BNL Ltd. (UK) announced that its new Rayong, Thailand plant is now online.

Rayong is a greenfield bearing manufacturing facility, revealed earlier this year. It will focus on producing BNL's traditional lineup of polymer bearings for customers in Asian markets.

article: BNL building bearing plant in Thailand
Sample production for customer approval was ramped up in early September, and customer site visits for evaluations and audits are now occurring.

BNL Thailand (courtesy BNL)

The Rayong facility's molding equipment includes seven new high-speed KraussMaffei CX series twin-platen machines, from 35 to 160 tons hydraulic clamp capacity. All are equipped with K-M's high-end Quality Assurance System and dynamic in-process inspection with automated ejection for out-of-spec parts.

Approximately 50 workers are involved in the initial startup of production, with more than 40 machines eventually planned.

Spun off from Sarnatech BNL, BNL was acquired by Plastics Capital UK (UK) in 2005. Founded in 2002, Plastics Capital is a private equity investment company. Notoriously publicity-shy, PC has repeatedly declined to discuss its operations or plans. The company is run by Faisal Rahmatallah, Chairman of Broker Network Holdings, a UK-based insurance broker.

article: Plastics Capital acquires BNL Bearings
BNL is a world leader in lubricant-free thermoplastic rolling element bearings, producing approximately 50 million bearings each year. It is also a leading automotive Tier 1 supplier of custom plastic bearings for various in-car applications. The bearings usually have integrally formed shafts, gears or mechanical assemblies, and are found in most photocopiers, office machines, signs, cameras, computer scanners, food processing equipment and chemical processing equipment.

The Thai plant buildout is the latest step in an Plastics Capital's aggressive expansion program for BNL Bearings and brings BNL's facility count to four. Beyond its UK operations and this new Thailand location, BNL also has operations in Foxboro, Massachusetts and Tokyo, Japan.

In 2007, Plastics Capital extended the BNL business by acquiring Cobb-Slater Ltd., a small polymer bearing and related product manufacturer based in Darley-Dale, UK. BNL shuttered Cobb-Slater's facility and moved production to its own facility in Knaresborough.

article: BNL acquires, shutters Cobb-Slater polymer bearing business
BNL's founder, David Garnett, is widely acknowledged as the inventor of the molded polymer bearing (BNL, or "Bearing No Lube"). Mr. Garnett developed the molded polymer bearing idea when he worked for Koyo. He left Koyo in 1970 to found BNL Bearing. Mr. Garnett passed away in 2003.