Aerocom Recoups Time and Material at Rubber Compounding Facility
The Challenge: Time Is Money
Freudenberg is a custom manufacturer that develops advanced sealing products, such as piston seals, brake seals, fluid power products, gaskets, and static engine seals. At its Cleveland, Georgia facility, the production and laboratory teams work together to ensure the rubber compounds they create meet certain specs before being used in the final products.
Before implementing a pneumatic tube system, production workers at the mixing stations would carry a sample to the lab for testing. Workers cut through offices on the way to the lab, creating more traffic in an already compact space. The back-and-forth of workers from mixers to the lab only slowed down production.
The Solution
Freudenberg needed a system that was both sleek, efficient, and scalable, a system that would grow with the facility should it expand. With more than 80 years of experience in pneumatic tube system design, Aerocom’s engineering team built a system that checked these boxes and more.
Simple, Sleek Stations
Aerocom is not in the business of creating bulky systems, and that was especially important for Freudenberg’s Cleveland facility. Each station had to fit in a 6-inch square space, and the tubing had to maneuver around existing equipment. Our engineers built the system around three simple stations: two by the mixers and one in the lab. The former two stations were set up to automatically send samples to the lab, thus streamlining the sample transport process. Building the system didn’t slow the process down either: the entire pneumatic tube system was able to be built without stopping production.
Reimagining the Sampling Process
The new system not only made sampling more efficient but also cut down on wasted material. A pneumatic tube system helps workers send smaller samples as they need to fit into compact carriers. And a small sample is all that lab workers need! Smaller samples mean less material wasted in the lab and more material put into production. At Aerocom, we understand how important return on investment is for our clients: for Freudenberg, the cost-savings on wasted material alone paid for the new system within one year.
Does your operation deal with temperature-sensitive materials? We have solutions for those too!
The Results
When you work with Aerocom, you’re not just getting a system—you’re getting a partner. We built Freudenberg’s first system in 2014 and continue to maintain the system to ensure it continues to provide value. In 2018, we built an additional mixer station and a similar system at their LaGrange facility. We’re invested in our clients’ success and continue to build innovative solutions that grow and change with them.
About Aerocom USA
Aerocom USA is a full-service company specializing in the development, installment, and service of pneumatic tube transport systems. We serve clients across the U.S. and Canada, including big names like Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Goodyear, and Kraft Foods. Contact us today to learn how a pneumatic tube system can improve efficiency and cut costs for your business.