At Medical Injection
Moulding specialist Sovrin Plastics there are big plans for
a new manufacturing facility on the site. The expansion plans
have been prompted by a buoyant trade in the medical devices
side of Sovrin's business. The new 2'000 sq metre operation
will be dedicated to medical moulding and will incorporate
a Class 10'000 - or in new Internal Standards Organization
speak, Class 7 - cleanroom, brand new injection moulding machines.
The building of this facility, on which Sovrin
has spent £2m, is the first phase in revamping exercise
that could see the company housed in a 7'000 sq metre custom-built
factory near the current site in a couple of years time. James
Joiner - Projects Manager, emphasizes this is the final phase
is still "just a proposal", but given Sovrin's steady
growth and volume of work, it seems a plan likely to come
fruition.
The company has explored Six Sigma production
techniques to ensure that the new site is as lean & efficient
as possible. "We already follow cGMP (Good Manufacturing
Practices) techniques, and have recognized the benefits that
Six Sigma, particularly in the sectors we operate," Joiner
says.
|
Good manufacturing practice, which
lays down guidelines on issues such as full batch traceability,
is viewed by the US Food & Drug Administration and the
Medicines Control Agency in the UK as prerequisite to licensing.
Sovrin runs four production and assembly cleanroom; three
are Class 10'000 (Class 7) the other Class 100'000 (Class
8).
Adjacent to one of the Class 10'000 cleanrooms is an automated
assembly line, installation cost £1m. Joiner believes
the firm's willingness to invest in the latest equipment is
behind its success in the sector.
"We're always trying to be at the forefront of technology.
But because many of the components and assemblies that we
produce are so precise and technically demanding, its only
the high tech machines that can achieve the tight tolerances
that we are looking at" |
 |
The firm is keen to stress its willingness to invest in the
in its workforce is also behind its growth. Sovrin has offered
apprenticeships in toolmaking, quality engineering and process
technology for "many, many years" according to Peter
Wigmore, Business Development Manager at Sovrin. He says training
has to be vigorous; due to stringent guidelines surrounding
manufacturer for the medical device market, attention to detail
must be second nature to all staff. Every Medical Device and
component manufactured is manually inspected at both moulding
and assembly stages.
The Class 100'000 cleanroom was installed four years ago,
after the company took a decision to bring its printing facilities
in-house."We used to sub-contract out our printing, but
after having difficulties with logistics and other issues,
we decided to bring that back" Wigmore says."We
considered it necessary to site it in a cleanroom, and we
have had four moulding machines in there as well at the beginning."
The firm now has eight moulding machines in this area, robotic
handling systems and another four-colour pad printing cell.
But Medical is not the only sector in which Sovrin operates
in. It has a technical moulding division
serving sectors including electrics and electronics.
|
|
 |
Founded 1968 by managing director Peter
Joiner |
|
1,000 sq metre toolroom, with 14 full-time toolmakers.
Equipment includes two sodick CNC Mouldmaker 3 spark eroders
all with 3R systems and Sodick wire eroders. |
|
Four cleanroom production/assembly areas, Three Class
10'000, one Class 100'000 |
|
Total Manufacturing area of 5000 sq metres |
|
Total staff of 150 |
|
Forty-five Demag Injection moulding machines, ranging
from 25 to 240 tonnes, run on a five day, 24 hour basis
- although the company has a "flexible" approach
to weekend work. |
|
