Pressing Matters at Mantec

Mantec Technical Ceramics has boosted its equipment investment strategy, with the announcement of the purchase this month of a brand new hydraulic press. Managing Director Andy Clark and Operations Director Chris Sawyer have just returned from a visit to the press manufacturer, where they were able to undertake trial runs with Mantec’s own materials, and subsequently sign off on the deal.

The fully automated press is now on its way to Mantec’s Stoke-on-Trent facility, where it will be installed on a special, reinforced base. This is a powerful unit – with a pressing force of 400 tonnes – and it can cope with very large pieces up to 1m in size on the X and Y axis. It is PLC controlled, which will ensure consistency of manufacture and quality.

“This is a substantial investment for Mantec, and a further addition to our suite of production machines, following earlier purchases of kilns and pressure casting units,” commented Sales Director Mark Berrisford. “We already have one product lined up for this press, once it’s installed and commissioned, and over time it will afford us even more flexibility in what we can offer our diverse customer base. Despite its size, this press is designed to accommodate a rapid changeover from shape to shape, thus minimising downtime.”