Broad Engineering Expertise Critical in Roll Handling Equipment Design

With a wide variety of companies in the business of designing and fabricating custom equipment today, it is critical to select a roll handling specialist that has the necessary engineering talent pool on hand. This includes mechanical and electrical engineers, systems integrators, fabricators, maintenance experts and sales personnel with expertise that includes roll transport, wrapping, and preparation for storage or shipment.

“In roll handling applications, where we are continually evolving our systems to meet our customers changing requirements, equipment fabrication and price are not the driving factors,” says Mike Wainer, Senior Project Manager at Battenfeld Gloucester Engineering, a global leader in the production of plastic extrusion systems used by customers worldwide in making film used in packaging applications. “Our customer’s roll handling equipment is going to be running for years, so it’s critical that we work with a supplier with hands-on experience and the engineering capabilities to work together with us in meeting those evolving application requirements.”

Battenfeld Gloucester utilizes S2F Engineering, a systems integrator and a single-source supplier of roll handling and material handling systems. S2F has designed, engineered and implemented projects for clients ranging from start-ups to industrial giants, in a wide variety of industries.

According to Wainer, having a material handling systems supplier with engineering capabilities is vital to Battenfeld’s success.

“These are vital material handling subsystems of our production systems,” says Wainer. “We outsource roll handling equipment from experts such as S2F because we are going to get involvement in system development and engineering. There is always pressure within our industry to come up with more efficient solutions, and the synergy we get with S2F helps us achieve that.”

Such equipment must often interface with existing equipment, sometimes involving systems that the contractor did not install. With customers around the world producing film products on customized, high-speed equipment provided by Battenfeld Gloucester, effective system integration requires individualized attention.

“These systems are typically very fast and very complicated, involving advanced automation technologies,” Wainer says. “So we depend on a supplier being able to provide — and develop, if necessary — highly efficient systems that will integrate with ours.”

There is also the matter of start-up. Not surprisingly, many smaller shops will beg off this responsibility, leaving the customer to handle any problems if the system doesn’t work properly. A full-fledged design, engineering and installation firm, however, is willing to handle the commissioning of the equipment and any equipment they’ve subcontracted.

In Wainer’s view, vendor support through all the necessary stages is essential to Battenfeld Gloucester’s success as a systems provider.

“S2F will test the roll handling systems on their floor, then send it to our plant where it’s tested again, often involving their personnel,” says Wainer. “On most jobs we contract with S2F engineers to participate in the mechanical and electrical installation in the field, as well as commissioning. It’s very valuable to go through these processes together.”

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For more information, contact:
Terry Benton
S2F Engineering, Inc.
368 Sherman Street, Blissfield, MI 49228
Phone 517-486-5737
Fax 517-486-6097
E-mail: sales@s2fengineering.com
Web site www.s2fengineering.com