Screws are the backbone of the plastics industry, the method of melting and conveying plastic pallets into a mold or die.
But consider what is needed for screw replacements in extrusion — that's the subject of this month's Best Practices.
We turn to Pawcatuck, Conn., where Davis-Standard LLC partnered with garden hose manufacturer Swan Products LLC to install four new feedscrews on Swan's existing Davis-Standard extruders at one of its plants in Canada.
From order to installation, the project took about two and a half months.
Replacing old screws can dramatically boost productivity in a cost-effective manner.
"We were able to replace feedscrews on older machines and improve throughput by over 33 percent," said Jose Rossi, Swan Products' director of manufacturing for North America.