Una-Dyn moving to highly automated factory

Soon after NPE2018, Piovan SpA subsidiary Universal Dynamics Inc. (Booth W1923) is moving to a highly automated "fresh slate" factory and new headquarters in Fredericksburg, Va.

Una-Dyn budgeted $10 million for the multifaceted 18-month effort to relocate about 35 miles from Woodbridge, Va. Una-Dyn has operated in Virginia since 1957.

Manufacturing in Una-Dyn's two existing production facilities in Woodridge suffers from circuitous and duplicitous routings between various functions and are regarded as inefficient.

In a prelude to the move, Una-Dyn began aggressively adopting "kaizen" lean principles in 2013. Una-Dyn incorporated lean manufacturing techniques to streamline its production of auxiliary equipment.

"We plan to double capacity in a couple of years," with enhanced product lines and product ranges, Bill Goldfarb, Una-Dyn president, said in a telephone interview.

In a series of changes, Una-Dyn will begin U.S. manufacturing of certain equipment that it sources now from parent firm Piovan in Santa Maria di Sala, Italy.

The planned smooth-running production systems in Fredericksburg will receive sheet ​ metal, pipe and other raw materials and efficiently pull those elements through factory in a continuous path to workstations for smaller equipment.

Steps will include component manufacturing, fabrication, welding, preassembly and final assembly of smaller dryers, blenders, size-reduction units and hoppers.

Larger equipment receives different treatment.

Four dedicated work cells will manufacture large-scale dryers, crystallizers, bulk conveying systems and automated processing assemblies. "We buy the motors, solenoids and connectors," Goldfarb said.

Una-Dyn will install automated systems for the 73,000-square-foot warehouse and transport components to workstations. Aspects of the enterprise-resource planning system "can fill kits" as needed, Goldfarb said.

In April 2017, Una-Dyn purchased an existing 88,085-square-foot Fredericksburg manufacturing plant on 9.49 acres and an adjacent vacant 10-acre parcel for a total of $3,325,000. The sellers were an affiliate of Denver-based Summit Investment Management LLC and Lee Hill Industrial Park of Fredericksburg.

At that time, Una-Dyn informed Spotsylvania County about plans to make $4 million in capital improvements to the plant and install equipment with a taxable value of $1 million by July 2019.

The county Board of Supervisors approved a 10-year jobs-based incentive agreement to give Una-Dyn $4,500, payable over two years, in exchange for each relocated job or each new hire with an annual salary of at least $40,000.

After developing plans and obtaining permits, a Una-Dyn contractor gutted the interior and started extensive renovation work. The build-out is adding space for a training facility that will bring the structure's total size to about 91,000 square feet.

Within the footprint, Una-Dyn is creating a customer care center, a product-testing demonstration center, product display showrooms and a meeting room for up to 100.

Plans call for Una-Dyn's multidisciplined/cross-trained group of sales professionals in customer care to systematically handle all customer requests — from parts to submachines to component machines — and serve as liaison to the integrated systems group and technical support.

The engineering group will manage the product-testing demonstration center in an area on the production floor. The group can set up to perform standard or customer-witnessed tests of Una-Dyn products demonstrating, for example, parts granulation to particle size and fines content, drying moisture testing and blending accuracy testing.

High ceilings allowed the construction of elevated superstructures with separate dedicated decks for the engineering and the production functions.

"We plan a phased-in move from June through August, and we will be out of our current location by September," Goldfarb said.

Una-Dyn employs 140 in Woodbridge and projects to have 200 in the near future.

"A great many [current employees] live closer to the new location than the old," Goldfarb said. "A nucleus of our employees are moving or commuting [to Fredericksburg]."

Tommy Wallace Electrical Inc. of Fredericksburg is installing high-efficiency light-emitting-diode illumination. With its electroluminescence, "the LED lighting system will depict natural light," Goldfarb said.

As noted, Una-Dyn currently purchases and resells some equipment, but the objectives for the Fredericksburg plant include expanding manufacturing capabilities.

Eventually, Una-Dyn plans to make Quantum and MDN batch gravimetric blenders, Lybra gravimetric feeders and Genesys drying systems rather than serving as a reseller of equipment that Piovan manufactures in Italy. Una-Dyn will also tackle chillers.

Piovan established Aquatech srl as a new company in Santa Maria di Sala in January 2015 to focus on chillers and cooling solutions that previously carried the Piovan brand.

Aquatech uses three technologies — scroll compressors, screw compressors and chillers with inverter technology — to deal primarily with the volume of heat loads to be dispersed. Tom Stone recently joined Aquatech as its U.S. sales manager.

Una-Dyn plans within three years to begin manufacturing the main components for Aquatech process water systems, rather than importing them from Italy.

Currently, Una-Dyn resells some size-reduction, granulation and recycling devices that come from Piovan.

"We will have capability to do that work in the new plant," Goldfarb said.

At NPE2018, Aquatech shows its Easycool+ line of air and water cooled chillers in the U.S. for the first time. Also, Aquatech will display the Aryacool drycooler and the DigitempEvo thermochiller.

Other elements in the exhibit will highlight Piovan's Quantum batch blenders, Easylink automatic distribution solutions and Pureflo filterless receivers.

Piovan-brand granulators include models with a disposable knife system using CPM10V tool steel for longer knife life.

Una-Dyn-brand drying systems on exhibit will include Automate loaders with an adaptive multiple hopper central drying system and Vantage series energy-efficient dryers.

Una-Dyn regards its Nextherm advanced mold temperature control as a breakthrough that can reduce cycle times and guarantee a mold temperature so accurate that it reduces waste.

For powder and PVC treatment, the Piovan Fdm unit's design solution works for precision blending. An innovative fully functional system from Piovan's Penta unit can convey powders in a newly developed dense-phase vacuum system that ensures gentle handling of susceptible materials.

A special room with touchscreen monitors will show the latest developments involving Industry 4.0 requirements.

Una-Dyn launches its latest FACS 4.0 auxiliary equipment control and monitoring system in conjunction with Piovan's Winfactory 4.0 supervisory smart-factory software. FACS 4.0 and Winfactory 4.0 can help plastics processors transition toward using computers and automation to achieve comprehensive control and monitoring.

Giorgio Santella, Piovan vice president of service and sales, sees a bright future.

"We are introducing equipment and products and adding new people," Santella noted. "We will have [sales] growth in 2018 and further growth in 2019 with increased fire power in equipment and offerings and distinctive features not available elsewhere."

North America accounted for about 22-23 percent of Piovan's 2017 sales of $253 million (211 million euros), Santella said.

Piovan operates 70 directly controlled sites globally, has 27 different corporate entities and offers sales representation in 120 countries. Its five manufacturing locations are located in Europe, North America, Asia and South America.