American Roller Co. has upgraded its technologies offered to plastics and other industries by acquiring two product lines from Nordson Corp.
American Roller has added the Xaloy DuraShell and EquaTherm products, the Union Grove, Wis., firm announced Jan. 11. It did not disclose terms of the deal.
“We've added on significant technology and premium products,” American Roller President Dan Cahalane said in a phone interview. “It upgrades our products and technology.”
DuraShell chill rolls provide uniform temperature control and rugged, long life in high load applications, especially important for sheet extrusion. Equatherm rolls are high-performance heat-transfer components that feature Teflon seals for high efficiency and uniformity in uses such as cast film, laminating and coating.
The new product lines complement American Rollers's existing lineup. Its Thermalon rollers offer fast temperature changes, low energy consumption and easy retrofitting. The company's RC100 and R1200 lines of ceramic heater rolls are designed for precise temperature control at up to 360° F. and 500° F, respectively. The Arcotherm thermal transfer rolls are hardcoat products for long life for cast extrusion and embossing, extrusion coating and laminating.
Nordson continues to be a major in other plastics equipment and components for plastics processing, including screws, dies and pumps. Nordson said last fall it was exiting rolls for plastic film and sheet and was closing its in-house plating operation in New Castle, Pa.
“Chilled rolls were a pretty small part of our business,” explained Nordson spokesman James Jaye in a phone interview. “We think that business can grow more effectively if we outsource the work to the likes of American Roller.”
Cahalane said his company is moving equipment and personnel of the purchased product lines to its Rock Hill, S.C., and Wisconsin operations. American Roller runs 11 facilities in the United States because “we want a local presence to service rolls,” he added.
The roller line expansion follows by a few months American Roller's hiring of David Turbiville as chief financial officer. Turbiville is a veteran in the utility vehicle and truck industry.