Manufacturing 3 is an isolated sanitization area for coating process. Products are cleaned, prepared, and either aluminized or head-coated. Aluminization provides a reflective coating to components such as refletors and extensions. This process allows a plastic-molded part to reflect the light at the designed angles. Lenses are hard-coated to protect against chips and cracks.
Manufacturing 4, the focus of the upcoming make-or-buy decision, molds parts for finished assembly and sales. Lenses, reflectors, and housing are molded from resins and fiberglass-reinforced plastics. Die injection molding machines range from 60 to 900 tons of pressure. These machines are adaptable to produce multiple parts by interchanging the die molds. Firebird Electronic has recently acquired the two largest molding machines in the world. The productivity of these machines will aid in the upcoming decision regarding further expansion. Firebird is reducing inventory in the West plant Material Order Center WESTMOC to possibly expand operations by three machines.
Firebird Electronic manufactures halogen blubs for in-house production and external sales. Tha halogen blub HB department is capable of producing 60000 blubs per week. HB runs a continuous three-shift operation until weekly production quotas are met.