11.03.11
Americhem, a global provider of custom color and additive solutions for synthetic fibers, has recently added a synthetic turf filament pilot line to its product development laboratories in Dalton, GA. The line will allow for streamlined color and additive product development for customers in the synthetic turf industry.
"This new equipment will enable Americhem to speed colour and additive product development for our customers," says Larry Campbell, global technology director for nonwovens and synthetic turf at Americhem. "It allows us to optimize products while minimising the amount of time and money required for trials on our customers' equipment."
The new line is modular, which allows for the production of a variety of turf filaments. Thus, the line can be set up to replicate numerous customer manufacturing processes.
This lab-scale capacity will speed colour matching and benefit customers by confirming colour checks for quality purposes. From a research standpoint, it will allow for expanded raw material testing including colour palettes, stabilisers and additives. It will also allow for spin process studies, new formula developments and in-house customer trials.
Americhem's Dalton plant also features a Color Design Center, where product designers and manufacturers can view hundreds of card-wrapped colours under different lighting conditions to generate ideas for new products. Visitors can take advantage of Americhem's "Match While You Wait" service, allowing for a variety of colour matches in a one-day visit. Americhem product design scientists produce masterbatch and synthetic turf filament, all in the same day.
"By adding synthetic turf filament spinning capacity to our design center, we are very unique among masterbatch manufacturers," continued Mr. Campbell. "Not only are our colour and polymer scientists leading experts in the industry, but our customer simulation capabilities benefit our customers in any ways. We are able to replicate our customers' processes and help them get differentiated products to market faster and more cost-effectively."
"This new equipment will enable Americhem to speed colour and additive product development for our customers," says Larry Campbell, global technology director for nonwovens and synthetic turf at Americhem. "It allows us to optimize products while minimising the amount of time and money required for trials on our customers' equipment."
The new line is modular, which allows for the production of a variety of turf filaments. Thus, the line can be set up to replicate numerous customer manufacturing processes.
This lab-scale capacity will speed colour matching and benefit customers by confirming colour checks for quality purposes. From a research standpoint, it will allow for expanded raw material testing including colour palettes, stabilisers and additives. It will also allow for spin process studies, new formula developments and in-house customer trials.
Americhem's Dalton plant also features a Color Design Center, where product designers and manufacturers can view hundreds of card-wrapped colours under different lighting conditions to generate ideas for new products. Visitors can take advantage of Americhem's "Match While You Wait" service, allowing for a variety of colour matches in a one-day visit. Americhem product design scientists produce masterbatch and synthetic turf filament, all in the same day.
"By adding synthetic turf filament spinning capacity to our design center, we are very unique among masterbatch manufacturers," continued Mr. Campbell. "Not only are our colour and polymer scientists leading experts in the industry, but our customer simulation capabilities benefit our customers in any ways. We are able to replicate our customers' processes and help them get differentiated products to market faster and more cost-effectively."