Settling in: The First Six Months

As we head into Fall, the days are getting shorter and the temperatures are dropping, and here in western Oregon that means the start of the raining season. Although it also means the start of snow sport season!

Since my arrival in April, the Pilot Plant team has been busy running trials for both new and existing customers and completing improvements to the facility. The trials have used a variety of downstream equipment on our 43mm QC3 Twin Screw Extruder. We have run both strand and underwater pelletization, but we have also done some profile extrusion. In most cases, the customer has taken the trip out to Oregon so that we could better assist them with a current processing problem.

Those that have visited the Pilot Plant in the past will notice one major change – the new epoxy floor coating. This is something that was planned before my arrival, but completed during my third week. It has proven to suit our environment well.

The team has also been working hard to improve our overall operations. One major project we just completed was the creation of a rolling tool board. This handy board should limit the amount of time looking for tools and ensure that all tools are accounted for, and the fact that it is set on casters allows it to be moved with ease to the location in which the tools are needed.

If you are interested in running trials on the 43mm QC3 Twin Screw Extruder within the ENTEK Pilot Plant, or on your machine at your facility, contact me at ahoffmann@entek.com. If you do make the trip to Lebanon, OR, not only will we complete your trial but you also have the opportunity to see the extruder manufacturing operations.