How Uniloy is still revolutionizing the industry after 75 years
Uniloy, a global leader in blow molding technology, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. With a rich legacy of innovation, the company supplied the first blow molding equipment in the US and developed the industry-standard reciprocating screw molding technique. The business was founded in 1950 and quickly established a reputation for developing advanced technological solutions after patenting the now ubiquitous hollow handle carton design for the dairy industry. The company then quickly evolved its blow molding machines, patenting solutions for trimming, handling, and downstream equipment.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Uniloy expanded through a series of acquisitions, which provided access to new markets and broadened its product lines. The business has remained at the cutting edge of the industry throughout its history. Today, it is the only company in the industry that provides four blow molding technologies alongside custom mold design services, associated tooling manufacturing, machine operator training, and a resin and post-consumer recycled material (PCR) test center. It also developed advanced neck-to-neck, multi-head molding machines that deliver twice the output of traditional machines.
Integrated automation
Uniloy offers customers quality equipment to helps them increase productivity, which sets the company apart from the competition. Timothy Tomlin, Vice President of Sales, elaborates, “We have over 6000 machines in the global market; we also provide after-sales support. Even a handful of machines over 60 years old are still in operation. It’s a good reflection of the value that we provide customers. It also speaks to the quality of our equipment; even after six decades, our machines are still productive components of businesses. We also support these machines if a customer wants to utilize them; we provide parts, upgrades, and adaptations that help them stay as relevant as possible today.
“We have also spent significant time and resources integrating automation wherever possible. This enables us to offer complete turnkey solutions for our customers, whether they want a quicker return on investment (ROI), increased production, or a better-quality product. We evaluate the possibilities to determine the best possible solution, which can include fully automated robotic processes. Our machines also come Industry 4.0 capable, which expands the machine’s capabilities and provides customers with significantly more monitoring abilities.
“We offer four different machine platforms. That means that we don’t lock our customers into one particular manufacturing style; we look at the broad spectrum of what makes the most sense to provide the most optimized process. We then work to provide that complete solution, including all the molds, tooling, and downstream equipment to manage the parts, trim, and leak detection.
“We also provide multilayer systems working with two primary sectors. The most popular is managing PCR and PIR. Our three-layer solutions are comprised of a central layer containing recycled material and a layer of virgin material on either side; we make our own head technology to do that. Uniloy is also the only source for Co-Injection and Injection Blow platforms.
“Co-Injection provides a glass replacement solution for blood culture vials and other medical applications. It is comprised of a three-layer process that provides a
glass-like barrier and offers a shelf life similar to glass. These vials need to be shipped worldwide and often have some time before they’re used in a hospital setting. We make the machines and have the technology to create containers that meet our customers’ goals.”
Fundamental philosophy
One key factor in the company’s long history of continued success is its Guiding Beliefs. Along with prioritizing quality, innovation, and continuous improvement as drivers of success, Uniloy also believes that People Make the Difference. This fundamental philosophy supports how the company approaches all its relationships, whether with employees to ensure development opportunities or with customers and suppliers. Timothy expands: “Our Guiding Beliefs guide everything we do. They’ve been the driver of our culture and the inspiration behind not only how we interact with customers and suppliers but also how we engage with the community.
“We have some very long-term relationships. Robert Barr, for example, is a supplier and partner working with us on screw designs. These long-term strategic partnerships help us drive technology forward. Our lab in Tecumseh, Michigan, has three shuttle machines, two reciprocating screw machines, and two injection blow machines; it will also soon include another shuttle machine. We have technology that enables us to work with vendors for component hardware and resin suppliers. We work with these companies to develop processes and tooling that will function well with new strains or resin brands. We do the same with our customers, helping them to develop specific initiatives or improvements.”
Timothy concludes by outlining the company’s bold ambitions for the coming years: “We have some lofty goals. We’ve been very blessed with solid business growth. We’re in our second year of record sales and expect to keep going in that direction. We’ll be building the infrastructure around our growth, so we’re not only growing internally and increasing our sales, but we’re also growing from a global company perspective. We’ll open a manufacturing location in Southeast Asia over the next year. As we continue to grow, we will decrease delivery times and increase our output to sustain that growth. We’re also developing a lot of new technology, which is critical in our market. We want to drive new technology in the market that gives our customers an advantage. That’s our focus and obligation to our customers.”