Plastic Injection Moulding Specialists. Est 1948.

Let S.B.Weston take care of your manufacturing requirements.

Machines

S.B.Weston Ltd is equipped with a range of electro-hydraulic Demag plastic injection moulding machines which are NC controlled allowing precise adjustments to the manufacturing process.

We have a range of machine sizes enabling us to react quickly to clients orders whilst maintaining constant production of our Weston Boxes. View our plant list for full details.

Mould Setting

Our production staff are massively experienced setting up and optimising new mould tools for production. They will work with our toolmakers to get the full potential from your mould, noting the optimum settings during mould trial for the highest quality moulding at the fastest cycletime and so gaining maximum efficiency.

The successful running and maintenance of the tool is taken care of by our setting team who will ensure the tool is monitored, cleaned, lubricated and generally serviced as it works through production.

Tags: Efficiency, Injection Moulding, Plastic Injection Moulding, Plastic Injection Moulding Machines, Production

Brief

In 2009 Westons were approached by Queen guitarist Brian May who planned to publish a book on the stereoscopic photographs of TR Williams. It was proposed that the book would reproduce Williams’ stereoscopic series ‘Scenes In Our Village’, and so would require a flat packing plastic stereoscope included with the book to enable the reader to view the pictures in 3D.

Brian had been unable to source a stereoscopic viewer that he was happy with, and so came to Westons with the intention of putting his own viewer design into production.

Having already produced card prototypes, Brian had a firm idea of what he wanted from his viewer, what he did not know was exactly how the injection moulding process would work for the design, what the benifits and pitfalls would be, and what considerations would need to be taken into account in order that the injection moulding manufacturing process would be successful.

CAD Component Design

We began the project working closely with Brian and co-author Elena Vidal to develop what became the OWL viewer, modeling it using CAD software and eventually resolving the design as a two piece polypropylene moulding with snap fit lenses to be inserted at the time of manufacture.

Prototypes

The development stage involved several prototypes. The most important being a polypropylene model with fully functioning hinges (of which there were 6), runners and snap in lenses. This prototype model was CNC machined from sheet polypropylene on our Hurco, giving a very accurate indication of how the final moulded version would behave.

Tooling

The design was approved from the prototypes and on Brian’s request we began tooling here in the UK in our onsite workshop.

The fixed half core insert plate set up on our Bridgeport Milling machine for the drilling of ejector pin holes.

An eyepeice core showing the tracks created by the CNC milling program.

Spark Erosion of an eyepiece core. A copper electrode is lowered onto the steel and an electrical current passed through it. The result is perfect erosion in the form of the copper electrode.

The OWL tool features two laser cut inserts. The London Stereoscopic Company Logo was cut from CAD files supplied by Brian which used the original London Stereoscopic Company artwork.

Brian May, Elena Vidal and Reid Weston viewing test mouldings.

5 mould trials occoured before production took place. The tool was designed with certain tolerances in place which were tweaked minutely to perfect the stiffness of all of the clips, the runners and the snap in lens fit.

Elena Vidal, Brian May and Tony Weston reviewing test mouldings.

Brian May, Elena Vidal and Chris Dodman with the final book and viewer.

Manufacturing

Brian requested that the material colour should change during the run and so 15 different colour masterbatches were mixed into the virgin material sequentially. All mouldings were used including the ones produced as one colours mixed into another. It took S.B.Weston only a few days to manufacture and assemble the 8.8k multicoloured viewers for the books initial run.

Conclusion

The OWL Stereoscopic Viewer project came to a successful conclusion for S.B.Weston Ltd as we despatched the 8.8k mouldings for packaging into the book slipcase having met our deadline. The most important aspect being that Brian was very happy with the final product, which is now getting very good reviews – the book is still in the Independent top ten book list a month after release.

Tags: Brian May, Cad Cam Tooling, CAD Component Design, Injection Moulding, Polypropylene, Stereoscopic Viewer

S.B.Weston Ltd. Plastic Injection Moulding Specialists

Manufacturing

S.B.Weston Ltd is equipped with a range of electro-hydraulic Demag plastic injection moulding machines. Our machines are NC controlled allowing precise adjustments to the manufacturing process, necessary when moulding consistent quality products.

We have a range of machine sizes enabling us to react quickly to clients orders whilst maintaining constant production of our Weston Boxes. View our plant list for full details.

Specialist Staff

Setters – S.B.Weston Ltd. employ a team of trained machine setters who fully utilise the NC technology available on our Demag machines. Our setters are responsible for closely monitoring the performance of your mould from its initial trial right through to its final production run, making the necessary decisions and modifications to the production process to ensure that your tool runs at optimum efficiency, with the correct temperatures, speeds and pressures maintained over the production cycle.

Maintenance – We service our machines regularly to ensure their optimum performance. A team of qualified Demag technicians perform all necessary repairs and major works, whilst our setters deal with replenishing consumables such as hydraulic oils, grease and lubes.

Material Selection

Our in depth knowledge of  plastics enables us to recommended a material perfectly suited to your job. Required material properties often include strength, impact resistance, flexibility or temperature resistance, all of which can be catered for. If necessary we will test run your product in a number of materials to determine which is the most suitable for the final production run.

Health & Safety

Auto-stop devices are installed on all our machines. Guarding is always present and will shut the machine down if removed or tampered with. Our staff are always trained to understand the potential dangers of the process if health & safety measures are disregarded.

Environmental Impact

We have the facilities on-site to recycle all the plastic scrap we produce and feed it straight back into our processes. All Weston Boxes are manufactured in recyclable polypropylene minimizing the effect of S.B.Weston Ltd’s environmental impact.

Quality Control

We deliver optimum quality mouldings across your entire production run as standard. Quality control checks will take place to ensure you get the exact spec on the mouldings you have ordered.

Machining / Assembly

We regularly perform additional machining / assembly tasks. From simple separation or assembly of multiple parts through to more complex actions such as heat insertions, printing – using hot foil techniques or jigging to set mouldings at a particular shape. We will always look to employ the most efficient methods of production, streamlining so as to minimise the amount of time and labour required and as a result,  keeping the cost to you as low as possible.

Finishing / Packing

If required, we can take care of any finishing / packing that your job reqiures. We are regularly supplied packaging for injection moulded products which we assemble, pack and palletise at the time of production. This can be massively cost effective with mouldings being packed and palletised with in the machine cycle ready to go out of the door to your customers.

Tags: Injection Moulding, Injection Moulding Machines, Mouldings, Plastic Injection Moulding, Plastic Injection Moulding Machines, S.B.Weston Ltd., Weston Boxes

Plastic Injection Moulding from Prototype to Production

Welcome to our website!

If you have an idea for a great plastic product, a manufacturing requirement, or need expert advice on the plastic injection moulding process, you are in the right place.

At S.B.Weston Ltd, we specialise in project management, guiding our clients through all phases of the injection moulding process.

If required we can take care of component design, production of CAD drawings, prototyping ensuring your design is fully resolved for success during the injection moulding process.

CAD/CAM Tooling can be also be performed at our plant in Sunbury-on-Thames, or, if nescessary can be sub-contracted to one of our overseas toolmakers.

If tool modifications or repairs are required once production begins, they will be always be executed in-house to minimise disruption.

We have full plastic injection moulding production capabilities and handle all stages of manufacture from material selection to machining / assembly to finishing / packing. We can fulfill any production demands required to complete your product ready for despatch to your customers.

S.B.Weston have a 60 year history of satisfied clients, the most recent being Brian May from Queen, for whom we designed / manufactured a polypropylene 3D Stereoscopic viewer.

We do also manufacture our own range of Weston Boxes of which we have sold over 45 million to date.

Please take the time to view the information on this website, get to know our company and the full extent of our services and also read what our clients have to say about us. Please feel free get in contact if you need more details, a free quotation or simply our design / manufacturing expertise applied to your project.

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Tags: Injection Moulding, Production, Project Management, Prototyping, Weston Boxes

2009

• S.B.Weston Ltd’s 3rd generation website and online store go live.
• S.B.Weston design and manufacture Brian May’s 3D Stereoscopic Viewer to feature in his book ‘A Village Lost & Found’ released 22.10.09.
• Business Card Wallet Mk2 tool built. Manufacturing begins 03.11.09

2008

• S.B.Weston celebrates 60 years in business
• A4  Mk2 box tool built. Manufacturing begins 10.02.08
• Double Depth BC Box tool built. Manufacturing begins 03.06.08
• Playing Card Box tool built. Manufacturing begins 07.04.08

2007

• Robotisation of BCB-3 production installed.
• BCB-3 tool built. Manufacturing begins 12.06.07
• DL/CompSlip tool built. Manufacturing begins 24.07.07
• A6 Box tool built. Manufacturing begins 24.07.07

2006

• Peel Off tool built. Manufacturing begins 08.10.06
• 12×12 Box tool built. Manufacturing begins 15.02.06

2004

• A5 Box tool built. Manufacturing begins 25.03.04

2003

• A4 Box tool built. Manufacturing begins 03.08.03

2001

• Having again outgrown their premises, the company moves from Platts Eyot to Harris Way in Sunbury where it currently resides.
• Business Card Wallet Mk1 tool built. Manufacturing begins 25.04.01
• Business Card Box Mk2 tool built. Manufacturing begins 16.07.01

1999

• Business Card Box tool built. Manufacturing begins 12.05.99
• CompSlip Box tool built. Manufacturing begins 22.11.99

1998

• S.B.Weston celebrates 50 years in business

1987

• Reid Weston, Selwyn’s grandson joins the company after an apprenticeship at British Aerospace. He currently manages the business.

1969

• The company outgrows its premises in Teddington and moves to an unusual location the historic island of Platts Eyot on the river Thames

1967

• After advertising the service of injection moulding, the company was overloaded – bought more plant and switched from producing wholly own product to a mix of the latter and trade.

1966

• The first injection moulding machine is purchased in order to produce the companies own products. Selwin Buyers Weston dies.

1963

• David Dodman joins the company after an engineering apprenticeship at Black and Decker

1962

• Tony Weston joins the company after an engineering apprenticeship at Black and Decker

1948

• Selwin Buyers Weston starts the company. Plastic injection moulding is in its infancy. He designs a range of pumps for the pharmaceutical industry

Tags: Injection Moulding, Plastic Injection Moulding, Production, S.B.Weston Ltd.