In 1977, our Chairman, Malcolm Olden, purchased his first two 150-ton machines from Battenfeld at the very first Interplas exhibition. Fast forward 49 years to Interplas 2026, and his son, Glyn Olden, has proudly purchased two brand-new 800-ton machines from Borche Machinery
In 2023, we invested in a 1,000 tonne Borche injection moulding machine to meet increasing demand for parts and components.
New 500 tonne Borche machines were being installed to our manufacturing plant.
In 2019, Chess Plastics proudly achieved the IATF 16949 accreditation, a testament to our commitment to quality. The certificate was presented by our local MP and the Mayoress, marking a significant milestone for our company.
We have actively pursued environmental sustainability by replacing four old machines with new energy-efficient Borche machines. This initiative has resulted in a remarkable reduction of our carbon footprint by over 100 tonnes of CO2 in 2019 alone.
Expanding our operations, Chess Plastics has recently acquired a new warehouse and yard, effectively enlarging our Droitwich site to over 5,000 square meters. This expansion signifies our dedication to meeting the evolving needs of our customers while facilitating our continued growth and success.
We're committed to developing and improving our facility, exemplified by the recent delivery of three new Borche 500T machines. Each comes complete with a 6-axis ABB robot and an overhead gantry crane.
In December, Gareth Olden took delivery of a new 800-tonne Negri Bossi machine equipped with a 6-axis robot.
Glyn Olden, our Managing Director, proudly takes delivery of our new 20 tonne crane.
Chess Plastics is delighted to announce the acquisition of another new Sandretto 1000T press equipped with a CNC robot, set to be commissioned on May 3rd, 2008.
This will mark our third addition to the 1000T range, a response to the ongoing demand at the larger end of the range. Gareth Olden, Financial Director, explains that the acquisition of a 1000T press in August 2007 proved to be well received by both existing and new customers, but left us little additional capacity to offer for any new projects or resourcing opportunities:
“It is anticipated that due to the recent liquidations in the processing industry, the capacity on this new machine will be taken up before the end of July 2008.
The final phase of the move from Chesham to Droitwich in 1990 saw the delivery of four new eight-series Sandretto machines.
Chess Plastics moved to Chesham, Buckinghamshire. This photo is of George Olden (father of Malcolm Olden) working at Chess Plastics.
Chairman Mr Malcolm Olden sealing the deal for buying two new 150-tonne machines from Mr Helkenburg of Battenfeld UK at the 1977 Interplas exhibition in Birmingham. This marked the first year Interplas had moved from London to Birmingham.
Chess Plastics installed its first machine in Tring in 1968. The machine was a 50-tonne second-hand Battenfeld machine, which was soon followed by two additional installations shortly after the photo was taken.
