From its hub in Wisconsin, Star Automation, Inc is crafting the future of injection molding automation
Backed by over 60 years of innovation and expertise, Star Automation, Inc (SAI) stands apart in the industry for its top standards of efficiency, reliability, and unparalleled precision. The company’s mission is simple: to lead the plastics industry into the 21st century with automation solutions that maximize productivity and minimize costs for its customers. As the North American hub for manufacturing, sales, service, and parts, SAI builds on the global legacy of its parent company, Star Seiki Co. LTD (Star Seiki) – a Japanese pioneer in injection molding automation founded in 1964. From the earliest developments in automatic un-loading systems to the introduction of servo-driven robots that redefined industry standards, Star Seiki has consistently pushed the boundaries of possibility.
Today, that spirit of innovation continues to drive SAI’s operations as it develops the next generation of injection molding robots and factory automation systems. Since the subsidiary’s establishment in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, in 1991, SAI has delivered comprehensive injection molding automation solutions expertly designed to keep its customers’ operations running smoothly and competitively. From its initial roots in cartesian manufacturing, the business has evolved to offer a diverse scope of services and solutions across a vast global network consisting of nine North American territories and a selection of key international markets.
Most importantly of all however, SAI regards every customer interaction as a deep partnership rather than a mere transaction, and wants to grow alongside its valued customers and evolve with their automation needs. To learn more about how SAI stays ahead of the curve, Manufacturing Today sits down with Daryl Isken, Director of Sales and Marketing, who shares insight into the company’s recent operations and developments.
“Right now, we are concentrated on injection molding for the plastics industry. A lot of our solutions are centered around helping customers with their efficiency levels and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). We visit facilities, explore any issues and come up with solutions to improve automation, thereby reducing reliance on labor and decreasing cycle times so more parts can be produced every day,” Daryl explains.
“We have full mechanical, electrical, and automation engineering capabilities at our facility in Wisconsin, which allows us to be a separate entity from our parent company in Japan. It means that we can produce anything that our parent company can, so we can take their base products and build on them around our customers’ needs.”
Wisconsin facility
With thousands of machines deployed across the country, SAI understands its customers’ needs with un-matched insight. From cartesian robots and sprue pickers to pallet changers and conveyers, each solution is thoughtfully configured, efficiently delivered, and fully supported. The company’s 35,548-square-foot Wisconsin facility is equipped with the latest processing machines and testing equipment, along with over 100 robotics units available for immediate delivery. Through this approach, SAI empowers its customers to boost productivity (up to a reported 30 percent), reduce costs (by a reported 20 percent), and confidently meet the increased demands for automation in modern production.
“I think that the economy brought on that increased demand for automation,” Daryl elaborates. “A lot of our existing customers are retrofitting their existing equipment, which is a great thing for our company and our engineering capabilities; those existing products are so universal that we’re able to accommodate the new product lines that our customers are bringing in.”
Building on this market momentum, SAI is not only enhancing existing systems but also expanding its reach into new areas of automation. In particular, its new palletizer product provides diverse avenues for both the company and its customers alike, addressing broader operational needs across the factory floor that go beyond injection molding processes.
“Our new palletizer product gets us into a different market because it’s more of an end-based solution for many different types of customers, whether they’re doing injection molding or some type of assembly,” Daryl explains. “It allows them to palletize finished products in their boxes to be easily moved throughout the plant and shipped to their end users, helping to reduce labor and dependency.”
As manufacturers continue to navigate both industrial and socioeconomic challenges – such as rising costs, labor difficulties, and increasing production demands – SAI remains a trusted partner at the forefront of automation innovation. By combining decades of proven expertise with a forward-thinking approach to engineering, the company is uniquely positioned to help its customers adapt, scale, and thrive in an ever-evolving industrial landscape, and its commitment to precision, reliability, and customer collaboration ensures it will continue to set the standard for injection molding automation for many more decades to come.
“Our main internal priority right now is to become more efficient at executing our projects,” Daryl reveals. “We’re getting more custom projects, so we’re focused on getting those out at a reasonable price for our customers whilst also remaining profitable. To better support our customers, we’re also looking at hiring more technical background service and sales staff. Alongside this, we’ve really increased our marketing side to try and get a bit more exposure on our company name across the US.
“Five years from now, I want us to be known as a full automation solutions company; that’s what we’ve been pushing,” he says, concluding our conversation. “In the past, we’ve been regarded as just a gantry or cartesian supply in the industry, but we’ve really opened up over the past year, and we want our customers to know that they can come to us for all the solutions they need to be competitive in their respective markets. We want to grow with our customers and building these partnerships is one of the most important things to us.”
