In recent months, roll grinding companies and OEMs have faced difficult times. With precision grinding standards becoming even more meticulous, many providers simply do not have a way to keep pace with industry demands.
In recent months, roll grinding companies and OEMs have faced difficult times. With precision grinding standards becoming even more meticulous, many providers simply do not have a way to keep pace with industry demands.
As the first month of the New Year comes to a close, an analysis of 2014 shows that plastic prices have declined while demand has improved. Why? Plastic manufacturers have been forced to battle profit loss, while the market has improved for consumers.
As Plastics Technology magazine explains, “Lower feedstock costs, improved availability of both feedstocks and resins with the conclusion of plant shutdowns (planned or not), along with a general improvement in demand, has brought about some price relief.”
While the rubber manufacturing industry has grown over 30% in the last five years, overall profitability is taking a massive hit. The industry as a whole is producing more than its customers’ demand, which has resulted in a 21.8% drop in rubber prices in the span of only six months. In September alone, month-over-month prices dropped 11.1%.
The table below shows the price of rubber per pound from May to October 2014:
In the last year, massive security breaches compromising credit and debit card information have created a wave of new demand in the plastics manufacturing industry. Across just two large retailers – Target and The Home Depot – 96 million credit cards needed to be replaced. And one security breach on Black Friday led to demand for 40 million cards at once.
IBISWorld released its Tire Manufacturing market research report in July, unveiling its latest findings in the sector heavily tied to the rubber manufacturing industry. With roughly 31% growth over the last five years and the increasing prevalence of fuel-efficient tires and new innovations, your production efficiency and quality must meet the needs of your customers for you to succeed.
If you’re going to debate the merits of rebuilding your roll grinder versus relying on the expertise of a precision grinding company, it’s best to keep the conversation focused on the expense-related side of things.
This isn’t because operational and production efficiency aren’t important. In fact, they’re extremely important and have a huge impact on your bottom line. It’s because the efficiency comparison between using an in-house roll grinder and outsourcing to a roll grinding expert is like comparing the benefits of using a butter knife versus a steak knife to cut into a juicy filet mignon.
Electric turbines. Gas turbines. Water turbines. Wind turbines. Regardless of how your shaft or turbine is powered, it’s managing a substantial load. As the years go by, having proper shaft and turbine repair and maintenance becomes more and more imperative.
Shaft and turbine maintenance isn’t just applicable to companies in power generation. Manufacturers that generate on-site electricity to power their plants and manufacturing processes also stand to lose from improper turbine repair and maintenance.
Regardless of industry, it’s incredibly important to be mindful of how your equipment is functioning and performing. From your manufacturing and production efficiency to your profitability, smoothly functioning shafts and turbines have a big impact on your operation.
What does a properly maintained shaft or turbine help you accomplish?
From an operational standpoint, there is much less risk of downtime from restorative servicing and manufacturing interruptions. From a productivity perspective, your power generation station, compressor or pumps operate at peak efficiency. And last – but certainly not least – from a profitability outlook, you’re reducing the expense of overtaxing poorly serviced shafts or turbines.
In PRG’s last blog post, we defined CNC systems and outlined how they’re used in precision grinding and other manufacturing processes. Roll grinding benefits from computer numerical control in a number of ways.
The importance of precision grinding for your operations cannot be overstated. Today is the day you start to comprehend the effect that perfect rolls have on your manufacturing efficiency. 
Manufacturing efficiency and quality are tied directly to the roundness, concentricity and smoothness of your rolls. From consistent caliper to the overall quality of your product, precision roll grinding is necessary to eliminate major quality deterioration.
