Many companies and industries experienced crises in the wake of Covid-19. Fortunately, the plastic injection molding industry is not one of them. This is especially true for Rion Industries that provides services to companies which thrived during the pandemic, especially manufacturers of leisure and personal consumption products. A year of shutdowns and fear of being infected greatly encouraged consumers to invest in their own homes.
Ongoing Expansion at Rion Industries
The final stages of constructing the company’s new production hall, fifth in number, are being completed these days. The hall will house 36 new injection molding machines. The first 11 have already been purchased and are underway, while the rest will be added over the next two years. This positions Rion Industries among the largest injection molding plants in Israel, with a fleet of over 100 machines at the production site in Kabri, and 60 additional machines at Plastokit production site in the south of Israel.
“The Covid19 period has boosted the business of our customers, and our business consequently,” says the CEO of Rion, Dudu Leib. “We make every effort to meet customer requirements in the best possible way. Here, we have identified in advance future rising demands of our customers. We decided to expand in order to be prepared to meet the increase in output within a short time.”
Making Decisions and Taking Action
At Rion Industries, no time is wasted. The contingency plans for expanding the plant, which had been ready since 2017, along with the permits, which had already been in place since 2019 were put into action, and the leveling of the ground started in September 2020. The expansion plan consists of adding approximately 5,000 m2 to the existing 1,700 m2 production floor. Within 11 months, the new production hall was built. In the first phase, 1,700 m2 were built to accommodate the new injection molding machines. The hall will be inaugurated soon, in close proximity to the Jewish New Year holidays.
The New Hall’s Meticulous Planning
“In designing the new production hall, we made sure to take into account and prepare infrastructure for the future second phase of expansion,” explains Hemi Eshel, the plant engineer, who was in charge of planning and executing the project. “We have given comprehensive thought to the layout of water and cooling lines, electricity infrastructure, and the raw material dryers. Human and forklift routes were separated, and the machinery was properly planned to prevent a situation whereby the workers are forced to turn their backs on the forklift’s route. “We strictly minimized transportation of raw materials and end-products as much as possible, and left ample space for future support departments, such as molds maintenance and an additional raw material warehouse.”
Doing the Utmost for Both Customers and Employees
Every visitor to Rion Industries during the Israeli summer is happy to enter the production halls. Not only due to the fascinating technology, but also thanks to the pleasant air conditioning. “All of our production halls, including the new one, are air-conditioned and comfortable to work in,” says Dudu, who had recently marked his tenth year as CEO. “We will soon complete the air-conditioning project at our Plastokit southern site. Opening the new production hall will require significant personnel recruitment, and if you are a professional with technical abilities and a desire to find your place in a company that is stable, ethical, and implements corporate social responsibility, I invite you to join us. We are positioned at the forefront of technology, with diverse and extensive activity, as well as promotion opportunities.”
Alongside the investment in employee well-being, Rion Industries also invests heavily in advanced means of production, to better serve our customers. “Our injection molding machines made by world-leading European companies, such as ENGEL and ARBURG,” says Hemi. “This guarantees our customers high quality production level on a global scale; stability of dimensions; speed; affordability; and most important – a sense of confidence in the production process that stems from having minimal faults, as well as professional and fast technical service. ”
And What Does the Future Hold?
The new production hall project is nearing completion these days. We already have additional contingency plans for further projects. “We expect to enter the second phase of the expansion project within about two years,” says Hemi. “In light of the expected increase in the number of employees, we also plan to build new changing rooms, a seating area and a cafeteria, contributing to a pleasant work environment for employees.”
Dudu Leib also has many new plans in the technological realm. “I aspire to move to production and automation units that will take over some of the simpler jobs, currently performed by workers. This will free our employees towards more important and interesting operations on the production floor. Introducing automation will significantly streamline production and shorten cycle times by more than 50%. The company is growing and developing, and I invite customers and potential employees alike, to visit the plant and experience this growth for themselves,” he concludes.
