ORLANDO, FLA. (May 17, 1:35 p.m. ET) — Equipment manufacturer Thermoforming Systems LLC of Union Gap, Wash., introduced a model of its trim press with linear rail 5.0 heavy-duty guidance.
“We reorganized the platen to have linear rail guiding,” said James Naughton, TSL president since 2006 and previously vice president of operations. “We are up to a 16-inch stroke” from the 12-inch stroke in previous trim presses.
Technology improvements generated seven orders — five domestic and two in Mexico — in the weeks prior to NPE2012. The total value of about $6 million covers orders ranging from one or more stand-alone or thermoformer-integrated trim presses and some thermoformers. Standard lead time for a thermoformer is 22 weeks.
“We applied for two patents in early 2012 for protection of the difference between mechanically servo driven and cam driven,” he said.
TSL has modified the design for tool changes and made the equipment more able to work with automation systems.
At NPE2012, TSL showed its trim-in-place FT4K thermoforming machine incorporating the firm's tilt technology, four Sentra-brand temperature controllers from Advantage Engineering Inc. of Greenwood, Ind., and servo-motor technology from Yaskawa Electric Corp. of Kitakyushu, Japan. TSL introduced the FT4K in late 2010.
The FT4K in the exhibit went back to Washington State for tests and completion prior to an anticipated June delivery to food-packaging producer Tech II Inc. of Springfield, Ohio. Tech II began operating its first FT4K from TSL in May 2011.
Naughton said TSL is the only U.S. manufacturer of equipment with tilt technology, a synchronized dual servo-toggle-driven design.
The designer-builder of continuous thermoforming equipment employs 75 and occupies 50,000 square feet.
TSL was established in June 2002 from the bank-owned assets of the former International Thermoforming Systems.
“Everyone at TSL and our Sunwell Global Ltd. partners in the booth were happy with the show,” Naughton reported.