WAUKEGAN, Ill.—Polymax Thermoplastic Elastomers L.L.C., a manufacturer and custom compounder of thermoplastic elastomers, will increase the size of its production operation, adding about 8 million pounds of annual capacity.
The company has added a new compounding line to expand manufacturing of its line of thermoplastic elastomers, including hydrogenated rubber, styrene-butadiene-styrene, thermoplastic polyolefin and alloy products, according to a Polymax release.
The expansion, which includes the hiring of up to 10 new production employees, is underway, and will be fully operational by the first quarter of 2018.
The expanded capacity will be run on another twin-screw extrusion system furnished by Leistritz of Somerville, N.J., equipped with an underwater pelletizer from Gala Industries of Eagle Rock, Va. The 42,000-sq.-ft. facility also is equipped with a twin-screw pilot line for testing and small production runs, as well as a fully equipped laboratory.
In response to continued growth in both the automotive and packaging markets, Polymax invested in new equipment and regulatory accreditations, such as ISO 9001:2015 and IATF 16949:2016. In addition, statistical process control technique and analysis tools are applied to monitor process consistency and product quality.
The investment will play a key role in meeting the application development needs of customers, unlock new business opportunities and maintain customer response time, said Tom Castile, vice president of sales for Polymax TPE.
The company's TPE materials are used to produce injection-molded, extruded and blow molded parts such as interior and exterior automotive trim, consumer grip and handles, beverage closures, overmolded gaskets and seals, sporting goods and soft-touch applications.