need for additional machines.
At the same time, Hozelock has enhanced its hose production lines with the addition of new braiders, printers and extrusion equipment to support the introduction of its new 2011 high quality hose range and further accelerate response times.
The company is shortly due to announce details of a new £1.5m marketing communications investment, including a national TV and press advertising campaign for the AutoReel.