Magnus Industries Inc. is going commercial with extruded bulk molding compound profiles for electrical and outdoor uses. The firm's general manager Al Lemoi said BMC provides high glass-fiber loadings, compounded-in color and Izod impact values of up to 4 foot-pounds per inch. He also claimed it will be lower cost for small volumes than most other thermosets because BMC typically is made in small batches formulated to specific customer needs.
Magnus has developed extruded BMC rod and is working on other profile shapes. It has made a range of thermoset extrusions for more than 20 years from phenolics, alkyds, epoxies, melamine and other reinforced materials. It mainly makes custom rod and tubing at its Harleysville, Pa., plant.
Magnus President Robert Nolker said his firm has pushed extruded BMC development since October, when his family bought the firm, formerly called Thermoset Extrusions, from his father Richard. Thermoset Extrusions started extruded BMC research and development several years ago but the work languished.
Nolker declined to give sales figures for Magnus, which has its corporate headquarters in Annapolis, Md. Lemoi said the Harleysville operation recently installed a 100-ton compression press to diversify from its core extrusion business.
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