Swan® Products Boosts Rates with Davis-Standard Feedscrew Replacement

A recent feedscrew replacement has boosted rates by more than 33 percent for Davis-Standard customer Swan® Products, LLC. Swan Products, the leading North American manufacturer of water hoses for consumer and industrial markets, installed four new feedscrews on existing Davis-Standard extruders at one of its plants in Canada. From order to installation, the project took about two and a half months, saving the company time and money by providing a cost-efficient means to increase productivity.

“We were able to replace feedscrews on older machines and improve throughput by over 33 percent,” said Jose Rossi, Director of Manufacturing, North America for Swan Products. “We appreciate Davis-Standard’s lab facility at its headquarters in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, which enabled us to prove design concepts alongside feedscrew engineers with hands-on experience. They are very thorough in their management and delivery.”

 

The new high-throughput designs included one 2.5-inch (50mm) and three 4.5-inch (114mm) feedscrews. The trip to Davis-Standard’s lab in Pawcatuck proved valuable since Swan needed capabilities to process both PVC and TPV resins. During the trial, several designs were tested to determine the best options for outputs and stability specific to Swan’s process requirements. According to Jason Baird, the senior process engineer at Davis-Standard who conducted Swan’s trial, working with Rossi at the lab was essential to ensuring desired outcomes without worrying about hypotheticals.

“We have analytical capabilities at the lab that enable us to see what’s going on inside the extruder as we test different feedscrews. When you improve output rates, you also need to confirm stability to achieve uniform product,” explained Baird. “Swan supplies garden hoses to major big box stores, so quality and consistency are essential to their business. We were able to verify both outputs and stability while also evaluating every aspect of performance from melt temperature to torque. This gave Swan the validation they needed to achieve immediate results.”

Davis-Standard offers a complete menu of R&D, feedscrew replacement and rebuilding services. Feedscrews are available in sizes ranging from a 3/4-inch (20mm) to 12 inches (305mm) in diameter and with different L/D options. Feedscrews can be designed for any extruder brand and barrel. In addition to feedscrew replacement, Davis-Standard offers barrel measurement services to ensure dimensional fit and best performance. In most cases, quotes for new feedscrews are available within a day. Lab trials can be scheduled to accommodate customer timelines and processing requirements.

For more information about Swan Products, visit www.swanhose.com. For more information about Davis-Standard feedscrews and aftermarket capabilities, visit Parts and Upgrades on our website.

Davis-Standard Introduces DS Activ-Check for Continuous Extruder Monitoring

In response to the increased demand for “smart” technology, Davis-Standard is pleased to announce its DS Activ-Check™ system for continuous extruder monitoring. This technology was demonstrated at NPE and is an available option with Davis-Standard’s Integrator, EPIC III® and DS-eVue control systems.

DS Activ-Check™ enables processors to take advantage of real-time predictive maintenance by providing early notifications of potential extruder failures. Machine operators are alerted to issues before they happen, reducing unplanned downtime while also collecting valuable data. Users receive notifications via e-mail or text, and continuous monitoring of production machine status is available on smart devices and remote PCs. Key parameters monitored include extruder reducer, lubrication system, motor characteristics, the drive power unit, barrel heating and cooling.

The system is easy to operate due to overview screens that provide a quick reference of monitor points and trend windows, providing a graphic indication of measurements. Users can touch a location to view details or use on-screen set-up for e-mail or text notifications. Vibration sensors on the extruder reducer provide data regarding the condition of the gears, bearings and lubrication system. The extruder motor is supplied with combination temperature sensors and vibration sensors. The reducer lubrication system (If provided), includes pressure, flow and temperature sensors to indicate system performance. Operators are also able to monitor key health indicator parameters in the drive power unit, providing an early indicator of potential power unit issues.

“The DS Activ-Check™ system provides much-needed data for processors to improve performance, including being able to plan production around scheduled maintenance activities,” said John Clemens, Director of Extrusion Controls at Davis-Standard. “Having the capability to monitor extrusion line variables such as mechanical and electrical system conditions is essential in order to bring products to market faster and minimize unplanned downtime. This technology will also allow customers to address a pending condition that could become a more serious issue in the future. All of this is valuable and much-needed knowledge to strengthen existing extrusion and converting processes.”

For more information about DS Activ-Check™ – contact us today!

Davis-Standard to Host Plastic Extrusion Seminar in October

 

 Davis-Standard will be offering its popular extrusion seminar, “The Basics of Plastics Extrusion,” on October 9 – 10, 2018 at its headquarters in Pawcatuck, Conn. The two-day class covers the fundamentals of plastics extrusion, as well as the composition and properties of various polymers and the mechanics of essential downstream processes. Seminar topics include extruder components, temperature control, maintenance and screw design.

In addition to instruction, course participants will tour Davis-Standard’s Technology Center and manufacturing facility and will have access to polymer process engineers and technical specialists. The fee is $750 per person with a 10 percent discount given for groups of three or more. Course books and materials are included, and class size is limited to promote student and teacher interaction.

 

For enrollment details or more information about this seminar, contact Nichole Denerley at ndenerley@davis-standard.com.

Davis-Standard Announces Global Brand Refresh (Germany)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Davis-Standard, a leading provider of polymer processing equipment and customer support solutions, has revealed the next evolution of its global brand to European customers. The new identity and messaging strategy is designed to better express the company’s customer-centric and forward-looking business approach. It is also expected to provide customers and prospects worldwide with a more unified and compelling visual experience when interacting with Davis-Standard marketing and web resources.

The previous Davis-Standard brand dates back to the 1950s-60s, when Ben Davis joined Standard Machinery Co. to create the Davis-Standard name. The original company, Reliance Machinery Co., was founded in 1848 and manufactured cotton gins and paper binding machines. Extrusion was developed in the 1950s. “We previously branded ourselves as ‘The Global Advantage,’ and we’ve executed that by expanding our global facilities and capabilities over the years. But now the focus is now more squarely on helping our customers execute, to better understand their requirements, to build stronger relationships and trust, and to provide the best total solutions,” states Jim Murphy, President and CEO.

“Davis-Standard is recognized all over the world for equipment reliability and customer support, but we felt our brand wasn’t fully reflective of our standing in the industry,” continues Murphy. “We are leading the way in providing the solutions that help our customers be more competitive in today’s marketplace. We now have a brand that better speaks to that leadership. We have been on an upward trajectory and now is the time for our brand to embody what we have become, and still intend to become.”

Kai Moellendorf, Managing Director of Davis-Standard’s subsidiary in Germany added, “The new brand positively reflects the global nature of Davis-Standard and all the brands it represents. This includes our customer-centric focus at ER-WE-PA in Germany and Davis-Standard Limited in the U.K. The tagline ‘Where your ideas take shape’ fits well with our objectives of developing polymer processing solutions that optimize productivity and profitability. We aim to help customers create a better future with teamwork and collaboration.”

The brand refresh includes a new logo – the first logo update in nearly 50 years – and a brighter image. It also includes an updated brand story, a new website and customer experience.

For more information about Davis-Standard, visit www.davis-standard.com.

Intralox Doubles Production with Davis-Standard Dual-Strand Profile Line

 

Continual growth in product demand and a full manufacturing floor required Intralox to get creative with their processing options. Intralox, a global leader in plastic conveyor belt technology, recently replaced an older profile line with a new Davis-Standard dual-strand profile line, doubling their output without requiring additional space. The line processes dual-strand solid rod made of PP, PE, PA, Acetal and PEEK materials. Davis-Standard customized the line for Intralox applications, completing delivery and installation within eight months of purchase. The project was so successful, Intralox plans to replace its other profile lines with Davis-Standard dual-strand lines in the near future.

“This new line is a game-changer in terms of production outputs, rod quality and innovation,” said Gregory Washington, Extrusion Supervisor at Intralox. “While dual-strand profile technology is not new, it’s new for us. We’ve had great results in terms of speed, equipment performance and ease of operation. Davis-Standard’s professionalism and craftsmanship culminated in a perfect solution for our processes. Their team went the extra mile in all aspects including design, factory acceptance testing and installation. Successes like this don’t happen accidentally; it takes intentional team commitments and leadership.”

Davis-Standard supplied all line components from extruder and controls through downstream equipment. Washington appreciates the intuitiveness of the DS-eVUE control system as well as the dual-strand Y-tooling, accuracy of product dimensionality, cut quality, cooling tank capabilities, and the ability to isolate products with castoff equipment. In addition, Intralox was able to witness and approve the entire operating line at Conair, Davis-Standard’s downstream equipment partner. This run-off provided valuable insight into Davis-Standard’s ability to customize the line to meet current and future expectations.

 

“Intralox ships product all over the world to support customers in the automotive, food, industrial, logistics and material handling, packaging, tire and rubber industries,” said Sean Stephan, Davis-Standard’s regional manager responsible for this project. “Being able to take their outputs from 125 feet per minute to 300 feet per minute on the same line while supporting quality goals really defined this project. Their continued growth and leadership in conveyor systems is testament to their excellence as a company. We are proud to be their extrusion equipment supplier and look forward to our continued work with them.”

For more information about Intralox, visit www.intralox.com. For more information about Davis-Standard’s pipe, profile and tubing solutions, visit www.davis-standard.com/extrusion_system/pipe-profile-and-tubing/.

Davis-Standard’s Robert Ackley Inducted into Plastics Hall of Fame

 

Robert Ackley made history with a storied 46-year career at Davis-Standard. Most recently, he added another achievement to his remarkable journey by becoming a plastics industry “hall of famer.” Ackley was welcomed into the Plastics Hall of Fame at a formal ceremony during the National Plastics Exposition (NPE) in Orlando, Fla. on May 6. With his induction, Ackley joins the ranks of the industry’s most notable pioneers and leaders.

“My time in the plastics machinery business has been fun. I took advantage of being brought up on a potato farm. My father preached that work was good for a person and hard work was even better,” Ackley explained during his acceptance speech. “My 46 years with Davis-Standard in the plastics industry were very enjoyable. It never felt like hard work, but more like an adventure.”

Ackley’s story embodies the American Dream. He started as a draftsman fresh out of high school, low man on the totem pole. He attended college at night eventually earning his degree in mechanical engineering from Mitchell College, followed by an executive MBA from the University of New Haven. Through diligence, hard work and company loyalty, Ackley worked his way up the ranks through engineering, field services, sales and spare parts, to become company president; a position he held for 22 years. During his tenure, he saw the company grow from fewer than 75 employees, a limited equipment portfolio and 3 million in sales, to a global powerhouse serving every major industry. When Ackley retired in 2005, Davis-Standard employed 1,000 and sales were over $300 million.

 

The cornerstone of his success? Those who have supported him along the way. “My Davis-Standard colleagues have greatly contributed to any success I’ve had, and I am grateful to them for putting my name forward for this recognition. I’ve also had the benefit of an amazing family, three kids and grandkids, and my terrific wife Elaine who has been at my side for 56 years,” he said. “To be included with others who have done so much to advance the industry is a great honor and quite humbling.”

For those at Davis-Standard now, the name Ackley will forever be tantamount to the company’s long-standing reputation for quality, industry leadership and exceptional service. All of it homegrown right here in the Stonington-Pawcatuck area by the son of a potato farmer.

For more information about Davis-Standard, visit www.davis-standard.com.

Davis-Standard Acquires Brampton Engineering

 

Davis-Standard, LLC announced today that it has acquired Brampton Engineering of Brampton, Ontario. Brampton Engineering, LLC is the leading provider of multi-layer AeroFrost® air blown and AquaFrost® water quenched film systems, film winding and many other film production solutions.

“Today we are pleased to welcome Brampton Engineering with their globally recognized blown film technology to our team,” said Jim Murphy, Davis-Standard President and CEO. Murphy added “Brampton Engineering’s focus on customer support, technology and its employees align well with the values of Davis-Standard.”

Gary Hughes, CEO of Brampton Engineering, remarked on teaming with Davis-Standard, “Davis-Standard is a global leader in plastic extrusion technology and we are proud to join their team. Davis-Standard brings resources and support to our business to better serve our customers worldwide and we are excited about the solutions we can present together.”

Murphy closed with, “We are very enthusiastic about working with Gary and the Brampton Engineering team and are excited about our future together.”

Sigma Plastics Announces Orders for Three Davis-Standard Film Lines at NPE

 

Longtime Davis-Standard customer and extrusion film leader Sigma Plastics Group announced the purchase of three Davis-Standard film lines during the recent NPE, May 7-11. The Davis-Standard lines will consist of one 2.5-meter cast film hygiene line and two five-layer agricultural blown film stretch lines. The cast hygiene line is the second of its kind purchased by Sigma in the last three years. It will be engineered for A/B/A structures with in-line printing capabilities. The five-layer stretch lines will include Davis-Standard Optiflow™ LP dies and vertical oscillating haul-off technology. Installation is anticipated for 2018.

“Davis-Standard has been exemplary at supporting our business demands and growth,” said Alfred Teo, Chairman of Sigma Plastics Group. “This purchase confirms our confidence in Davis-Standard’s film technology as we continue to augment capabilities for our extensive line of custom films, stretch films and institutional products. We look forward to another successful installation.”

Sigma Plastics, the largest privately-held film manufacturer in North America, has been a Davis-Standard customer for 40 years. The company operates more than 350 Davis-Standard lines at 42 manufacturing facilities in the United States and Canada. With an annual throughput of over two billion pounds of resin, Sigma Plastics produces flexible packaging products for the industrial, food, medical, retail and converter film markets.

For more information about Sigma Plastics, visit www.sigmaplasticsgroup.com. For more information about Davis-Standard’s extrusion film capabilities, visit www.davis-standard.com/blownfilm or www.davis-standard.com/castfilm.

Davis-Standard’s Laboratories Prove Valuable in Supporting Customer Goals

 

It’s no secret that Davis-Standard has the industry’s most extensive laboratory capabilities for both extrusion and converting applications. With R&D labs in Pawcatuck, Conn., Fulton, N.Y., and at the company’s subsidiary in Suzhou, China, customers have multiple options for making parts for proof-of-concept, experimenting with new resins, conducting materials development, and testing equipment prior to making large capital investments. According to John Christiano, Davis-Standard’s Vice President of Technology, the range of lab capabilities has been instrumental in supporting customers pre and post-purchase, while also allowing for continuous internal technology development for Davis-Standard.

“Davis-Standard has always prioritized technology development,” said Christiano. “I think it’s one of our greatest attributes, making us unique as a company. Over the past year, we’ve had more than 150 customer lab trials among our three lab locations. These trials have included screw design development for smooth bore, groove feed and high-speed extruders, as well as product development trials for medical tubing, cast film, sheet and liquid coating applications. We use a wide range of resins, including those for multi-layer coextrusion applications. It’s always rewarding to see how this technology improves customer processes and profitability.”

Christiano noted that each lab gives customers multiple options in terms of equipment, control systems and feedscrew technology. The labs are also staffed by extrusion engineers with hundreds of years of combined experience and industry knowledge. Following is a summary of lab capabilities at each location.

Pawcatuck Lab

At Davis-Standard’s Technical Center in Pawcatuck, the company offers labs for single screw extrusion, coextrusion sheet applications and medical tubing. The single screw extruder lab has both smooth bore and groove feed technology as well as a high-speed extruder, vented and non-vented options, and extruder L/D configurations ranging from 24:1 to 40:1 depending on application. The coextrusion sheet line is set up for running sheet in various thicknesses with advantages such as hands-free roll gap adjustment, gravimetric blending, thin-gauge capabilities, melt pumps and screen changers, and multi-component blenders and cantilevered winding. The focus of the medical tubing development lab is product and equipment development for tubing used in medical devices ranging from single-lumen to multi-lumen applications. The facility is in a climate-controlled environment for running multiple resins including high-temperature PEEK and corrosive materials like FEP. This lab also incorporates Davis-Standard’s patented Alternate Polymer® technology.

Fulton Lab

The Fulton lab is committed to converting processes, offering capabilities for unwind and winding, extrusion coating, lamination and cast film applications, as well as liquid coating and pelletizing. The winding and unwinding lab enables customers to evaluate different methods of unwinding, rewinding and automatic transfer as well as technology for cost-effective roll changes and dual direction winding. For coating, lamination and cast film processes, the line is set up for cast films up to 54 inches (1,372mm) wide and for extrusion coating in widths up to 50 inches (1,270mm). This includes resin blending, drying capabilities, coextrusion feedblocks and a selection of dies, winding and unwinding options. The liquid coating production and pilot line features advantages such as a multifunctional cooling section with laminating nip, auxiliary single position unwind, turret winder roll changer, SurfaStart winder, and configurations for reverse gravure, direct gravure, slot die, contact die, smooth, hot melt and more. The pelletizing lab is comprised of an extrusion system for underwater/water or air ring pelletizing.

Suzhou Lab

To support regional customer trials and application development, the Suzhou laboratory offers a high-speed FPVC extrusion system and multipurpose microbore tubing line. The FPVC line is capable of line speeds from 5 to 100mpm for processing 2mm to 8mm OD tubing with accuracy of +/- 50u. Line components include a 63mm extruder, 8m water cooling, precision internal air supply, OD gauge and combination puller-cutter. The multipurpose micro bore tubing line is designed for single or dual layer tubing, and single lumen tubing with or without a stripe. It is equipped with two extruders, OD/ID wall thickness measuring and controlling system, closed loop control via vacuum sizing tank and puller, and a high-level central control system. Davis-Standard is planning to add a dsX flex-pack™ 300S, a single station extrusion and lamination line, to this lab for customer demonstrations by the fourth quarter of 2018. This line is specifically engineered for the Asian flexible packaging market in terms of machine footprint, speeds and output, and the ability to make shorter runs.

To schedule a laboratory trial, customers can contact the following people at each location:

Pawcatuck: Bill Lee, 860-599-6722, blee@davis-standard.com

Fulton: Jeff Lawler, 315-593-0253, jlawler@davis-standard.com

Suzhou: Jinsong Lin, +86 512-62695139, jlin@davis-standard.com

For more information about these laboratories and specific components in each, visit www.davis-standard.com/lab-trial-opportunities.

Davis-Standard Announces Global Brand Refresh

 

Davis-Standard, a leading provider of polymer processing equipment and customer support solutions, has revealed the next evolution of its global brand. The new identity and messaging strategy is designed to better express the company’s customer-centric and forward-looking business approach. It is also expected to provide customers and prospects with a more unified and compelling visual experience when interacting with Davis-Standard marketing and web resources.

“Davis-Standard is recognized all over the world for equipment reliability and customer support, but we felt the previous identity wasn’t fully reflective of our standing in the industry,” stated Jim Murphy, President and CEO. “We are leading the way in providing the solutions that help our customers be more competitive in today’s marketplace. We now have a brand that better speaks to that leadership. We have been on an upward trajectory and now is the time for our brand to embody what we have become, and still intend to become.”

The brand refresh includes a new logo – the first logo update in over 50 years – and a brighter image. It also includes an updated brand story, soon to be followed by a new website and customer experience.