The Customer
Based in Devon, Hymid Multi-Shot Ltd is one of the UK’s leading providers of single and multi-shot plastic injection moulding services. They offer product & mould tool development and agile production, along with secondary operations, assembly, metrology, and inspection. 

SWMAS has built a long-standing relationship with Hymid since they first supported them back in 2005. In this time, the business has grown significantly and diversified into new markets. Today, Hymid are trusted suppliers to a wide range of customers in the following key sectors:

Healthcare/Medical  |  Instrumentation  |  Electronics  |  Consumer Products

The Challenge
Hymid was facing long manufacturing lead times for jigs and fixtures, and this was affecting their ability to fulfil existing orders and keep up with increasing demand. 

How SWMAS Helped
SWMAS carried out an in-depth business review to help Hymid identify potential improvement projects that could help them progress, in line with their future aspirations. Building on past experience within the injection moulding industry, SWMAS’ Manufacturing Specialist recognised the possible benefits of moving towards 3D printing, for both internal use and customer responsiveness.

It was important that Hymid chose a project that would provide the most benefit to them, in line with their business priorities. SWMAS continued to offer flexible, targeted advice and support over a number of months as these important decisions were being made. During this process, the business identified an opportunity to improve the speed of production of jigs and fixtures through Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM), which could be achieved using a high-end 3D printer. SWMAS was able to help Hymid with this all-important investment by offering expert knowledge and a grant towards the cost of this new technology.

The Outcome
This innovative digital transformation has allowed quality jigs and fixtures to be produced quickly, producing consistent results every time. The carbon fibre 3D printer offers enhanced accuracy, so the jigs and fixtures can hold items securely, allowing for a high degree of precision in the metrology and secondary operation areas.

The heightened speed and repeatability provided by the new technology allows Hymid to take on additional orders and offer a quicker turnaround, which ensures customer satisfaction. To optimise the return on their investment, Hymid has also focused on building an expert team to utilise new digital technologies, and ensure they continue to enhance their business performance.

Ongoing support, as and when required…
This investment has been so beneficial that it has inspired Hymid to explore additional digital technologies. They are now looking into purchasing a multi-material 3D printer, which will allow them to produce a wider variety of prototypes and proof of concept parts that are similar to the final multi-shot product.

The sky’s the limit for this innovative business, whose turnover now looks set to double by the end of 2021. Their expertise is being called upon by a number of exciting new customers, and SWMAS look forward to supporting them as they continue to develop their ALM capabilities.