The manufacturing industry is very important to the American economy. It is a provider of jobs and goods that the country needs. In recent years there has been a push to promote the importance of manufacturing and make sure that the youth of America know that it is a viable career option. This first led to the creation of Manufacturing Day, which is held on the first Friday of October, which has then grown to celebrating the manufacturing industry all throughout the month of October!
The goal of Manufacturing Day is to celebrate the modern manufacturing industry, and inspire the next generation of manufacturers. Throughout the country events are held at manufacturing facilities where student groups and the public can come in and tour the facility. On these tours they will get to see first-hand the manufacturing process in action, and learn more about what it takes to make a career in the manufacturing industry. With there being a high demand for skilled workers in the manufacturing industry, these events help to show students the future jobs that are available to them. With the population getting older, and more people retiring, it is important that these manufacturing jobs are filled with qualified candidates. Manufacturing Day is one way to bring exposure to the availability of these jobs.
At Universal Polymer we are strong supporters of the manufacturing industry in the United States. Based out of Middlefield, Ohio we manufacture rubber molded parts, rubber extruded parts, and plastic extruded parts. Our products such as the GOLDLINE and SILVERLINE tarp straps are American made and used throughout the trucking industry. Since our beginning in 1970, we have been committed to providing first-rate service, timely service, and quality every time. For more information about our products and services, please contact us.
From the early days of the rubber masticator which was primarily used to reclaim or re-process rubber scraps, modern day extrusion has come a very long way. Used generously and frequently to yield profiles for items like pipe and tubing for the architectural, construction, transportation, automotive, electrical, and general industrial markets, plastic extrusion is an art that few excel at! There has to be just the right amount of raw material in the extruder die, the ambient temperature and humidity must be carefully controlled to keep cracks and murkiness of the end deliverables at bay and most importantly there needs to be a delicate balance between the various materials being pushed together if co-extrusion is required.
THE PLASTIC EXTRUSION PROCESS AND PRODUCT ADVANTAGES:
Extruded plastic products not only have a uniform profile because of the characteristics of the manufacturing process, they can also be produced in bulk quantities without requiring much investment or physical labor. The tubes and pipes are durable and robust. Some are even flexible and can be shipped to clients in a reel.
The extrusion machine is carefully temperature controlled with PIDs (Proportional – Integral- Derivative controller) and fans. The speed of propulsion of the raw material with the friction of the movement may also produce sufficient heat to cause melting without the need of any external stimulation. It all depends upon the nature of the product.
The plastic is in the form of beads and mixed with colorants or UV inhibitors. These beads enter into the barrel like hopper under the action of gravity and pass through the hole of the feed throat and into the extrusion passage. The rotation of the screw gives momentum to these raw material pellets which travel the length of the pipe and gradually begin to melt.
The width of the cylindrical profile of the die fitted to the mouth of the extrusion passage determines the profile of the end deliverable.
This dimension can thus be varied to create tubes and pipes corresponding to client specifications!
UNIVERSAL POLYMER AND RUBBER’S OFFERINGS:
Universal Polymer and Rubber has conquered the pinnacle of expertise and finesse where plastic extrusions are concerned. Their products typically have high tolerance and a width of 4 inches. Up to 30 feet (or more) of continuous tubing length is shipped to buyers in prime condition.
Working with high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), and other plastics, UP&R is an ISO 9001 company that strives to be in compliance with ASTM standards.
The manufacturing sector is on an upswing as our first quarter comes to a close. With the popular consensus being that the US economy will continue to improve, an important question comes to mind. Is there capacity in the US manufacturing sector to handle a full economic recovery?
The increase in manufacturing activity became readily apparent at Universal Polymer in December of 2014. In previous years, for every market we served there has been a downturn toward the end of the year. Traditionally, December is 60-70% of normal sales, with March and April being pretty consistent.
At the end of 2014, however, we noted at Universal Polymer a sizable boost in manufacturing activity. This trend is continuing now as we reach the end of our first quarter. The increase spreads across each of our major markets, from the automotive OE supply chain to the construction and pipe manufacturer’s market.
The increases in the manufacturing sector are at least partly due to the strength of the automotive market, with upwards of 17 million cars built in North America in 2014 alone. The forecast was for the auto market to continue to strengthen in 2015. However, the news is not all positive. There is a big looming question of whether the manufacturing sector can meet with the economic changes.
For example, consider the housing market. While it has incrementally risen over the last few years, if you compare the housing market today to 50 years ago, as was done by Wisconsin Real Estate Viewpoint, it is still in the lower 5% of that period. The capacity has been taken out of the housing market in every level. Housing starts are the lowest per capita that they have been since the Viewpoint study began collecting the monthly data in 1959.
What will the next 50 years hold for the manufacturing sector? Universal Polymer will continue to update you and consider the implications as they relate to the US economy.
While most of the country is worrying about staying warm and digging out from another polar vortex, it’s spring and summer time at Universal Polymer! Well, don’t get us wrong, it is still very (very!) cold here in Ohio. However, this is the time of year orders for plastic and rubber extrusions come flooding in from companies that specialize in warmer weather products. That is the thing about the start of every year, while there is a manufacturing and construction lull during the holidays, it disappears the second the calendar flips to January and February. So, who are the companies and industries that are working so hard to plan for the long hot days of summer?
The lawn care and lawn mower industry is one such industry in full manufacturing mode. According to experts, consumer lawn and garden equipment is worth staggering $5 billion and close to 68 million American households maintain their own lawns. As you can imagine, some of the biggest names in the industry are currently running 24-7 to be ready to satiate this overwhelming demand. If you look at a lawnmower, you can see that rubber molding, and rubber and plastic extrusions, play a major role in keeping them running at peak performance.
The outdoor equipment industry is starting to slow around May, which is when the construction season is just being ramped up. The construction industry, which was worth $900 billion in 2013, must take full advantage of the warmer weather to get projects started and completed before the cold weather returns.
For us at Universal Polymer, it is critical that we time these seasonal shifts carefully. In order to maximize profits and keep our customers happy year in and year out, we make sure to expedite production during the busier times. So, never fear, no matter what time of year it is, Universal Polymer is prepared to handle what ever you can throw at us!
