BP&R spoke with Michael Wilson, Managing Director at BOY Ltd, to discuss challenges and opportunities for injection moulders, define current and upcoming trends and how BOY Ltd is positioned to meet customer and industry demands going forward.
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[BP&R] The IM industry has evolved significantly over the past decade. How would you describe the current state of the UK market, and how does it compare with global trends?
[MW] We have seen a gradual downturn in certain sectors of the UK injection moulding industry, while others are increasing production rates. BOY Ltd are seeing UK manufacturers amalgamating with other businesses, creating stronger and more efficient production capabilities. Global markets appear to show similar trends to the UK, except in Asia, where manufacturers can produce at considerably lower costs than in the UK and EU.
[BP&R] Manufacturers are facing increasing pressure to improve productivity. What do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities for injection moulders today?
[MW] The biggest challenge for moulders around the UK is competition from the Far East, who can purchase materials, produce the tooling and manufacture at a far lower cost than UK moulders. This, in turn, affects machinery and equipment suppliers who are forced to increase prices, making it increasingly difficult for moulders to invest in more efficient and energy-conscious machinery. An additional consideration for UK moulders is the lack of skill set and the quality of engineers and technicians due to retirements and a general lack of interest from the younger generations to explore new opportunities in an ever-evolving industry.
Moulders are now obliged to seek out new ideas and innovations that can be coupled with the latest technology and quality output that are required to compete. Concentration on quality and automation of high-value products is necessary to survive — a quality well established by UK moulders and manufacturers.
[BP&R] Technology is advancing rapidly. Which innovations do you believe will have the greatest impact on the future of IM?
[MW] With the technology available currently and in the future, we are seeing more of our customers using 3D printed inserts in bolster tools for producing prototypes of new products, which is a cheaper alternative to producing steel or aluminium inserts. Automation is becoming ever-present, along with the use of AI on machinery.
With automation and AI now being prevalent in all industries, including plastics and injection moulding, it can be viewed as a fantastic innovation to assist in reducing the number of skilled people in the UK, improving productivity and efficiency.
[BP&R] BOY Ltd has built a strong reputation in IM. What do you believe sets you apart from your competitors in an increasingly competitive global landscape?
[MW] One of the main reasons we stand out against the competition is that we are specialists in small machines ranging from 10kN – 1250kN with almost 30 different machines to choose from, avoiding the need to compromise for a one machine fits all approach.
Small footprint vertical machines in different configurations for insert moulding and split line moulding give us additional specialist machinery within our range to easily integrate older design tooling without the need for extensive tooling modifications.
The XSE machine stands out in our range as the ideal candidate for replacing bench top moulding machines due to having all the features of the larger machines but on a much smaller scale, making it ideal for moulding specialist materials.
[BP&R] Customers’ expectations are changing. How is BOY evolving its technology and customer support to meet these needs?
[MW] Currently, there is an issue in the UK with a declining skill level, not just in the plastics industry but in almost every industry. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a big push on apprenticeships in the UK to help with the lack of skill sets within the younger generation. In an attempt to combat this, BOY Ltd offer bespoke training packages for each customer depending on their needs, whether it’s maintenance training, advanced processing training or a basic introduction to processing for new people into the industry.
In regard to technology on the machines, BOY Ltd have increased the amount of equipment available that can be integrated into the machine to reduce the amount of control systems needed to run one machine.
[BP&R] Global supply chains have experienced disruptions in recent years. What lessons has the IM sector learned, and how have these influenced BOY’s strategy?
[MW] With global supply chains still experiencing disruption, BOY are keeping more items on the shelf to help reduce lead times. However, as with anything, there is a limit to the amount of stock that can be held at any one time.
The same applies to moulders; we are finding more and more of our customers are holding increased stock to keep up with the demand. BOY Ltd are actively promoting consumable spares packages to our customers to hold in their own stock to help reduce costly downtime if required.
[BP&R] What role do you hope BOY will play in shaping the next generation of IM technology?
[MW] With BOY releasing the next generation of BOY electric series. These machines boast a clean, lubricant-free mould area and run with hydraulics, offering the accuracy of a fully electric injection unit as standard. It’s the perfect choice for the medical and pharmaceutical industries. The hydraulically operated clamping unit removes the need for a power pack to run hydraulic core pulls and unscrewing. New technologies are constantly evolving and will be integrated into all models offered.