MACHINING
PLASTIC PART PRODUCER
TORNOS
TORNOS PACKS A PUNCH FOR
PLASTIC PART PRODUCER
Back in 1979, an entrepreneurial
greengrocer diversified into selling plastic
packaging, which eventually became more
profitable than ensuring Staffordshire
residents were getting their daily portion of
healthy eating. This soon set the foundation
of Kenson Industrial Plastics Ltd, a company
that evolved from healthy eating to
packaging, and then on to the trading of
plastic rods and tubes.
Just a few years after the company was
founded; a young machinist, Kevin
Hutcheson joined the company. The son
of the company founder and now the
Managing Director, Kevin re-directed
the business into machining plastics and
the modern face of the Cannock based
company now has a host of CNC turning
centres that includes its latest acquisition, a
Tornos DT26 turning centre.
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PECM Issue 34
Kenson purchased its first CNC machine
over 25 years ago to complement its
capstan machines and now the business
employs nine CNC machines that include
HAAS, Hurco, Mazak and CMZ CNC milling
and 65mm diameter capacity turning
centres. Machining spacers, rollers, washers,
threaded gears, insulating pads and
machine guarding from materials such
as Nylon, Delrin, Ertalyte, Polyethylene,
PVC, PTFE, PEEK, Torlon, Vespel and other
plastics, the ISO: 9001 company produces
anything from small batches up to
production runs beyond 10,000-off. It is
here that the Tornos DT26 has made all the
difference.
The four employee company won a
contract to manufacture gear motor
components in batches of 10,000 per
month and this instigated the search for
a new turning centre. Prior to buying the
Tornos, the monthly quantity was tying-up
one of the company’s 65mm capacity single
spindle turning centres for 3 weeks every
month. The small subcontractor wanted
to free-up capacity on its 65mm machine
and produce parts faster to prevent any
potential supply chain issues.
Commenting upon the search for a turning
centre, Kenson Industrial Plastics Managing
Director, Mr Kevin Hutcheson says: “The
parts being machined are only 12mm
diameter. We looked at all the slid