ANAHEIM, Calif.—Contract manufacturer GW Plastics Inc. has invested more than $2 million in the last year at its Royalton, Vt., mold building facility.
GW Plastics purchased advanced metal 3D printers from an unidentified Japanese firm. GW and the machine maker have a collaborative agreement.
The 3D system will build precision mold components in an expansion of the Royalton site's capabilities.
The investment is part of GW's response to demands of customers in the medical market and drug delivery markets.
"This additive manufacturing technology streamlines tool design, reducing the components needed to build a mold and the overall investment our customers need to make," Timothy Holmes, vice president of engineering, said in a statement.
GW said related conformal cooling can shorten molding cycle times by up to 30 percent along with enhancing component quality and design flexibility.
The Royalton shop employs 35 and occupies 15,000 square feet.
The effort follows expansion of GW Plastics' tooling facility in Dongguan, China, and its July 2017 purchase of Avenue Mould Solutions of Sligo, Ireland.
Based in Bethel, Vt., "GW Plastics now has both the expertise and infrastructure to give our customers the peace of mind that we can support their complex programs on three continents," Brenan Riehl, president and CEO, said in a statement.