Profile extruder Keller Products Inc. has set up a special extrusion line for prototyping and customer research and development at its plant in Bow, N.H.
The line has two extruders: a Davis-Standard with a 1½-inch screw diameter and 1¼-inch Thermoplast unit. It can be run in coextrusion or regular single extrusion. The line also has drying equipment and haul-off units.
Manchester, N.H.-based Keller Products moved existing extruders to create the R&D line.
Keller is gaining a reputation for quick-turnaround prototyping, said James Decknick, vice president of sales and marketing. The firm has helped customers — and some resin suppliers — to run trials of extruded profiles from polylactic acid and other bioresins, conductive plastics and wood-plastic composites.
“It's almost like we're inventing the product with them,” he said.
Customers also can do small production runs, then switch to one of Keller's 2½-inch and 3½-inch extruders for larger runs.
President John Hudson said the R&D line helps Keller get closer to customers. “Our customers like the convenience of being able to come in to either run different materials or change the designs all in one day,” he said.
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