Persico SMART Rotational Moulding Machine
Last year Pioneer Plastics, partnering with Aerosud Aviation, invested in a ‘Leonardo SMART’ system from Persico of Italy - the first in the country and in the Southern Hemisphere.
The system is part of a collaboration between the company and Aerosud Aviation whereby Pioneer Plastics will produce components for the aeronautical and aerospace component and systems manufacturer.
Gary Wiid, Marketing Director for Pioneer Plastics says that not only has the system given them the ability to replace components that had to previously imported, but it has also increased the company’s capability to manufacture ultra-high tolerance rotational moulded components used in the automotive, aerospace, lighting and medical industry.
“The system provides features that have not been available in conventional roto moulding giving us additional benefits. The system operates through Direct Tool Heating (DTH) that electrically heats the moulds, not an oven. Therefore, the tooling frame (‘the spider) on which the mould/moulds are positioned rotates. The benefit of this is that the heating process is easier to control as well as that a wide range of polymers can be run,” he explains.
“The system was designed, with this in mind, as we are seeing more and more different polymers coming into play,” he adds.
The system is in production at Pioneer Plastics’ Rosslyn campus, just north of Pretoria, and housed within a state-of-the rotational moulding facility developed by Pioneer Plastics specifically for it.
“The facility gives us the ability to literally take any design idea from paper to product,” Wiid says.
Aerosud is the facility’s first customer. “While roto moulding is not new to the company, this machine offers the advantage of rapidly producing specialized parts” he says.
Specially developed software fully incorporates into the Aerosud manufacturing execution system allowing full integration and traceability them to access the facility remotely.
“It is this type of innovative thinking and ensuring we are up to date with technology, that has led to this venture and its success with Aerosud and ourselves recently receiving the Gold Award for Import Replacement in Advanced Manufacturing Pioneer Plastics, at the 2019 Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Awards,” he adds.
ABOUT PIONEER PLASTICS:
At Pioneer Plastics we believe that anything is possible. This vision and belief has been the driving force behind our plastic manufacturing company since 1982 and is evident in every product we produce. By continuously investing in research and development we are able to design and manufacture plastic products for personal, commercial and industrial use. From drums and storage tanks to road barriers and truck accessories, Pioneer Plastics has a product that suits your needs. We are continuously growing our dedicated team and evolving our service and product offerings, including our in-house mould making facility which allows us to take any design idea from paper to product, bringing to life a wide range of custom plastic products. Our client list has kept growing over the last 37 years securing the Pioneer Plastics name as an industry leader.