New Equipment Streamlines Processes at Lundell Plastics

12-18-14

ODEBOLT, Iowa - Lundell Plastics Corporation of Odebolt, Iowa has been a leading innovator in plastic agriculture and industrial products for over 30 years. That innovation and an investment in equipment has resulted in a new process for the company. With this new machinery, they are able to create custom blended plastics for select products. The end result is a strong consumer product and a reduction in waste.

All of the new materials arriving at Lundell will be nearly 100 percent utilized in finished products. With the capabilities of the new equipment, there is no waste or scrap generated in any of the manufacturing processes.

"Previously, when many of our products were made, there was usually some scrap material generated," explained Matt Roeder, product engineer. "Now, we recycle that material to be used in other finished products. Sometimes we are blending this material into the same product, and sometimes we are adding it to another product. The different materials all have specific properties, and many times, by creating a custom blend of materials we can have a higher quality finished product than using traditional plastics."

Recycling the plastic is a two-part process, in which the material is fed through a 50-horsepower granulator that sizes the material. The material is then processed through a Kongskilde airwash system that purifies the material by removing any dust or fine particles.

Adopting this technique has proven to be of great benefit to Lundell. And, these benefits get passed directly to their consumers.

"This process helps us control costs because we are fully utilizing all of the material that we purchase," Roeder added, "and, we can pass that savings on to our customers. The second benefit is that blending of the plastics often times results in the finished product being more durable. In the long run, we reduce our material needs and we help our customers obtain high-quality products at lower cost."

Those looking to learn more about cutting-edge agriculture and industrial plastic products from Lundell Plastics can visit their official website at www.lundellplastics.com as well as connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter (@LundellPlastics) and Google Plus.