Atlantex adds to product portfolio

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—Atlantex Manufacturing Corp. has introduced two new protection sleeve products, one that came about to serve a customer need and the other developed to take advantage of two materials it works with.

The Double-Colored Firesleeve-brand product provides a flame and molten splash resistant barrier covering critical system components in a vast number of industrial applications. And the Yellow Jacket-brand hybrid mechanical protection sleeve combines nylon and Kevlar, providing what the company claimed is “unmatched levels of cut-through and abrasion protection” for use in a wide variety of systems that face mechanical hazards.

The Double-Colored Firesleeve was prompted by a customer who asked for ways to differentiate lines and also color-code them, according to Michael Ford, Atlantex technical product manager. “They wanted an assembly that was going to stand out, so we put our noses to the grindstone and came up with that product in response to that industry need,” he said during the recent NAHAD annual convention in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Atlantex manufactures the line using a high-quality fiberglass to produce a knit insulating substrate, and then coats that with a custom-formulated, self-extinguishing silicone polymer. It withstands continuous exposure up to 500°F and short-term exposure up to 2,200°F, the company said. The product is used to protect hoses, wires, cables and other components from damage in foundry and industrial applications.

Ford said the new product transitions right into the same uses that traditional fire sleeves are used in, but with added value. For example, by making the sleeve in a red and yellow twisted pattern, operators will know that it's a hot line.

“In addition, our products reduce surface temperatures and insulate,” he said. “It's going to help mitigate that risk and reduce energy loss, heat loss and energy expenditures. ... We just like to design a better mousetrap.”

The Yellow Jacket sleeve—using two materials the firm has long used—is resistant to water, oils, solvents and other fluids used in industrial, automotive and equipment applications. Atlantex said the distinctive look of the jacket makes assemblies stand out, promotes awareness of a potentially hazardous line, and the yellow color of the Kevlar gives a wear-through indication for industrial and hydraulic hoses, wires and cables.

“It's hard to see a contrast for a wear-through with a black hose and a black jacket,” Ford said. “There's no contrast. If it were to be a colored sleeve and you start to wear through, you can see you have a failure point brewing there and can do preventative maintenance to stop a hose burst. That's not anything you ever want to deal with.”

He added that the yellow sleeve also helps with leak detection, as it's easier to see fluid saturation. “It's really about safety, and ultimately that's our biggest focus,” he said.

Atlantex had heard from customers that the first half of 2016 has been pretty soft, but Ford said his firm's business is holding strong, and especially has been picking up from its international customers.

The Downingtown, Pa.-based family owned firm is 25 years old, and Ford is part of a third generation helping to run the business. “We've been told that we are small enough to listen, but big enough to respond,” he said. “We're able to handle some of the high-volume distributors with 99 percent on-time delivery and no quality returns. We really like to think we're the best of the bunch.”

Atlantex employs 20 and produces millions of feet of product each year, including both standard lines and custom-made products, Ford said. Besides its home base, it stocks product in Houston and has sales coverage throughout the world.

The vast majority of its business is done through distributors, but there are a couple of original equipment products that are specified in, and Atlantex handles those directly, Ford said.

And the market for the firm's products should continue to remain strong, he said. “You need products that are going to last longer. Downtime is a killer of efficiency. If we can keep a line in use an extra week or two—and I think they'll last a lot longer than that with our products—at the end of the year that is going to translate into a lot of money that would have been spent on replacement hose, replacement assemblies, maintenance and downtime.”