LMG Presses partners with CAM-Engineers

DEPERE, Wis.—LMG Presses, a division of Trinks Inc., and Custom Automation & Machinery (CAM-Engineers) recently announced a collaboration that expands engineering services, wraparound automation equipment and new products for clients using hydraulic and servo-electric powder presses.

This partnership allows both companies to enter new markets, while providing their clients globally with economical, innovative engineering solutions for the design and production of environmentally responsible manufactured products.

"CAM Engineers is vigilant in its pursuit for mutually beneficial partnerships," said Arthur M. Rabert, founder and president of Custom Automation and Machinery. "We have had the good fortune working with the folks at LMG in the recent past. About three years ago CAM approached LMG, deciding to pursue a new partnership."

He said initial conversations involved CAM's SEP-10T 10-ton powder press, and then conversations evolved and led to further collaborations.

The concept for wraparound automation equipment has been in the works for a while.

"We have been offering custom automation within the press function already for some time," said Adrian Drewitz, LMG director of sales.

"The past few years it is apparent there are strong demands for more wraparound automation in composite, plastic, rubber and metal forming industry."

CAM-Engineers shared a similar sentiment. Rabert said that while the company engineers a multitude of automation and machinery for various industry sectors, some of CAM's core strengths fall in the plastics and rubber industry.

"Realizing manufacturers can no longer afford to project manage because of timing or budgetary constraints, it seemed logical working with some OEM's developing key partnerships to provide mutual clients turnkey solutions," he added.

"Together, LMG and CAM provide fully functional process lines. … CAM is seriously devoted to the CAM-LMG partnership, dovetailing our engineering expertise with LMG's knowledge and customer base to bring in additional projects and develop new products."

Drewitz said the initial goal of these new capabilities is to better serve existing customers, but then quickly offer more to the plastics and elastomers markets. He added the company sees more potential needs in the metal forming markets too.

Christine McQuilkin, marketing manager at CAM-Engineers, noted that for CAM, the goal is to expand the company's portfolio of products while moving forward with its custom automation business. New products and services will be aimed at expanding into new markets.

"Today we offer two other standard products. One is CAM's servo driven liquid silicone pump for the LSR injection molding industry. The other was a machine engineered to aid in manufacturing," McQuilkin added.

"Our version of an indexing table, unlike others, is designed to allow plug and play process modules, thus allowing the client to change manufacturing of its product on the fly with minimal downtime or tooling set-up."

CAM-Engineers' servo-driven electric powder compacting press SEP-10T is for molding Teflon, ceramic, plastic and metal components. It can benefit industries that mold components with powder volumes of up to five cubic inches, which includes automotive, sealing technologies (gaskets), medical devices, pharmaceutical, and oil and gas industries.

"(SEP-10T) offers additional benefits, such as a 75 percent savings on valuable manufacturing floor space, and cleaner finished parts because there is no possibility of hydraulic oil contaminating finished parts," McQuilkin said. "Available options such as vision inspection, part marking, and reject systems address the needs of manufacturers in various industries."

Drewitz said that for LMG, CAM Engineers' electric powder press technology is what first drew them to the company.

"Our goal is to increase awareness for the SEP-10T press and find a market for that machine," he said. "We plan on introducing it to our long history of customers and their evolving markets. We believe that the SEP-10T could be a solution for many markets our customers are currently in."