Top-quality toothbrushes – produced with machines from WITTMANN BATTENFELD

Fushima, a well-known maker of toothbrushes located on the north coast of Spain, has been relying for many years on injection molding machines from WITTMANN BATTENFELD to manufacture its products.

Fushima, based in Guarnizo, Cantabria, has made a name for itself as a manufacturer of tooth- and hairbrushes far beyond the national borders. The company, founded by Laureano Salcines Gómez in 1945, has more than 100 employees and realizes 11 million € in annual sales today. On a 13,000 m² production floor, 72 million products are manufactured, apart from toothbrushes and hairbrushes also dental care products such as floss and interdental brushes, as well as cosmetic brushes, make-up mirrors, manicure utensils, barrettes and more. As already mentioned, Fushima’s main product line is toothbrushes, in particular manual toothbrushes. About 40% of its sales are realized outside of Spain. Fushima toothbrushes can be found in 55 countries worldwide.

Fushima’s success is based on high quality standards and innovation. The DIN ISO 9001- certified company regards outstanding achievements in research and development as one of its main strengths. “A lot has changed in the toothbrush sector over the last decades”, says Raúl Cimiano, Managing Director of Fushima. “While toothbrushes were made of just one material in the past, today’s high-quality toothbrushes consist of several different materials. This equally applies to other types of brushes.” According to Cimiano, it is also a special challenge to create a product which distinguishes itself from others on the market and is simultaneously profitable. To this end, Fushima has several departments engaged in testing new materials, creating new processes, etc. A great variety of materials are used in toothbrush production, for instance polypropylene, TPE, polyethylene, polystyrene and ABS.

Fushima relies on WITTMANN BATTENFELD
To live up to its philosophy of offering its customers top-class service and the best possible products to end customers, Fushima also needs the best possible production equipment. In the area of injection molding, Fushima has relied on BATTENFELD machines for many years. “BATTENFELD machines are reliable. We have hardly any downtimes or production faults”, says Raúl Cimiano. What is more, WITTMANN BATTENFELD’s excellent customer service and after-sales support is also appreciated here. A total of 14 BATTENFELD machines are currently installed at Fushima, with clamping forces ranging from 50 to 180 tons. Until most recently, the company used mainly hydraulic machines.

In 2014, Fushima invested in two machines from the all-electric EcoPower series, each with 180 tons clamping force, and an EcoPower 110. Raúl Cimiano is impressed by the energy efficiency, cleanness and low sound level of these machines: “We have measured energy savings of up to 40% compared to conventional machines.”

Source: WITTMANN BATTENFELD