published on 28/01/09
Injection moulding kit suppliers Wittmann UK and Battenfeld UK have merged and are due to start trading under new joint branding next week.
The two companies will launch the new branding, Wittmann Battenfeld UK, on 1 February and will be based at the former Wittmann UK premises in Wellingborough. Barry Hill, managing director of Wittmann UK, will retain the position at the new company.
Hill said: 'A handful of redundancies have regrettably been necessary in creating our new company for the UK market but we have taken the hit - and are confident of our future going into the New Year.'
Wittmann Battenfeld UK has also committed to restoring the Battenfeld brand in the UK. 'We have the right intent and ownership behind the company now,' Hill said. 'Despite difficult trading conditions last year, we are confident of making up ground.'
Hill added that although kit investment was slowing, there were still opportunities for sales in the plastics processing market. 'Recent soundings of injection moulding machinery suppliers show that the 2008 market - in terms of machines supplied - was about one third down on 2007.
'However, just because processors aren't buying new moulding presses doesn't mean that they're not thinking of their manufacturing processes.
'In fact, the opposite is often true. Materials handling, automation, temperature control and general production systems and know-how need upgrading and updating all the time, and there are planty of knowledgeable contract engineers with the skills and experience to do this,' he said.

Read the full article at Packagingnews.co.uk