Wittmann Battenfeld USA Expands, Adds Injection Machinery Manager

Last month, Wittmann Battenfeld USA finalized plans for a $2.4-million, 20,000-ft² expansion at its Torrington, Conn., headquarters. President David Preusse says this expansion, to be completed this year, will add 24 more offices, space for stocking 50 injection molding machines from 35 to 1800 tons, a 30-ton crane, new shipping docks, a mold trial/demo area, injection molding training area, and room for modifying stock machines to customer specs and
integration and run-off of turnkey systems incorporating a press, robot, and other  automation/auxiliaries.

Wittmann Battenfeld is strengthening its U.S. injection molding support with the addition of Markus Klaus as U.S. injection molding machines divisional manager, based in Torrington. In his native Germany, Klaus has worked for Wittmann’s robot business, as general manager of
Ferromatik Milacron’s Injection Molding Machines Global Service Group, and as plant manager for a molding firm.

This fall, Preusse adds, the company will move more injection machinery spare parts from its S. Elgin, Ill., Midwest Tech Center to Torrington, and will move more robot and auxiliary parts to S. Elgin. That location will stock up to 15 presses and will run mold trials and technical seminars.

At its West Coast Tech Center in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Wittmann Battenfeld will add a full injection molding cell with robot and auxiliaries for training and demonstrations. A new office will also be built in San Diego to support “maquiladora” plants in the Mexican northern border zone.