Extrusion Solutions.

MAY 2016 EDITION
CHOOSES
Leading Wood-Plastic Composite Decking Supplier Uses
ENTEK Extruders and Predictive Parts Stocking Program for
High Output Production with Minimal Downtime
running at its two plants in North Carolina
and Meridian, Idaho. In addition, Fiberon
employs an innovative ‘predictive parts
stocking program’ with ENTEK to avoid
downtime and ensure its machines stay
running at maximum capacity.
Downtime is Not an Option!
Fiberon and ENTEK first met to discuss
implementing a parts stocking program
back in 2009, during the slow-down of
the ‘great recession’. “Both companies
took the opportunity at that time to meet
and try to come up with a better way
to proactively plan for the future,” said
Tammy Straw, Business Development
Manager at ENTEK. “It was out of those
meetings that we came up with the parts
stocking program we continue to use
today.”
According to a 2014 report from the
Freedonia Group, US demand for woodplastic composite (WPC) and plastic
lumber will rise 9.8 percent annually to
$5.5 billion in 2018. Decking will remain
the largest application and will grow the
fastest, based on alternative lumber’s
minimal maintenance and long service
life. Wood-plastic composite materials will
outpace plastic lumber.
That’s a great forecast if you’re a supplier
to this growing industry, and one of its
leaders, New London, North Carolinabased Fiberon, partners with ENTEK
Extruders to produce its high-quality WPC
decking and railing products. A long-time
ENTEK customer, Fiberon purchased
their first ENTEK twin-screw extruders
in 1999 and today has numerous ENTEK
high-output 103mm twin-screw extruders
EXTRUSION SOLUTIONS is an ENTEK publication. Visit us at www.entek.com
A systematic, quarterly approach was
proposed by ENTEK, to review Fiberon’s
needs, schedule, build, and ship parts to
them throughout the year. The program
included barrels, screws, melt pumps,
and other wear parts. Some of these
parts take months to manufacture and
ship – but with this new program, Fiberon
always would have spare parts in stock at
their facility, ready to go when needed.
(continues on page 4)
MAY 2016 PAGE 1
Executive’s Corner
A New Team
Welcome to the latest issue of Extrusion Solutions.
Dr. Kirk Hanawalt
Left to right: Austin Lindsey, Kristina Corona, Sam Goral, Colt McDaniel, Andy Hoffmann, Linda Campbell,
Tammy Straw, and Bill Petrozelli
2016 has brought some changes as new
faces have joined ENTEK’s sales team,
and one familiar face has moved on.
New Lab Developments –
People and Places
As most of you know by now, John
Effmann, who worked with us since
2005, has retired. For 11 years John led
the sales and marketing efforts of the
company and he played a pivotal role in
the company’s growth over that time.
John’s last day was March 31 and we wish
him all the best, and thank him for a job
well done.
Meet the New Team
The new team (see photo) is more than
ready to continue providing you, our
customers, with the service ENTEK is
known for. It features a great mix of
new employees with veteran ENTEK
leadership. Linda Campbell, Director of
Sales, leads the group. She is no stranger
to our customers, and is a 28-year
ENTEK employee. Tammy Straw, a 16year employee, will lead the company’s
marketing efforts.
See the article on p. 4 for more details.
I am confident we have a great team in
place to help us continue to meet the
challenges of the future.
I have written in the past about ENTEK’s
commitment to providing comprehensive
lab services to our customers. With that
in mind please join me in welcoming our
newest team member, Andy Hoffmann,
our new Pilot Plant Manager (see article
on p. 5). I am also happy to announce a
new location for ENTEK lab trials, at Gala
Industries in Eagle Rock, VA (see article on
p. 5). Gala’s beautiful new lab features an
ENTEK 53mm twin-screw extruder.
We always encourage customers to come
to Oregon to visit ENTEK, but when that’s
not possible, customers in the eastern
USA now have another location to run
material trials, with the support of both
ENTEK and Gala employees.
ENTEK has a great team of committed
engineers who work every day to not
only design some of the best twin-screw
extruders in the industry, but to help
customers get the most out of their
compounding operations. How can we
help you? Let us know.
Thank you to all of our customers for their
continued support.
As always, I encourage you to contact me
anytime at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Dr. Kirk Hanawalt
President, ENTEK Extruders
How Can We Help You?
Every issue of Extrusion Solutions
features a cover story about an ENTEK
customer, and this issue is no different.
We have worked with Fiberon since the
early days of wood-plastic composites and
are proud to have helped them achieve a
leadership position in the market.
EXTRUSION SOLUTIONS is an ENTEK publication. Visit us at www.entek.com
MAY 2016 PAGE 2
Extrusion Solutions
ENTEK Announces New Hardware and Software Products
for QC3TM Line of Co-rotating Twin-Screw Extruders
New QC3TM Vacuum Stuffer/Side Feeder Combination Unit
The newest QC3TM hardware introduced by ENTEK is its new QC3TM Vacuum Stuffer/
Side Feeder Combination Unit. For use with the QC3-43MM twin-screw extruder, this
innovative unit was designed with numerous features that allow for easier operation
and faster service than traditional vacuum stuffers and side feeders. Features and
benefits include:
• Stuffer barrel can stay mounted to the extruder, while the rest of the unit is
pulled out for cleaning. This means the barrel can be cleaned in place and the
screws will be exposed for easier cleaning. (Quick Change + Quick Clean feature)
• Can be used as a vacuum stuffer or a side feeder, switching only cooling and
vacuum hoses to change configuration. (Quick Change feature)
• Unit can be mounted to any of the 6 closest barrels to the arm mount (3
upstream & 3 downstream) (Quick Change feature)
• Bolts are designed to be easily removable with the built-in air ratchet. All bolts
intended for frequent assembly/disassembly are the same size; some are at an
angle for easier assembly/disassembly (Quick Change feature)
• Mounted to top deck of extruder; preferable to separate unit with casters on
the floor (typical side feeder), and easier access/service than mounting above
extruder (typical vacuum stuffer)
• Arm is easily maneuverable
New ENTEK Software Program Allows for
Faster, Easier Screw & Barrel Layout Design
One of ENTEK’s newest products is a new software program designed for customers to
quickly and easily design screw and barrel layouts for their specific applications.
This new program has shown great promise in helping cut lead times and enhance
communication between ENTEK and its customers.
There are several built in features for this new software, including:
• Drag and drop on all components that customers need to specify: barrel sections,
screws, metallurgy, etc.
• Automatic calculation of remaining space on the screw shafts
• Safeguards to prevent putting certain elements where they do not belong
• Easier part ordering as complete part numbers are furnished within the program
• Easy save within the program or export to an excel file options once
design is complete
“All of these new products are things that our customers communicated to us that they wanted,” said Linda Campbell,
ENTEK’s Director of Sales. “They solve common problems, make their lives easier and ultimately improve their productivity.”
For the screw design program: http://screwdesign.entek.com
EXTRUSION SOLUTIONS is an ENTEK publication. Visit us at www.entek.com
MAY 2016 PAGE 3
Working Together
Fiberon Chooses
ENTEK
(continued from page 1)
A 12-month schedule of production is produced
by Fiberon and shared with ENTEK; quarterly
shipments of parts from ENTEK to Fiberon ensure
that they stay prepared, up and running.
ENTEK Announces
Personnel Changes
ENTEK has announced several personnel changes in its
sales and marketing group.
John Effmann, Director of Sales & Marketing, retired
effective March 31. A well-known plastics industry veteran
of over 40 years, John worked at ENTEK since 2005 and
over that time he helped the company grow its customer
base for extruders and wear parts significantly. During his
11 years at ENTEK he also served in numerous roles at the
Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI), where as Chairman
of NPE 2012 he helped lead the move of the triennial show
from Chicago to Orlando.
Mike Huskey, Vice President of Manufacturing
at Fiberon, said the need to minimize downtime
and keep their machines running at maximum
capacity is critically important. “There will
always be breakdowns and the need to repair
machines and replace worn parts,” he said. “But
in our business, you can’t tolerate the loss in
productivity that happens when you have to wait
days, weeks or longer for replacement parts.
That’s where this program really helps us –
ENTEK works with us to predict our needs and
make sure we’re properly stocked and prepared
for the future.”
Linda Campbell has been promoted to Director of Sales.
A 28-year ENTEK employee, Linda most recently served as
a Regional Sales Manager for the company. In her new role
she will report to ENTEK President, Dr. Kirk Hanawalt, and
will become part of the ENTEK Leadership Team. She will
be responsible for global sales of the company’s extruders
and wear parts and will manage ENTEK’s team of direct
salespeople and representatives.
Higher Throughput Rates
Tammy Straw has been promoted to Marketing and
Development Manager. In this role, she will assume all of
the marketing responsibilities for ENTEK Extruders and
continue to work supporting the company’s wear parts
business. Tammy has been with ENTEK since 1999 and
most recently served as Business Development Manager,
where she focused her efforts on building the company’s
wear parts business.
Like all leading manufacturers Fiberon employs
lean principles to drive productivity, and ENTEK
supports them in achieving their goals in numerous
ways. One example involved working together to
achieve higher throughput rates from the ENTEK
103mm twin-screw extruders. “We were happy to
send a team to Fiberon to analyze their use of our
machines, and recommend ways to generate higher
throughput,” said Kirk Hanawalt, President of ENTEK
Extruders. “Fiberon wanted to change some things
and we worked with their operators to establish
a new set of parameters that actually increased
output by as much as 20%.”
As business partners since 1999, Fiberon and ENTEK
have worked together since the WPC industry was in
its infancy. Today, as the booming WPC market grows
into a $5.5 billion industry in the USA alone, the
challenge continues to produce the highest quality
products to keep up with consumer demand.
“We greatly value the relationship we have with
ENTEK,” said Mike Huskey. “They are much more
than a machinery supplier to us. They are a partner
who works with us to help improve our operations,
which ensures our mutual success.”
Austin Lindsey has been promoted to Regional Sales
Manager. His duties will include supporting current ENTEK
customers, managing customer expectations and growing
the customer base. He is a 4-year veteran of ENTEK who
most recently served as Sales Project Coordinator, and
previously as a Senior Purchasing Agent. Austin will be
serving customers from the west coast through the
mid-Western states. In his off time Austin enjoys hiking,
hunting and fishing.
Andy Hoffmann has recently joined ENTEK as its new Pilot Plant Manager
(see separate story on Andy on p. 5).
“We congratulate John on his retirement,” said Kirk Hanawalt. “He has had a
great career in the plastics industry and has been an important part of ENTEK’s
growth for the past 11 years. At the same time we congratulate Linda and
Tammy on their new positions. They are all well-deserved promotions and
we are confident that we have a great team to lead ENTEK’s sales and
marketing efforts going forward.”
EXTRUSION SOLUTIONS is an ENTEK publication. Visit us at www.entek.com
MAY 2016 PAGE 4
Lab Services
Lab News
Meet Andy Hoffman – ENTEK’s new Pilot Plant Manager
ENTEK is pleased to introduce Andy Hoffmann, our company’s new Pilot Plant Manager. Andy joined ENTEK on April 1 and
immediately got to work, scheduling trials with our customers and getting to know our in-house team.
Before coming to ENTEK, Andy spent ten years working at a custom plastic compounder that produced both proprietary and toll
formulations. During this time, he held a variety of positions in the Technical and Operations departments at their locations in the
United States and abroad including QA Lab Technician, R&D Development Chemist and Process Engineer.
Andy has a vast knowledge of the plastic compounding industry, including the various types and styles of compounding
machinery and the associated downstream and upstream equipment. In addition, he has extensive knowledge on materials,
testing, and process development.
Andy holds a B.A. in Chemistry from a private Wisconsin college. He enjoys hiking, biking, snowboarding, cars, DIY, and wood working.
“I’m excited to be joining ENTEK and relocating to Oregon,” said Andy. “I look forward to working with and supporting ENTEK’s customers
on both pilot plant trials and/or in-house processing issues.”
Introducing an East Coast option for ENTEK customers
New Gala Industries Facility Includes a new ENTEK 53mm Twin-Screw Extruder
Gala Industries Inc. of Eagle Rock, VA has recently opened a new Specialty Pelletizing facility that includes
a new ENTEK 53mm co-rotating twin-screw extruder, coupled to Gala’s Electronically Adjusted Pelletizer
and automated unloading and loading equipment. The machine will be used by Gala to run production lots
for its customers, demonstrate how to run large volumes of compounds, and show its customers best
practices for its line of underwater pelletizing and control systems as well as other products. ENTEK will
also be working with Gala to use this line as an alternate location to run material trials on the east coast.
Mark Tate, Technical Manager at Gala will be responsible for running the facility, and ENTEK’s Bill
Petrozelli, who is based in nearby North Carolina, will also be available for technical support.
“Over the past couple of years we have been tasked multiple times with running very large market samples for our customers, and that was just
not feasible to do on the equipment we had in our applications lab,” said Mark Tate. “This new facility and larger equipment has given us that
ability. Going forward it will also augment our lab’s capability as well as capacity. While our most recent extruder addition was an ENTEK, we
continue to work with and supply equipment to other twin-screw OEM’s as well.”
“Gala has opened a beautiful state-of-the-art facility, and we are proud they have chosen an ENTEK twin-screw extruder to compound
materials,” said Linda Campbell, Director of Sales at ENTEK. “They are a valued supplier to ENTEK. We look forward to working more closely
with them and appreciate the chance to bring customers in the eastern USA there for material trials.”
Campbell said ENTEK has always encouraged customers and prospects to come to ENTEK in Oregon to see its facility, run trials, and meet
the team – and that hasn’t changed. “It’s worth the trip,” she said, ‘but when East Coast customers can’t make it out to Oregon they have a new
option, and that’s a good thing.”
For more information on the new Gala facility please contact Mark Tate at Gala at (540) 884-3111 or [email protected],
or Tammy Straw at ENTEK at (541) 259-1068 or [email protected].
Upcoming Events
ENTEK is participating at the following shows/
conferences. If you plan on attending any of
these events, please stop by and see us!
ANTEC 2016 • May 23-25, Indianapolis, IN
ENTEK will be exhibiting at booth 601.
For further information, visit www.4spe.org
EXTRUSION SOLUTIONS is an ENTEK publication. Visit us at www.entek.com
MAY 2016 PAGE 5
We Are ENTEK
Have You Seen Our Latest Ads?
ENTEK has launched a new advertising campaign, appearing now in leading
industry publications. The new campaign will focus on ENTEK customers talking
about the benefits they receive from working with ENTEK.
The first ad in the new campaign features ENTEK’s customer, Americhem.
In the ad Americhem’s Director - Global Manufacturing, Douglas Rich, is seen
standing with ENTEK’s Bill Petrozelli in Americhem’s compounding plant in
Liberty, North Carolina – a plant that ENTEK helped Americhem design and build.
“We’re excited about our new ad campaign, as the strongest message we have
is our customers talking about how ENTEK has helped them improve their
operations,” said Tammy Straw, ENTEK’s Marketing and Development Manager.
“Our customer relationships are what drive our mutual success.”
The new campaign will feature ads from several other ENTEK customers
as well. Watch for them!
Who to Contact
ENTEK
PO Box 39, 200 Hansard Avenue
Lebanon, OR 97355
Tel. 541-259-1068
FAX 541-259-8018
www.entek.com
Follow Us on Twitter
@ENTEK_Extruders
Dr. Kirk Hanawalt
President
E-mail: [email protected]
Linda Campbell
Director of Sales
E-mail: [email protected]
Tammy Straw
Marketing and Development Manager
E-mail: [email protected]
Kristina Corona
Sales Project Coordinator
E-mail: [email protected]
Andy Hoffmann
Pilot Plant Manager
E-mail: [email protected]
EXTRUSION SOLUTIONS is an ENTEK publication. Visit us at www.entek.com
North America
Bill Petrozelli
Regional Sales Manager
Tel. 541-259-1068
FAX 541-259-8018
E-mail: [email protected]
Austin Lindsey
Regional Sales Manager
Tel. 541-259-1068
FAX 541-259-8018
E-mail: [email protected]
Asia
Tay Hwa Beng
Asian Sales Manager
Tel. +65-997579621
E-mail: [email protected]
MAY 2016 PAGE 1