The automation will increase quality and uniformity from batch-to-batch, McCoy said, "by taking human error out of the equation.
"It will also reduce waste and the use of many bags of chemicals," he said, providing a cleaner environment and a safer workplace through reduced material handling.
Chemprene's flagship product continues to be its ZipLink belting, based on a low-stretch polyester monofilament carcass that combines cover materials with a structured-link mesh.
This enables easy splicing at any length, without the need for tools or presses.
"In turn, this eliminates hours of downtime—which is enemy No. 1 in an industry using conveyor belts," McCoy said. "Chemprene was the first to offer Ziplink belts to the industry and can offer the technical expertise associated with this type of belt."
Chemprene typically works with a wide variety of polymer and fabric materials with its belting, coated fabric and diaphragm products. Polymers include nitrile, SBR, natural rubber, silicone, butyl, EPDM, neoprene, FKM and Teflon.
Fabrics include polyester and polyester/nylon, Kevlar and Nomex, among many others.
And there is not a raw material on the list that has not been affected by supply chain issues, McCoy said.
"The entire supply chain has been challenged this year," he said. "Fabrics, polymers and chemicals have seen force majeures, transportation issues, allocations and incredibly long lead times."
It has been the all-important customer relationships that have supported Chemprene, McCoy said.
"Chemprene has always enjoyed a great relationship with all our suppliers," he said. "As these supply chain issues began, these relationships helped guide us through the rough waters.
"In some cases, we have added extra stock in our inventory so we have the necessary materials to help us reduce lead times. Overall, however, the supply chain has been the No. 1 challenge at Chemprene this year."
Pricing volatility continues in concert with supply chain issues and the difficulty in procuring on-time transportation. McCoy said some polymers have stabilized, while silicones and plasticizers have "endured double-digit price increases."
"Price volatility has been present in all the materials we currently procure," McCoy said. "All materials have seen this volatility. While the number and timing of the increases have slowed down a little, there is still price volatility out there until the supply chain is able to balance itself."
Chemprene has been a well-known player in the belting industry for decades, starting with military-coated fabric products. The product range was expanded to include automotive and specialty diaphragm applications, and conveyor belting was added in the mid-1960's.
The company serves a range of industries, including food and vegetable processing applications; tire and rubber processing applications; airport baggage and package handling markets; marine applications; hydraulic packing and seal materials for oil and gas drilling; and aerospace and defense applications.
"We are a customer-focused company that is here to service any of our existing or new customers," McCoy said.
Chemprene is a part of the Ammega Conveyor Solution Business, which also comprises Ammeraal Beltech, AVE, Green Belting, Rapplon, Sampla and Uni.