Basta locks in new equipment

Window and door fittings manufacturer Basta has continued to push forward its development and expansion programme with major investment in new production technology.

Window and door fittings manufacturer Basta has continued to push forward its development and expansion programme with major investment in new production technology.

The Wolverhampton company only recently installed a fully automated metal delivery system at its foundry in Sligo, Ireland.

Now it is upgrading the facility further with the installation of a state of the art high pressure zinc diecasting machine.

This is equipped with process monitoring and control systems, automatic component extraction and an air-cooled conveyor.

Basta chief executive officer Kevin Norton said that the plant was already "one of the best zinc die-casting facilities in Europe, and perhaps the world".

"We operate our machines faster and have less waste than most companies involved in casting," he said.

He added that the new equipment will further improve its ability "to produce superior quality castings on a consistent basis".

The latest investment at Basta follows a series of key recent strategic moves which have expanded the company's range and market coverage.

In 1998 it acquired quality brass hinge maker Worcester Parsons from Ingersoll Rand/Newman Tonks, then early in 2001, it also bought Latham, which manufactures Gibbons locks and friction hinges under the Conqueror brand, from Frederick Cooper plc.

And last year Basta took over the hardware fittings business of Arthur Shaw Limited, one of the most prolific suppliers to the UK's major timber and uPVC door and window manufacturers.

Following this trail of acquisitions, the company's brand portfolio comprises Basta for locks and handle, Worcester Parsons for brass hinges, Smith Wallis for steel window fittings, Conqueror for uPVC products and Shaws for stays and fasteners.

The total range covers literally hundreds of different products and designs, including locks, stays and fasteners for timber windows, handles for timber doors, espagnolette handles and bolts for uPVC windows and doors, fittings for steel windows, hinges, handles and brackets.

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