Independent USA Blog

Independent Machine USA is pleased to announce the addition of our new blog. Please come back soon and we’ll create some blog posts.

Independent Machine Co Fairfield, NJ has become a major producer of slitting and computerized traverse winding equipment to the worldwide Advanced Composites industry. During the 1980’s Independent developed computerized traverse winding for the paper and film industries and  was able to leverage this technology for the development of more advanced systems including composites.  By the beginning of the 21^st. century Independent had introduced a contract converting service [ICE] utilizing the machinery advancements developed by Independent Machine.  For the past ten years these two separate entities have worked in tandem to develop the latest innovations in slitting & traverse winding thermo set, thermo plastics, glass, etc.  The converting operation offers a method of introducing the advantages of computerized spooling to the rapidly changing needs of the composites industry without the capital investment.  This provides several advantages to the user; (a) converting can provide immediate product spool supply and (b) converting can become the test bed for whatever machinery will be required when the customer makes the decision to bring the converting operation in-house. This has actually become a main advantage of first contract converting with ICE with a plan for the future acquisition of capital equipment from Independent Machine Co.  The engineering ability of Independent Machine is an invaluable tool for ICE to quickly modify existing converting equipment for whatever the application may require. With more than 40 years’ experience in the development of a wide range of  web processing machinery such as cross ply, hot melt coating, calendering  laminating, unwind/rewind and slitting systems  Independent Machine  can easily cross over and use the technology developed for one industry to another.

It’s been a rough couple of years for builders of web processing machinery but those of us that survived into 2010 are reaping benefits of a slowly emerging international recovery. The beginning of the year started slowly but by the second quarter capitol equipment plans for coaters, calenders, slitters, unwind & rewind equipment and traverse winders that were put on hold in 2008 seemed to emerge from the shadows at a frantic pace.  Because of industry consolidation, however, equipment manufacturing choices were not as numerous. The survivors appear to be the companies that relied on continuous machinery improvement and innovation  that set the standard for their industries rather than relying simply on the price benefit. What this may mean is that the outsourcing frenzy to be competitive solely through price may prove to be  a 20th Century model that is not quite as effective in this new, highly competitive  world market.  Goods manufacturers are beginning to  realize maybe quality has to be a larger factor in the cost/benefit equation. In our own experience we see many more projects from western Europe, that are no doubt also impacted by the lower dollar against their currencies, but also by the need for manufacturing innovation and quality. Our computerized traverse winding systems [Smartwinders™]continue as the world standard for this growing segment of the converting industry that realize the benefit of spooling long lengths of narrow width materials. The introduction of our Spool-Mate provides a convenient, high quality and cost effective method of unspooling material into a continuous process