Extrusion International USA 2-2020

28 Extrusion International 2/2020 EXTRUSION INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS Airlite Plastics Company has expanded production capabilities at its plant in Nazareth, Pennsylvania with a semi-custom Davis- Standard sheet line. The new line, installed in 2019, supports Airlite’s thin-gauge sheet production for products of various thicknesses and textures. This includes proprietary Orthoform ® sheet used in fabricating orthotics and prosthetics, the primary market supported by the company’s Pennsylvania Division. Da- vis-Standard engineered the line for strict repeatability, gauge control, product consistency and low scrap, which are essential toAirlite’s highly controlledprocesses. Airliteoperates five sheet lines at the plant, all from Davis-Standard brand companies, to support customers from the U.S. and Canada, as well as a grow- ing international clientele. “Davis-Standard’s equipment has performed really well for us and that ispart of the reasonwearea returncustomer. The thing that influenced us the most is the service from Davis-Standard’s team,” said Tony Alfieri, vice president and general manager of the Pennsylvania Division, Airlite Plastics Company. “From the initial quote request through the manufacturing process and start-up, to aftersale service and support, we always get a great response. The new line is being used for our Orthoform ® prod- ucts and some other customizedworkwe do in thermoforming, die-cutting, printing and lamination applications.” Alfieri said the right equipment combination is important be- cause thin-gauge sheet production is challenging. His plant schedules operations around processing a unique mix of sheet thicknesses from 0.16 to .25 inches (4 to 6mm), and with differ- ent textures ranging from smooth to haircell. For example, the sheet used for Orthoform ® is drape-formed using a very specific resin. The ability to manufacture this type of sheet with reliabil- ity and accuracy is the company’s niche along with a “can do” mindset of taking on projects other extruders do not. Projects such as smaller batch custom colors, exotic resin blends, lami- Davis-Standard, LLC www.davis-standard.com Airlite Plastics www.airliteplastics.com nates and R&D are all part of Airlite’s service portfolio. As such, the design of the new Davis-Standard line reflects a collabora- tive effort between Davis-Standard and Alfieri’s team. Key com- ponents of the new line include a Thermatic ® III extruder, DS- eVue control system, screen changer package, die, melt pump, and XP Express ® PS series roll stand system with a unique roll configuration to ensure quality and consistency. According to Steve DeAngelis, vice president of sheet, fiber, foam and reprocessing at Davis-Standard, “This line is a great example of howDavis-Standard is equipped to support custom- ers who serve the medical industry. Since we are a single-source supplier, we have more control over every component, which is essential for ensuring customers like Airlite can depend on their investment. We are grateful for their business and wish them much success as they continue to grow their business.” Tony Alfieri with the newly installed sheet line for Orthoform ® poduct production Capacity expanded with Sheet Line PLASTICS Responds to Udall/ Lowenthal Bill Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) President & CEO Tony Radoszewski said: “As drafted, we do not believe the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act of 2020 would effectively address pollution in the U.S. or globally. The title of this bill suggests it is more in- terested in garnering headlines than it is in finding solutions. Plastics only account for 13% of municipal solid waste in the U.S. Any effort to specifically target plastic ma- terials – that, after life-cycle analysis, prove to be more environmentally-desirable than other materials – would be misguided at best and harmful at worst. Furthermore, this legislation’s efforts to shut down plastics manufactur- ing would hurt the nearly one million hard-working men and women in our industry and the nation’s economy as a whole. If we canmake it easier for everyone to recycle in this country, and make recycling more profitable, we could truly reduce the amount of litter that is finding its way into our water- ways and ultimately our oceans. Measures like the RECOVER Act – which would designate funds to improve the recycling infrastructure in this country – and other efforts like the RE- CYCLE Act and the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act provide better ap- proaches than what we’ve seen in the “Break Free” Act. We look forward to continuing the discussion with Senator Tom Udall and Representative Alan Lowenthal and all law- makers to educate them about the benefits plastics provide and the environmental, economic and medical dangers that would accompany ignoring those benefits.” The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) plasticsindustry.org