Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Resin pricing news
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Commodity TPs
    • High Temp TPs
    • ETPs
    • Thermosets
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
    • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
    • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Historic Thermosets
    • Historic Recycled Plastics
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
December 11, 2017 01:00 AM

Investments help Medway Plastics control energy costs

Roger Renstrom
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Roger Renstrom
    George McDaniel, maintenance manager for Medway Plastics Corp. in Long Beach, Calif.

    Long Beach, Calif. — Family-owned Medway Plastics Corp. is having success using fully insulated Thermal Control Solution-brand radiant heating systems on its larger injection molding machines.

    "The heaters are all working well," said Thomas Hutchinson Jr., Medway Plastics president and co-owner. "Some have been in service for more than six years without a failure. Wiring is different than the standard setup, but it is not rocket science."

    George McDaniel, Medway maintenance manager, said, "I love the heaters. They are much more efficient. You can put your hand on them."

    McDaniel cites one problem: "Since we put in the TCS bands, they do not have covers, and the material guys can step on them," although the systems can continue to function properly, he said. Older-style heater bands have metal covers.

    Otherwise, "we love them and are happy with their operation," McDaniel said. After previously using barrel insulation jackets, "we noticed a drastic temperature drop in the shop."

    McDaniel said he now notices the higher temperatures being generated by non-TCS-equipped small-tonnage machines with their standard covers.

    The TCS-brand systems from Rex Materials Inc. help Medway control process temperatures within 1°F.

    "That is amazing," McDaniel said during an office visit in Long Beach.

    Standard uninsulated mica and ceramic bands can yield tremendous amounts of excess heat.

    The initial TCS systems at Medway utilized a six-part octangular-segmented design. Next came a clamshell TCS concept. The most recent TCS units — the system's third design — have an exterior coating, a cable tray and revised electrical connections to ease installation.

    Medway has installed TCS systems on 16 machines, all 500 tons or larger, McDaniel said. Medway operates 26 presses in Long Beach.

    All four of the injection presses in Medway's Pflugerville, Texas, plant use TCS systems.

    Rex manufactured the systems at a greenfield-developed plant in Council Grove, Kan. Rex acquired another production facility in South Hill, Va., in 2013.

    Medway received rebates from utilities in California and Texas for the equipment.

    Rex Materials began manufacturing TCS units in 2004, and according to the company, very few replacement parts have been ordered.

    Roger Renstrom

    Van Nimwegen

    "We're seeing a rapid increase in demand for TCS, both to reduce energy use and to improve the working environment for the shop floor staff," said Ken Van Nimwegen, global sales manager for TCS-brand heater bands with Howell Township, Mich.-based Rex Materials. "Both cost reduction and employee retention are driving continuous improvement efforts."

    Van Nimwegen said in an interview that the medical molding operation of Franklin Lakes, N.J.-based Becton, Dickinson and Co. is installing a TCS system on any of its injection molding machines with a clamping force of 300 tons or above.

    On average, installation of a TCS system may cost $4,000 to $6,000 per machine.

    Depending on utility rates, the typical payback on investment is one to two years, according to the manufacturer.

    A processor can obtain a customized TCS system design and software by identifying the barrel outside diameter, zone length and current heater voltage rating, Van Nimwegen said.

    Energy consulting firm Bruce Blau & Associates of Fresno, Calif., is among sales representatives for the systems.

    "TCS radiant heater bands are beginning to replace the mica and ceramic heating bands on both old and new injection molding machines," Blau said.

    Among those familiar with the TCS technology, Ritch Waterfield with the advanced plastic processing technologies segment of Milacron Holdings Corp. in Blue Ash, Ohio, recognizes energy savings as a key benefit of the radiant band heaters.

    "We began providing this product to our customers in 2007, and customers with the most interest were high-throughput/fast-cycle applications," said Waterfield, a sales engineer with the Milacron aftermarket unit. "Depending on application, customers typically see a 25 to 40 percent reduction in energy consumption."

    Milacron had served as the exclusive distributor of Rex's TCS line in North America from 2007 through 2016. Rex Materials started selling the equipment direct to customers six months ago.

    Also on the energy front, Medway utilizes a state-of-the-art system that generates electricity from natural gas, recovers the heat and converts it to refrigeration for mold cooling in the plant.

    The co-generation system provides backup power for the entire plant and helps to control electricity costs during peak periods.

    As part of the system, Medway in Long Beach has operated three 375-kilowatt generators with absorption chillers for about 11 years.

    "Together, they generate more than one megawatt of power," McDaniel said.

    Thomas Hutchinson Sr. and his wife, Mary, founded Medway Plastics in 1974. Tom Sr. died in 2006, but Mary Hutchinson continues as chief financial officer with sons Tom Jr. as president, Gerald as vice president, Rick as vice president and design engineer and daughter Cheryl McDaniel as vice president of office operations. George McDaniel is Cheryl's husband.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Obituary: Inventor, Neutrex founder Arthur Haag
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    Tornadoes, severe weather impact Texas resin plants
    2
    Eastman posts lower profit, plans job cuts
    3
    Plastics firms work to eliminate PFAS use as pressure mounts
    4
    OSHA: Worker died at plastics firm after duct tape covered safety guards
    5
    Georgia home to new PET chemical recycling plant
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Resin pricing news
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Commodity TPs
        • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temp TPs
        • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
      • ETPs
        • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Thermosets
        • Historic Thermosets
      • Recycled Plastics
        • Historic Recycled Plastics
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified