HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILL. (March 10, 9 a.m. EST) — There will be a new granulator company gracing the floor of NPE this year.
Summit-Plastek Inc. of Hoffman Estates went into business Jan. 1 and is operating out of a 5,000-square-foot facility that currently employs 10.
President Don Kirchner said he felt this year was the time to open the firm´s doors because he sees an opening in the low-rpm segment.
"As a representative organization, we had been successful at selling grinders in the past," he said. "We thought that there was an opportunity for it now."
The screenless granulators, operating at 29 rpm, will feature horsepower of one-half to 30 and are suitable for blow and injection molders. The company´s inlet hoppers are equipped with ferrite plate magnets that catch ferrous metal particles that may be dropped into the granulator.
Kirchner said the firm´s models are designed to minimize dust and fines that are produced by higher-rpm granulators while providing consistently sized pellets.
Kirchner said the firm hopes to sell 200 of the two-stage opening granulators a year, though he acknowledged this year the firm may sell half that because of the economy.
The starting price for the machines will be $5,000.