Two 1200-tonne composite molding presses from UK's TEP pass factory acceptance testing

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 27, two 1200-tonne sheet molding compound (SMC) hydraulic molding presses from UK plastics manufacturer Taylor Engineering & Plastics (TEP) completed final factory acceptance testing. The equipment was manufactured by Italy's Cannon Group, with acceptance testing conducted at its Cannon ERGOS plant in Milan. Both machines passed acceptance and will subsequently be shipped to TEP's production site in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, UK, for installation and commissioning, with production planned to begin in early 2027.

The two molding presses feature a top-pressure, short-stroke vertical hydraulic design, customized to the clear height and equipment foundation conditions of the TEP plant. The equipment is equipped with a high-precision platen parallelism control system capable of controlling pressure, speed and position during the molding process, and supports integration with automated SMC material loading, cutting and transfer equipment.

TEP's Rochdale plant began preparatory engineering work for the installation of the two molding presses in summer 2026, involving mechanical, electrical and civil modifications. Following delivery, on-site installation, system commissioning and production preparation will be carried out, adding a new sheet molding compound compression molding process for the manufacture of large composite components for transportation infrastructure, rail, construction and automotive applications.