CROWN Machine uwp, Inc. established the CROWN Development Laboratory (CDL) to provide a facility for plastics compounding industry participants to perform Research & Development, Prototype Product Production and Product Start-up Production. Because CDL is one of the few development laboratories that houses actual production sized equipment, not lab size equipment, it is the ideal applications and contract manufacturing facility for companies looking to confirm the intended performance without the cost of running full-scale operation.
The CDL facilities currently demonstrate CROWN’s production size:
- Twin Screw Extruders
- Single Screw Extruders
- Recycle resin recovery systems
- Underwater Pelletizers
- Continuous belt dryer cooler classifier (CROWN’s “Super Dryer”)
- Polymer melt screening equipment
- Gear Pumps
CDL’s coming attractions include:
- Complete CROWN Recycling Line
- A CROWN system capable of producing compression molded pipe fittings
AT CDL, the main goals of equipment and process testing are:
- Demonstrating processes and equipment to confirm intended performance without the cost of running full-scale operation
- Troubleshooting and revealing potential problems or inconsistencies
- Developing new products
- Performing pre-production runs
- Developing recycled products
- Developing process systems
- Studying equipment optimization
- Lab to production scale up
Typical materials tested in the CROWN Development Lab include:
- Lubricants
- Fiberglass – graphite
- Fire retardants
- Blowing agents
- Fillers (Talc, Silica, Calcium Carbonate, Glass Fiber)
- Plastic and rubber additives
A few of the advanced development projects currently underway at CDL are:
- Ceramic-Titanium die design
- Hyper cooled cutting (cryogenic pelletizing)
- Dry face cutting
- Micro pellet process development
- Nitrogen chamber pelletizing
- Non-impact drying and cooling
- Processing of difficult materials
- New product processing technologies
Located at the CROWN Machine headquarters in Addison, IL the CROWN Development Lab is conveniently located 20 minutes from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. CDL offers a competitive fee to all companies interested in experimenting with product ideas, proving a manufacturing process or evaluating the equipment as a step in the procurement of a CROWN equipment solution. To set up a trial at CDL or to learn more, contact AnitaM@crown-cdl.com or call 630-543-5240.