Case Studies
DESMA HELPS CUSTOMER INCREASE PRODUCTION CAPACITY BY 40%
“DESMA STANDS BY THEIR MACHINES. THEY TAKE THEIR WARRANTY SERIOUSLY, AND WHEN NEEDED, WORK QUICKLY WITH GREAT EXPERTISE TO KEEP OUR MACHINES RUNNING AT FULL CAPACITY” – ASHTABULA RUBBER CO.
Since 1945, ASC Engineered Solutions / Ashtabula Rubber Company has built a reputation for finding the right design, right materials, and the right geometry for their customers. They pride themselves on their ability to provide customers with quality rubber components and first-class customer service.
About 5 years ago, ASC / ARC identified a need to update and modernize their equipment, adding to and replacing machines that had been in service for decades, and increasing their throughput in the process. An initial search yielded several options for machines with a lead time of 20+ weeks, which just wouldn’t work given a dramatic increase in business coming in the door and the need to scale up quickly to meet that demand.
DESMA was another manufacturer already on the radar for ASC / ARC, well known for their reliability and service. In addition, DESMA had the machine ASC / ARC needed in stock, and they were able to make the necessary modifications to the machine and have it delivered and installed at ASC / ARC within 4 weeks!
KEY SELECTION FACTORS FOR DESMA:
- Time to Delivery – A 4 week turnaround time from ordering to delivery, compared to a 20+ week waiting time for each other manufacturer ASC / ARC was looking at
- Reliability – DESMA stands by their machines and takes their warranties seriously. When there is a problem, they often have parts delivered next day. If needed, they send a technician out quickly, and their technicians are experienced and communicate well to meet the needs of ASC / ARC.
- Anticipating Needs – Especially relevant the past couple of years with major supply chain issues across many industries, DESMA does a good job of planning for parts and machines that will be needed next month and next year, keeping items in stock and keeping ASC / ARC running at full capacity.
- Autotune Feature – DESMA’s machines have a platen autotune feature that saves a ton of time and even works on the cold block that ASC / ARC manufactured in house. The temperature stability provided stability this provided along with multi-zone heating allows ASC / ARC to fit more cavities in their molds, increasing production on each run.
RESULTS
Orders continued to grow for ASC / ARC, and DESMA was ready to help them meet that demand. They ended up installing 3 machines from DESMA in an 8 month period, and added a fourth in 2022. All 4 machines are now running 3 shifts, 6 days a week.
With the help of the new DESMA machines and the cold block molds developed in conjunction between the engineering teams of both DESMA and ASC / ARC, ASC / ARC has been able to increase their pieces per hour on one of their top product lines by 40%. The higher cavity capacity for each mold enables them to increase throughput without increasing labor needs.
Moving forward, if and when demand continues to increase for ASC / ARC, DESMA will be the first place they look for new machines. They also continue to partner on mold development, leaning on the combined expertise of their engineers to set up new projects well and keep old projects running as smoothly as possible.