Davis-Standard to Promote Range of Technology at Converter’s Expo

Davis-Standard will promote a broad portfolio of technology solutions August 9-10, 2021, at Lambeau Field Atrium in Green Bay, Wisc., in booth 75. Davis-Standard will highlight standard and tailored liquid coating lines for window and paint protection, specialty products, PSA and silicone release liners, as well as unwind and winding options for diverse applications. The complementary slitter rewinders portfolio of Deacro Industries, acquired by Davis-Standard in 2019, will be showcased in adjacent booth 74.

Davis-Standard’s liquid coating lines are designed for lowest uniform coat weights with technology for quick change and reduced waste. The cartridge coater enables quick web change-over, a fast-sleeve change system without breaking the web, and increased productivity. Unwinds are built with a reliable high-speed splice for reduced waste, stub roll capability and to minimize tail length. Winders feature stationary knife transfer for high-speed transfers and reduced fold-over waste. Control systems reduce “dial-in” time and include process monitoring and troubleshooting to assist with performance. Davis-Standard is also able to retrofit existing lines to improve performance.

Davis-Standard collaborates with customers to offer standard and custom liquid coating options to serve global film and flexible packaging, construction, automotive and medical converting markets. The company also offers comprehensive product development in their state-of-the-art technology solutions centers as well as 24/7 after-sales support and service.

For more information about liquid coating equipment options prior to the show, visit here. For Deacro Industries, visit here.

Eagle Manufacturing Adds Fourteenth Davis-Standard Blow Molder

Gary Byers on the left and Rocco Salatino on the right with the SE16540D Blow Molding System

Longtime Davis-Standard customer, Eagle Manufacturing, recently commissioned its fourteenth Davis-Standard blow molding machine to support industrial safety markets. The 40-pound dual accumulator head machine, installed in May, is primarily being used for molding large storage drums made of chemical-resistant high-density polyethylene. Eagle Manufacturing is one of the leading sources of industrial storage, handling and security products in the world. This includes fire prevention safety equipment for hazardous materials, environmental protection spill containment devices, and specialized storage products. Disposal cans, safety cabinets, column protectors, outdoor ashtrays, parking stops, spill containment pallets and rack guards are all part of Eagle Manufacturing’s extensive product portfolio.

“We have been a Davis-Standard customer for over 30 years,” said Dave Harvey, Eagle Manufacturing’s Vice President of Operations. “Our highly skilled craftsmen and operators have grown to trust Davis-Standard for reliability and great equipment performance. This latest blow molder has already been excellent with even faster cycle times than our existing machines. One of the best improvements from previous models is the cooling design with forced air blowers on the barrel. We’re able to attain consistent process temperature control without dealing with the maintenance of a closed-loop system.”

As with prior installations, Davis-Standard collaborated with Eagle Manufacturing’s team to engineer machine specifications according to their processes and product range. Custom feedscrew designs, part consistency, responsive parison control, cycle-to-cycle precision and efficient wall distribution have been instrumental in helping the company deliver high-quality products with excellent value to their customers. In addition to supplying Eagle Manufacturing with new equipment over the years, Davis-Standard has retrofitted used non-Davis-Standard machines to improve performance. Quality control upgrades, spiral core tube retrofits, head reconditioning and replacement screws have added internal efficiencies, which are essential to Eagle Manufacturing’s one-stop operation, which takes products from concept to design, to testing and market-ready.

“Our business is built around three principles; integrity, innovation and customer service,” added Harvey. “Our product design, methods and processes, and getting products to market in a timely manner have been foundational to our growth and success. We are grateful to have a partner like Davis-Standard that supplies the machinery technology we need to provide market leadership and superior products.”

For more information about Eagle Manufacturing, visit www.eagle-mfg.com.

For more information about Davis-Standard’s blow molding capabilities, click here.

Davis-Standard Honors Seven Retirees Representing 250 Years of Combined Service

Essential to Davis-Standard’s success has been the quality and longevity of the local talent employed there. Ever since Davis-Standard started building extruders at the Pawcatuck location in 1948, employees from the greater Westerly-Pawcatuck area have been fundamental to the company becoming a global leader in extrusion technology. Davis-Standard was honored to celebrate seven retirees this year, representing more than 250 years of combined service, at a luncheon held last month. Following is a listing of each employee, their hometown, number of years at Davis-Standard, and a quote by their immediate supervisor.

 

 

 

Bob Shafer, Stonington, 50 years – “Bob has been a dedicated employee who came in every day ready to get the job done. He was our go-to guy for all panels and controls systems.” – John Paride, assembly supervisor

Ernie Rathbun, Westerly, 47 years – “Very diligent employee and a great guy who worked extra hours whenever asked. Ernie was critical to our machining team with a wealth of knowledge, most notably in barrel machining.” – Kevin O’Leary, machining supervisor

Ralph Caddick, Westerly, 45 years – “He was always willing to work with other employees in assisting us with training and quality assurance. ‘Chuck’ took pride in making sure our feedscrews were the quality customers expected.” – Neil Violette, supervisor

Dwight Kuhl, Westerly, 32 years – “Dewy has been a reliable employee we could always count on, giving his best effort every day. He could change jobs with ease, doing every aspect of machine assembly. He could do wire, pipe, hydraulics, assembly; whatever was needed.” – Dan Hartley, assembly supervisor

Bob Thomson, Groton, 32 years – “Bob has been someone we can depend on with all aspects of quality inspection. He has always worn black Harley Davidson t-shirts to work, and is known as ‘Harley Bob’ to all of us.” – Brenna Johnson, quality inspection supervisor

Steve Allen, Charlestown, 31 years – “Steve is a hard worker who is willing to help anyone. His knowledge in building and rebuilding a variety of Davis-Standard brand extruders made him extremely valuable to our aftermarket team.” – Larry Bowen, assembly supervisor

Jeff Tattersall, Pawcatuck, 16 years – “Jeff always has a smile on his face and was ready and willing to help train others within our assembly area. He went above and beyond and got along with everyone.” – John Paride, supervisor

“It is always a bittersweet day when we celebrate the retirement of such outstanding employees and people,” said Jim Murphy, Davis-Standard President and CEO. “We are happy for them, but at the same time, will miss seeing them every day and the positive attributes they brought to our team. On behalf of Davis-Standard, I thank them for their valuable contributions to our company and wish them well in retirement. They have certainly earned it!”

Jim Chura Joins Davis-Standard’s Aftermarket Team

Davis-Standard is pleased to announce that James “Jim” Chura has been hired as an aftermarket sales engineer to support Davis-Standard’s converting customers in the Southeast U.S. and Mexico. Chura brings 14 years of industry knowledge to his new role having held various sales and management positions, most recently as a regional sales account manager for ABB of Raleigh, N.C. This includes broad experience supporting customers in the paper, converting and packaging markets. He will be responsible for driving aftermarket sales, addressing technical aspects of customer inquiries and quotations, and providing after-sale assistance to customers.

“Jim understands the converting industry and the needs of our customers in the Southeast U.S.,” said Andrew Alaya, Davis-Standard Vice President of Aftermarket Sales. “He has an excellent understanding of customer needs and available converting technologies and upgrades. This aligns well with our goal of using aftermarket services to help our customers get the most from their equipment investment while improving profitability and product quality.”

Chura is a member of TAPPI (the Technical Association for the Pulp, Paper and Converting Industry), and is TAPPISAFE certified. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri, Columbia.

Poly Vinyl’s Custom Extrusion Legacy Flourishes with Davis-Standard Extruders and Service

Mark Schnettler with the recent rebuild of a 3.5-inch (90mm) Davis-Standard extruder

As a family-owned business spanning three generations and 60 years, Poly Vinyl Co. of Sheboygan Falls, Wisc., thrives in the custom extrusion segment. Instrumental to their success is Davis-Standard extrusion technology and ongoing aftermarket collaboration that supports a diverse product range. Poly Vinyl Co. employs standard, co-extrusion and tri-extrusion processes to produce custom profiles for multiple industries, including large appliance, commercial refrigeration, building products and several OEM’s. Not only has Poly Vinyl Co. turned to Davis-Standard for nearly every extruder over the years, but they have taken advantage of upgrade and rebuild services to enhance processing options and extruder performance.

“My father, James Schnettler, has been working with Davis-Standard extruders for over 43 years. Matching products and profiles to the right extruder has always been a point of pride for us,” explained Mark Schnettler, Poly Vinyl’s President. “It’s nice to buy brand new machines, but that isn’t always necessary. This is especially true with Davis-Standard because their gearcases are designed to run thousands of hours. If the gearing is set up properly and the right feedscrews are used, you’re going to have positive long-term results. We also have an excellent maintenance program and make appropriate upgrades and changes based on materials.”

Poly Vinyl Co. runs several Davis-Standard co-extruders for its dual-durometer processes ranging from 1.25 to 1.5 inches (32 to 38mm) as well as 28 main extrusion lines, all equipped with Davis-Standard extruders and feedscrews. These extruders range from 2 inch (50mm) 24:1 single screw models to GC-65 conical twin-screw designs and are engineered to process polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, polycarbonate, and ABS; among others. Over the past 10 years, Poly Vinyl Co. has worked with Davis-Standard on five major rebuilds to boost processing capabilities. These include conical twin-screw extruder upgrades as well as a recent rebuild of a 3.5-inch (90mm) Davis-Standard extruder, purchased via the used market, which was completed in less than 12 weeks. In all cases, Poly Vinyl Co. has been pleased with turn-around time and processing results, which have added value to customer products. Schnettler credits the attention to detail by Davis-Standard’s aftermarket department and their collective working relationship with his team at Poly Vinyl Co.

“Joe Guigli and his team have really helped us with our extruder knowledge, maintenance procedures, and in getting the most out of our machines,” said Schnettler. “Davis-Standard is very timely in their response, which has been especially helpful during COVID. They are also great at record-keeping, which helps us work through any challenges.”

In addition to outstanding equipment capabilities, Schnettler says Poly Vinyl’s employee-driven culture, sales focus and operations execution has been paramount to their competitive advantage.

“The fact that we are a multi-generational family-owned business with 130 talented employees makes us unique. As we look to expand, we will continue to carry out the good work that our customers expect while enjoying the journey along the way.”

For more information about Poly Vinyl products, visit polyvinyl.com.