The contract for the new hybrid machines, six at 50 tonnes and four at 35 tonnes, is worth more than ?00,000 (£410,000) and takes the number of machines operated by Javelin to 70.
The deal forms part of an expansion strategy which has helped the firm, which supplies products into electrical, automotive and defence markets, grow turnover by nearly 23% in the last year.
Profits more than doubled over the same period, said Lee Reading, Javelin’s managing director, helped by economies of scale and working the group's assets harder.
On the machine deal, Reading said the group regularly reviewed its machine portfolio, replacing older units when necessary, but the time had come to add to the existing ones.
“We looked at lots of different machine suppliers. Given the profile of the products we produce we were restricted in terms of the types of machines we could work with.
“Having assessed what we needed we decided the payback using an electric machine wasn’t going to work out for us.
“However the hybrid technology did the job when compared against traditional hydraulic machines. We looked at specifications for various makes of machines and Sumitomo Demag’s came out on top,” he added.
Nigel Flowers, managing director of Sumitomo Demag UK, said his company was very pleased to be working together with Javelin, “a company which has been on our radar as a leading UK moulder for some time”.
“The order for 10 machines is a statement of intent from Javelin as they continue to invest in advanced manufacturing equipment. They had a particular focus on energy consumption and reliability, areas where the Systec hydraulic machine, equipped with our own Activedrive energy reduction technology excels,” he said.
“We are looking forward to a long and successful relationship with Javelin,” he added.
Reading said he expects the new machines to come on line towards the end of June, at which point the fitting-out of the firm’s expanded factory premises – including installation of a 2.5MW electricity supply – is due to be completed.
“We’d been operating in four units, including three smaller ones, on this trading estate but then the next-door unit, which mirrors our own 26,000 square feet factory, became available,” he said.
“Our landlords, Slough Estates Group, were happy for us to relinquish the three smaller sites and lease us the larger neighbouring unit, giving us 52,000 square feet,” he added.
Javelin also benefitted from what the group called a "generous" rent-free period worth £550,000, courtesy of Slough Estates, money which Reading said was being invested back into the business.
