Universal Plastics & Engineering Company

What Universal Plastics & Engineering Company does

Universal Plastics & Engineering Company (UNIPEC) is a precision plastics manufacturer founded in 1957 and headquartered at 678 Lofstrand Lane, Rockville, Maryland. The company specializes in thin-gauge plastic thermoforming, die cutting, stamping, and the production of close-tolerance components including custom insulators, diaphragms, Mylar parts, and cosmetic discs. Its core technical moat is a fleet of 45+ custom-designed thermoforming machines spanning 11 distinct equipment types, all built in-house, which can produce precision, intricate, and concentric trimmed parts that competitors and even material manufacturers consider impossible (for example, deep-drawn Mylar parts with uniform wall thickness and straight walls with no draft). Tolerances of +/-.002 and better are standard on materials ranging from .0005 to .125 inches in thickness, including specialty films such as Mylar, ETFE, FEP, Polyimide (Kapton), Polycarbonate, and PETG. A fully integrated in-house tool and die facility — equipped with lathes, milling machines, EDM (wire, sinking, hole making), cylindrical and surface grinding, and heat treating — supports rapid prototyping and on-demand tooling modifications.

UNIPEC serves B2B customers across medical & biomedical (Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Stryker, St. Jude Medical, Wilson Greatbatch, Baxter, Philips Healthcare), aerospace and defense (Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Aerojet, ATK, TRW), automotive (Autoliv, TRW), cosmetics (Robert Busse Company since 1957), electronics and industrial (DuPont, Rockwell Automation, Motorola). Customer engagement is direct: phone and website quote requests only, with no third-party distribution. Production runs span from a single prototype to millions of pieces.

The company operates as a private, family-owned enterprise with 11–50 employees. In July 2025, it was acquired by UFP Technologies alongside Techno Plastics Industries (TPI), with Trout Capital Advisors serving as exclusive financial advisor to UNIPEC. The acquisition positioned UNIPEC as a component of UFP's medical device manufacturing platform.

Name

Universal Plastics & Engineering Company

Legal name

Universal Plastics & Engineering Company

Website

https://unipec.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Universal Plastics & Engineering Company (UNIPEC) is a 1957-founded, Rockville, Maryland-based precision thin-gauge plastics thermoformer producing close-tolerance insulators, diaphragms, Mylar parts, and cosmetic discs via 45+ custom in-house machines for medical, aerospace, automotive, and cosmetics enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Plastic Thermoforming and Precision Manufacturing Services

NAICS

Unlaminated Plastics Film and Sheet (except Packaging) Manufacturing (326113)

SIC

Unsupported Plastics Film & Sheet (3081)

akta.pro primary industry

Thermoformed Electronics & Appliance Components (IMANAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medical & Pharmaceutical Thermoformed Packaging (IMANAHAB), Thermoforming Tooling, Mold & Die Manufacturing (IMANAHAJ), Thermoforming Machinery & Automation (IMANAHAK)

Keywords

• Precision thermoforming
• Custom plastic parts
• Thin gauge plastics
• Die cutting services
• Medical device components

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Custom Manufacturing Services: Revenue generated through custom precision thermoforming, die cutting, and stamping services for medical, aerospace, automotive, and cosmetic industries. Services range from prototype runs to high-volume production (1 to millions of pieces).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

UNIPEC is a precision plastics manufacturer that produces custom thermoformed, die cut, and stamped plastic parts for medical, aerospace, automotive, electronics, and cosmetics customers. The company specializes in ultra-thin gauge materials (.0005 to .125 inches) and close-tolerance work (+/-.002) using 45+ in-house custom-built thermoforming machines. Production runs span from a single prototype piece to millions of units, supported by a fully in-house tool and die facility.

Product overview

Universal Plastics & Engineering Company (UNIPEC) is a precision plastic thermoforming and manufacturing company established in 1957. The company operates as a single integrated manufacturing operation offering six core capabilities: Custom Thermoforming (matched die, pressure, and vacuum forming), Die Cutting & Stamping, and four specialized product lines (Custom Insulators, Custom Diaphragms, Custom Mylar Parts, and Custom Cosmetic Discs). All services feature in-house tool and die facilities enabling tight tolerances of +/-.002, with capabilities for micro and miniature thin-gauge parts from .0005 to .125 inches thick. The company serves aerospace, automotive, medical, electronics, cosmetic, ordnance, and biotech industries, with recent acquisition by UFP Technologies expanding UFP's medical device components portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Thermoforming Precision custom thermoforming service for micro, small, and miniature plastic parts using matched die forming, pressure forming, and vacuum forming methods, with tolerances up to +/-.002 on materials from .0005 to .125 inches thick. Serves medical, aerospace, automotive, and industrial customers.
• Die Cutting & Stamping Services High-precision die cutting and stamping service for miniature to medium-sized parts using male/female punching, steel rule, and thermal methods, with tolerances of +/-.002 across Mylar, PVC, fibre, brass, and various plastics.
• Custom Insulators Non-metallic thermoformed insulators including pouches, bags, shapes, and punched insulators made from Mylar, Polyester Film, Tefzel ETFE, ECTFE, Polycarbonate, Lexan, Polyimide, Kapton, FEP and other plastics, with tolerances of +/-.002 and better.
• Custom Diaphragms Close tolerance thermoformed plastic diaphragms produced from Lexan, polycarbonate, Mylar, Polyester film, Tefzel ETFE, ECTFE and other non-metallic materials with tolerances of +/-.002.
• Custom Mylar Parts Miniature and micro thermoformed Mylar PET polyester film parts and components for prototypes through high-volume production, including diaphragms, deep draw, concentric trimming, and pressure forming capabilities.
• Custom Cosmetic Discs Precision cosmetic discs manufactured with custom-built Cosmetic Disc machinery producing consistent quality discs with perfect concentricity; all tooling done in-house with fast turnaround, supplied to cosmetics brands since 1957.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tolerance precision of +/-.002 and better
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• UFP TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 July 2025UFP Technologies acquired Universal Plastics & Engineering Company (UNIPEC) in July 2025, along with Techno Plastics Industries (TPI). The acquisition expanded UFP's capabilities in medical device components and thermoplastic molding, enhancing their offerings in high-growth sectors of the medical device market. This represents a strategic fit within UFP's medical manufacturing portfolio and reflects the successful exit of a family-owned business established in 1957.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Techniplas: Global precision plastics manufacturer serving automotive, industrial, and consumer markets with injection molding and thermoforming. Comparable in plastics manufacturing capabilities but with much heavier automotive exposure and broader geographic footprint than UNIPEC.
• Curbell Plastics: One of the largest plastics distributors and custom fabricators in North America, offering thermoforming, machining, and fabrication services across a much broader catalog. Comparable in custom plastic fabrication capabilities though far larger scale and more diversified than UNIPEC.
• Spartech Corporation: Large-scale specialty plastics manufacturer offering thermoformed, injection-molded, and extruded products across packaging, aerospace, and industrial markets. Comparable in thermoforming capability but operates at significantly larger scale and broader product portfolio.

Direct peers

• Plitek: Custom precision die-cut, thermoformed, and converted plastic components serving medical, industrial, and electronics markets. Directly comparable to UNIPEC's thin-gauge precision parts business with overlapping customer profiles in medical devices and aerospace.
• Dielectrics Industries: Manufacturer of precision thin-film plastic components, including dielectric and insulator parts for medical devices and electronics. Directly comparable to UNIPEC's thin-gauge Mylar and specialty insulator offerings with overlapping medical device customers.
• Ray Products Company: Specialty thermoformer with custom tooling capabilities serving aerospace, medical, and industrial customers. Directly comparable to UNIPEC's precision thermoforming operations with similar focus on tight-tolerance and custom-engineered parts.
• Productive Plastics: Custom thermoformer specializing in large-format and complex plastic parts for medical, transportation, and industrial applications. Comparable in custom thermoforming capabilities and serving overlapping industrial and medical customer segments.
• McClarin Plastics: Custom thermoforming and plastic fabrication provider serving aerospace, medical, transportation, and industrial customers. Directly comparable to UNIPEC's custom thermoforming service offering and similar mix of regulated end markets.
• Mayflower Plastics: Custom thermoforming and plastic fabrication provider serving aerospace, medical, and industrial OEMs. Directly comparable to UNIPEC in custom thermoforming services and customer profile, though broader in gauge range and part size.
• UFP Technologies: Acquirer of UNIPEC in July 2025 and a public manufacturer of engineered components for medical devices, aerospace, and industrial markets. Closely comparable specialty plastics platform with similar thermoforming and die-cutting capabilities serving overlapping regulated end markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/unipec

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Universal Plastics & Engineering Company