Tooling and Mould
Advanced Plastics provide a diverse range of technical injection moulded products for blue chip clients across a range of market sectors. From the initial design concept to volume production the Hull based company adopt the latest technology and employs its considerable experience to ensure the delivery of robust solutions at minimum cost.
The consistent provision of added value, customer service, technical support, and product quality has resulted in Advanced Plastics remaining the preferred partner for its existing long term clients and in its ability to attract new customers.
Since the company's inception in 1993 Advanced Plastics' client base has expanded steadily across a number of demanding market sectors. Global industries served now include the Plastics, Heating, Defence, Industrial, Construction, Packaging, Labelling, Medical and Consumer Goods markets.
Manufacturing facilities include twenty high quality injection moulding machines with 40 Ton to 1500 Ton clamp force and multi axis robots fitted to most machines. In addition plastic jointing is undertaken by Linear Vibration Welding and Ultrasonic Welding and Inserting. Assembly and Testing provisions include Bespoke Assembly and Test Cells and Manual Assembly and Kitting.
Advanced Plastics operate a Quality Management System accredited to ISO9001-2008 standard and embraces structures such as, Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA) and Production Part Approval Process (PPAP). These progressive procedures help to ensure process capability and defect prevention throughout the product lifecycle. To help ensure the efficient operation of the company's busy quality department, regular investments are made in the most up to date metrology equipment, such as the recently purchased advanced Zenith too Coordinate Measuring Machine from Aberlink Innovative Metrology.
Craig Neill Advanced Plastics QHSE Manager explained "Our in-process quality is verified at every stage of manufacture by fully trained team members, in addition traceability records are maintained and SPC trends monitored in real time.
"Although we achieve world class standards of Parts Per Million (PPM) defects, when occasional quality concerns are experienced they are managed via the Global 8D Process. Thorough root cause analysis conducted by a cross functional team we are able to quickly establish and verify the actual root cause, robust countermeasures are then deployed and monitored to prevent any reoccurrence.
"In addition to employing highly competent staff, we utilise state-of-the-art inspection aids to ensure the continuation of our industry leading quality standards. Our most recent inspection acquisition is our new, advanced Zenith too CNC Coordinate Measuring Machine from Aberlink Innovative Metrology. "Having previously used an older, slower CMM, due to the increasing volume of work passing though our busy Inspection Department, we became aware that we needed to invest in a faster, easier to programme machine.
"After deliberating the options, we chose Aberlink's CMM as it delivered all of our required needs and in many ways exceeded our expectations. Now installed in an environmentally controlled room that we had built to accommodate it, due to its exceptional speed, the Zenith too has removed any potential for bottle-necks from our inspection function."
Neal Topham, Advanced Plastics Quality Engineer, added. "Despite our new CMM's speed, it also has an impressive accuracy specification we particularly appreciate the ease of use of Aberlink's software. Compared to our previous CMM, we are able to write even complex part programmes in a fraction of the time previously taken. Also, the Zeniths generous capacity means that we can load a single part or multiple parts on to its large component support, quickly recall a part programme, then perform an inspection routine in a completely automatic CNC mode.
"On completion of a measuring task, our Zenith is able to generate a comprehensive inspection report showing all relevant parameters in both tabulated and graphic formats and SPC information. Due to the nature of our customers, this function is particularly useful to us.
"In addition to being very impressed with our new Zenith CMM, we have been delighted with the excellent levels of training, service and technical back-up we have received from Aberlink."