Athena Automation Expands Press Assembly & Customization Facilities
More than quadrupling floorspace to build larger and more customized machines.
Athena Automation, Vaughan, Ont., the new venture of Robert Schad (founder and former owner of Husky), which began building two-platen hybrid injection machines last year, is building a 155,000-ft2 plant next to its current 40,000-ft2 research and assembly facility. Starting in 2016, the new Systems Center will allow Athena to ship more customized machines, assemble high-tonnage machines (300 metric tons is the current maximum), and showcase “lights-out” plant engineering services. The building will have a dedicated area for mold trials and extended runs and a QC lab.
Other recent developments at Athena include streamlining the current facility for assembly capacity of four to six machines a month; plans for implementing a service, training, and spare-parts infrastructure this year; and continued option development for customization, such as rotary cube, in-mold assembly, higher speed injection, turntables for multi-material injection, and high-speed robots with specialized tooling.
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