Case Study: How We Redesigned a Rubber Chlorination System for Precise Control
At Gemini Industrial, we’re ready to help you solve any challenge in your operation with a custom automation machine. In some cases, that means a customer tells us their bottleneck, and we build the machine from the ground up. But we can also help you improve an existing machine for better performance.
Recently, a manufacturer serving the medical and healthcare market came to us with an existing machine that needed improvements. Learn how we helped them refine their process with a new solution.
The Process: Rubber Chlorination Treatment
Our customer manufactures rubber components used in medical applications. In products where rubber parts must form a secure seal, a smooth fit is critical. That’s especially important in the facemasks our customer creates, where discomfort can undermine the use and performance of the final product.
To achieve the right texture and feel, rubber components go through a chlorination treatment. In a chlorination machine, the parts are tumbled in a chlorine-based bath for a controlled period of time. They are then rinsed, neutralized, and dried.
This type of surface chlorination treatment is used across a range of rubber products, including seals, gaskets, O-rings, and many other components.
The Challenge: Upgrading a Machine for Greater Control
The customer worked with another supplier on previous machines, but they were looking for a new custom machine builder to help them improve their process with more flexibility and control. They were hoping to achieve greater control over the process and improve long-term maintainability.
Their previous machine had limited flexibility in adjusting the process. They wanted more control over key factors like solution concentration and temperature, so they could adjust each treatment to different products and requirements.
The Solution: A Redesigned Machine With Smarter & Safer Features
When the customer approached Gemini Industrial about machine building services, they did not have any drawings for the previous machine. We were ready to both analyze the existing machine and offer improvement suggestions.
We studied the original system and current process, then developed, built, and installed a new design with a variety of benefits:
Process Flexibility: Our customer is now able to adjust their process for different needs. The control system upgrades allow them to fine-tune the machine for the specific surface results they’re targeting with any given treatment.
Greater Precision and Repeatability: The precise new controls also enable better production planning. Because they can create more defined parameters, they can better understand future wash times and schedule work more effectively.
Improved Safety: Because the process involves chemical handling, employee protection was important to our customer. We incorporated upgrades intended to improve protection and minimize risk to operators.
Ongoing Support: This customer wanted not only a new machine, but a partner to help them for the long term. We’re ready to collaborate with them on future machines and add more features as their services evolve.
Improved Sensors and Feed Systems: These improvements ensure precision control of process solutions and process times. This helped the customer better understand and develop their process recipes and also helped them improve process cycle times. Improved controls and systems also increased safety, ensuring all neutralization was complete and all interlocks were latched to reduce the potential for employee exposure.
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In the end, rather than guessing at process times and concentrations, the customer now has precise control over the process, ultimately improving cycle times, process quality, and employee safety.
This is only one example of the work we can do at Gemini Industrial. We collaborate with customers at every stage of the process for custom machines. Some come with an existing machine that needs to be improved, as this customer did. But others may have only an early design and seek out design-for-manufacturing (DFM) guidance. Many simply have a production problem they need help solving.
Wherever you are in the process, we can help. Contact us to discuss your custom machine challenge!