When planning to replace rubber processing equipment or add new machinery to a polymer finishing line, manufacturers know they are looking at significant downtime. And downtime, whether planned or unplanned, can be extremely costly. Purchasing new equipment is already a huge investment, and companies must also factor in the cost of halting production in their purchasing decision. Achieving profitable results, as quickly as possible, requires sourcing quality equipment and acquiring information to build the proper procedures.
Before purchasing polymer processing equipment or a rubber finishing line, ask the supplier these five critical questions:
1. What’s your experience in the entire rubber manufacturing process? Do you have the right capabilities?
Engaging a company that understands the entire polymer process from start to finish is hugely beneficial. Look for a company that can provide insights into the process and infrastructure and offer methods to improve production and product quality, all required to reach business goals and increase your bottom line.
Anderson International not only offers state-of-the-art processing systems but also contributes to design, project management, process, research, and development. Our product engineers are required to keep up with today’s growing productivity demands. And Anderson’s staff of process experts delivers processing support to users based on hundreds of operating installations.
We understand that the bigger picture means looking at profitability first, ensuring an improved process, and building an infrastructure that supports growth.
Anderson provides processing solutions that solve
our clients’ biggest challenges and achieve outstanding results.
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2. What is the equipment’s lifecycle and how does your company help prevent equipment failure?
Knowledge of the entire lifecycle of existing equipment, as well as understanding the right types of machinery to purchase for a specific application, is imperative. If your company hasn’t updated existing polymer line equipment since the ’80s or ’90s, it may be time to evaluate all of the individual parts to ensure they’re running efficiently. By examining and replacing parts critical to the polymer line process, you will be able to solve most recurring problems and improve performance.
Be specific, such as asking how many operating hours can the screw press shaft endure before it exhibits signs of failure?
Anderson’s polymer machinery is designed to require minimal maintenance and maximize uptime. Our synthetic rubber dewatering and drying machinery are known to last for decades, most notably when companies consistently adhere to a maintenance process. Anderson even has equipment installations from the 1920s that are still in operation today!
Remember that frequent failures add up quickly. Investing in reliable equipment means fewer costly downtime occurrences.
3. How long does it take to install the rubber processing equipment from start to finish?
When implementing new machinery, the goal must be to ramp up to profitability quickly. For this to happen, the installation needs to be seamless. Look for a supplier who has the capabilities to support a project from design and procurement through installation, inspection and operator training.
Anderson has the expertise to guide clients throughout project implementation. Our process engineers design plant layouts and assist with equipment selection based on the client’s specific needs. Once approved, Anderson’s project manager takes over for procurement of materials, manufacturing, and shipping – providing continual updates during this 20-30 week period. Installation generally takes 16-24 weeks with site preparation overlapping procurement and manufacturing timelines.
4. Do you have engineering and quality support available and onsite?
No one should ever be asked to operate polymer equipment without proper training and a clear understanding of procedures. Onsite operational training should unquestionably be incorporated into the sale of any processing system.
To ensure Anderson products perform with minimal maintenance and downtime, we require training. No matter where our products reside, our engineering experts are always ready and willing to provide information to help processors keep their machines running smoothly.
5. Can I see the equipment working in person?
Asking for evidence of performance is vital, especially when working with polymers. Never assume all products perform and function as promised for your application.
Often, however, the only equipment available to observe in production will be located in a competitor’s facility. To overcome this roadblock, Anderson arranges for the production of videos of our synthetic rubber dewatering and drying machinery in use at a similar facility. In this manner, we can best share how our rubber processing equipment works within a comparable environment.
Since polymers are highly sensitive, degradation can easily happen during manufacturing, processing, or when exposed to light or heat. That means the equipment setup for a client in the U.S. might be entirely different than for a client located in China, where weather, altitude, or other factors might impact the outcome. It’s essential that the polymer equipment is engineered and manufactured with these factors in mind.
Achieving Results
Digging in and acquiring answers to these questions will give you a solid start toward achieving exceptional results within a reasonable timeframe. Make sure your supplier takes the time to listen to your questions and answer them completely and thoroughly. And ask for a detailed plan before purchasing rubber processing equipment to help reduce lengthy and costly downtime.
Anderson has revolutionized the mechanical drying of synthetic rubber.