The Wittmann-Polymermedics partnership will relish its place in the spotlight at the upcoming Plastics Industry Awards (PIA) on Friday November 22nd. The new cleanroom project at Polymermedics is shortlisted for the 2024 PIA Awards in the Supplier Partnership Machinery category.
Wittmann
For Wittmann Battenfeld (WIBA) Managing Director, Dan Williams, the project delivers a key lesson on customer relationships and growth. "It’s fair to say that manufacturing innovation drives business," he says. "Going the extra mile develops the competence of both supplier and customer. Every new job gives us the opportunity to learn from our customers and vice versa."
Market success and expansion recently led Polymermedics to convert a wing of its legacy St Austell site into a Class 7 Cleanroom for demanding medical applications. WIBA UK was selected to equip Polymermedics’ new Class 7 Cleanroom with four Wittman SmartPower Injection Moulding Machines (IMM) - all with Wittmann ancillary equipment. Together with cleanroom builder Kiik, the project was completed within the lead time (14 weeks) and budget.
Polymermedics Operations Director, Neil Skyba, notes that "Our new Class 7 Cleanroom therefore had to be something very special indeed in order to become the first port of call for our new visitors. Our total investment of over £800,000 shows that Polymermedics are willing to invest in the future during both the tough times and the good times. We now have the springboard to grow with further plans to increase our cleanroom offerings."
WIBA UK Sales Manager, Adrian Walters, points out that long-term relationships are essential in the plastics processing industry: 'I know this at first hand since, three decades ago, as a young service engineer, I installed several Battenfeld machines at Polymermedics. Working alongside an equally young engineer, Neil Skyba, now Polymermedics Operations Director.
Adrian say: "The smallest machine footprints, the biggest energy savings and the largest possible platen areas are the key differentiators for us at Wittmann – and those factors helped us immensely in clinching the Polymermedics order."
Neil Skyba states: "When it comes to suppliers, we are looking for equivalent excellence – both in technical merit, in management and in creative thinking and problem solving. We found such a supplier in WIBA UK and their prime machinery offering was a clear winner when lined up against all other potential competitors."
Come the evening of Friday November 22nd all of the project partners involved will hope to round off this winning performance with the industry accolade.