New GN800 Thermoformer Significantly Raises SupplyOne Plastics' Manufacturing Speed And Output

SupplyOne Plastics, a leading custom thermoformer based in Reading, Pa., has expanded its manufacturing capabilities and increased production speed and output with the installation of a new GN800 High-Speed Form/Cut/Stack Thermoformer from GN Thermoforming Equipment for the manufacture of food, industrial, and electronics packaging. The increased manufacturing output of the new GN800 thermoformer has directly resulted in the acquisition of between $1M and $1.5M in new business for SupplyOne Plastics.

“The new GN800 thermoformer opens the door for larger food accounts that have high-volume requirements,” said David Morris, President of SupplyOne Plastics. “This equipment will help us meet growing demand, and further support our customers’ need for speed to market by complementing our quick-turn tooling, design, and production capabilities.”

The purchase of the GN800 was an integral part of SupplyOne Plastics’ $1.5M expansion plan which included several new plant upgrades and the addition of 59,000 sq ft of warehousing space to accommodate the company’s growing business. The company increased its fleet of machinery to eight with its first purchase of a GN thermoformer. “We were looking to differentiate from the competition and vie for more high-volume accounts that demand a high level of market responsiveness,” said Morris. “Our leadership was impressed with GN’s leading-edge technology, support, and service.”

The GN800 delivers exceptional manufacturing efficiencies, operating at 40-50 cycles/min versus SupplyOne’s current production rate of 11 cycles/min. One of the machine’s first production jobs is a PET food tray which is currently running at 30 cycles/min. The food tray application previously required two shifts a day and two machines to produce the required 67 million packages per year. The GN800 eliminates one machine and one shift, cutting production time by more than 50%.

For high-volume food packaging applications, the new GN800 enables SupplyOne Plastics to install and run more complex tools. The new thermoformer also opens up new capacity, reduces cost, and helps the company become leaner, according to Morris.

SupplyOne Plastics is a thin-gauge packaging manufacturer and utilizes all thermoformable grades of PET, OPS, HIPS, PLA, PP, and PVC at thicknesses from 7.5 mil to 0.080 mil. The plant is a Safe Quality Food (SQF) certified facility which ensures that packaging meets all food safety best practices and established regulatory requirements.