JSW America Opens New Offices, Tech Center & Large-Machine Assembly Plant

Japan Steel Works America (JSW) has been reconfiguring its physical footprint over the past year, with two offices moved to new locations and a brand-new machine assembly plant and technical center opened. These and other recent developments at JSW were detailed for Plastics Technology by Dale Bartholomew, JSW America’s new national technical manager. He noted that the company has “fine-tuned” its U.S. operations by moving some regional offices to more convenient locations that were closer to customers and transport facilities. For instance, the California office, which is the national hub for spare parts, has moved from Corona to Ontario, closer to L.A. International Airport. And the Chicago-area office has moved from Lake Zurich to Wood Dale, very close to Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

In addition, JSW established its first assembly plant and a U.S. injection molding technical center in Ledgewood, N.J., near Newark Liberty International Airport. This facility of over 8000 ft² will stock base units—separate clamp and injection modules—for machines of 650 tons up to around 1000 tons, thereby reducing lead times for large machines by several months compared with shipping from Japan, notes Bartholomew. The Ledgewood plant will be able to mix and match clamps and injection units according to customer needs, and also apply options and customization. The assembly space is located in the same building as a company that specializes in transportation of large and heavy machinery and objects.

The new Ledgewood location will also house a tech center and training facility (photo), which currently has on hand a 280-metric-ton all-electric press (which is all JSW sells, except for some specialty machines) equipped with the special JS Drive. Introduced at K 2019, this is a servo drive developed by JSW for direct-drive injection units. It is said to provide high speed and responsiveness, and ability to maintain long hold times for thick parts. The tech center also contains a 100-m.t. machine designed for cleanroom use and featuring magnetic platens for mold mounting.

In addition, JSW’s Atlanta Technical Center recently received a 56-ton model of the company’s latest all-electric line, the J50ADS-110U.)

In the area of technology, Bartholomew says JSW has been “doing a lot of work” with iMFLUX on upcoming projects to utilize that firm’s novel low-pressure molding technology, which promises faster cycles at lower clamp and injection pressures. “So many people are looking at it,” notes Bartholomew. One repeat customer is AGS Technology, Batavia, Ill., which finds iMFLUX technology very helpful in molding automotive parts with virtually 100% recycled material (see May Recycling Supplement and August feature). Bartholomew adds that a machine with iMFLUX software integrated into the JSW controller will be installed at the iMFLUX training center in Hamilton, Ohio, in the first quarter of 2021. Bartholomew expects that machine to be exhibited at NPE2021 in Orlando, Fla.