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Trenton, South Carolina: Bondex, a Trenton, South Carolina manufacturer of nonwovens, solved two nagging production problems with mechanical solutions from a single source, Converter Accessory Corporation (CAC).

The first problem was with an air shaft, button type design that clogged and became ineffective under production conditions.

According to Charlie Waters, Bondex Production Manager, Bondex's nonwovens production was plagued by frequent disruption when material; fibers and dust, from roll cores built up in and then clogged the button type air bladder openings. Not only did this accelerate wear on the bladders, but also, as the openings became clogged, prevented firm, uniform contact between the buttons and the cores. Operation of the air shaft became ineffective, production had to be shut down and the air shafts serviced. Frequently, the bladders in the button type air shafts were too difficult to replace in house and had to be sent to the manufacturer for refitting.

For Waters, the amount of downtime caused by air shaft failures was unacceptable. When salesman John Burch from Louis P. Batson Company, a Converter Accessory Corporation (CAC) agent, presented COR-LOK air shafts as an alternative, Waters was intrigued enough to give one a trial.

Unlike button-type systems, COR-LOK air shafts and chucks feature a tubing design contoured to match the geometry of its unique, spiraled shaft body. These inflatable tubes are able to match and usually exceed the gripping power of other systems, including button-type. Importantly, so far as Waters was concerned, CAC's COR-LOK air shafts offer exceptionally easy maintenance and tube replacement.

CAC's tubing fits all CAC air shafts and chucks. It can be ordered and stocked in advance and cut to length, on site, to match any COR-LOK air shaft. This feature is especially important in a facility using a diversity of air shaft and chuck sizes. The tubing itself is mechanically fixed to the air valve rather than vulcanized, and thus can be easily replaced by virtually any operator using simple hand tools. The tubing requires only 60 to 120 psi to fully inflate.

After the first COR-LOK air shaft was installed and tested on Bondex's nonwovens production line, the results were so impressive that Waters decided to replace the remaining button-type systems with the CAC technology.

The second production problem, less urgent but none-the-less a stewing annoyance in the background, was with a venturi trim removal system that sometimes clogged, was limited in how far it blew waste, and too limited in the volume of trim it could handle.

Burch said he had a solution to the trim removal annoyance as well and introduced Bondex's Waters to CAC's Fox TrimAway ®venturi and blower based trim removal system. CAC offers 30 standard systems with blowers from 1 HP to 15 HP. All components are engineered to match each customer's specifications. Components include a unique, adjustable venturi, regenerative blower, pickup nozzle, Y connectors, collection centers, flexible ducts, motor starters, trim choppers, filters and silencers(if needed); it is a complete, ready-to-work trim removal system fully supported by readily available spare parts. ”Since we liked the air shaft and were impressed with the sensible engineering behind it, we were pleased to find the same common sense approach in the Fox TrimAway.“ Waters said. Waters says the FOX TrimAway runs quieter, handles more trim and heavier trim, sends it farther and is more reliable than the system Bondex had before. ”I don't think it ever clogs,“ Waters said. Finally, Waters said, ”We really appreciate the efficient, cost effective design engineering behind both these systems. They install easily. They run like they're supposed to and you can service them yourself, in house, with your own people. Can't beat that.“