Automation and innovative process technology moulds Birkby's future

A profile of Birkby's Plastics, a UK‐based leading European plastic moulding company that has successfully completed a management buy‐out. Birkby's supplies to the major automotive OEMs and Tier One manufacturers and to leading business machine OEMs. It is more than a standard trade moulder and has developed a number of innovative processes, such as in‐mould welding (IMW) and in‐mould textiles (IMT), which significantly reduce cost and improve product quality. IMW enables hollow vessel components to be produced complete within the moulding machine and IMT drastically cuts the time of manufacturing textile‐wrapped car trim components. Robotics plays a major role in all of Birkby's operations and together with its process technology is helping the company to compete with low labour cost regions and maintain production in the UK.