Medical Growth Leads GW to add capacity in Arizona

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GW Plastics Inc. is adding three two-shot injection molding machines at its plant in Tuscon, Ariz., to handle increased business from the medical market.

Two of the machines already have been delivered, North America sales manager Anthony Fleszar said at the UBM Advanced Manufacturing Expo, held June 13-15 in New York. The machines have presses ranging from 150-400 tons and represent an investment of more than $1 million for Bethel, Vt.-based GW.

The new machines can be used to make endoscopic surgery instruments and other medical devices where soft-touch thermoplastic elastomers are needed, Fleszak added.

"Customers are looking for a tactile feel and ergonomics in surgical procedures," he said.

Some applications are commercial now. GW also is working with electromechanical assemblies on remote devices. "As medical devices for home use are more tied to personal electronics like smartphones, device makers need technology to support that interface," Fleszak explained. "It's a market that has our attention."

GW is a custom injection molder and contract manufacturer that does molding and assemblies for the medical, automotive, consumer products and industrial markets. The firm won the Plastics News Processor of the Year award in 2009 and PN's Sustained Excellence Award in 2016.