Fortune 100 Imaging Equipment Manufacturer Turns to Specialty Design for Greener, More Efficient Toner Recycling Program

Release date: August 5, 2009

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Fortune 100 Imaging Equipment Manufacturer Turns to Specialty Design for Greener, More Efficient Toner Recycling Program

READING, PA - For one Fortune 100 imaging and printing equipment manufacturer, an O.S.H.A. and D.E.P. mandated toner recycling program was creating a massive production bottleneck and racking up millions of dollars in unnecessary costs. The customer recently sought an automation solution from Specialty Design & Manufacturing Co., Inc. to address the problem. 

The Fortune 100 manufacturer contracted Specialty Design engineers to design, build, and ship seven custom-built generic toner removal stations to their American manufacturing facility. Having achieved payback on their investment just six months after project implementation, the automation solution proved to be appropriate and cost-effective.

"These special machines revolutionize the method by which the customer manages their toner recycling program," said Lee Ahrens, Engineering Director at Specialty Design. "Where they once ran a costly, labor-intensive toner disposal operation, our equipment now allows them to run a cleaner, greener and more efficient recycling operation."

Prior to meeting with Ahrens and other Specialty Design engineers, the Fortune 100 manufacturer had no automation process in-place to manage their toner recycling operation. To adhere to newly passed O.S.H.A. and D.E.P. regulations, the customer employed 30-40 people per shift to process the demand of used toners being returned for re-use. Problems inherent to their existing system included spillage, high processing costs, and carpel tunnel exposure.

Specialty Design's automation engineers designed a four-station, indexing turntable machine that allowed the customer to reduce the shift headcount from 30-40 employees to just one employee per machine. The machines all worked within a mandated 20 second cycle time, compared to a variable cycle time from the previous operation based on individuals' performance. Each machine completed all hole piercing, drilling, vacuum, and toner evacuation automatically.

For additional information about this project or to learn more about Specialty Design, visit www.specialtydesign.com or contact Justin Knabb at 610.779.1357. Specialty Design is a leader in the design, manufacturing, and integration of automated special machines. In addition, Specialty Design offers value engineering services, ranging from contract manufacturing opportunities, to CNC and Wire EDM machining for creating tooling, fixtures, and dies.

Case Study: Dual Filling Machine for Dentistry Supplier

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Solution:  We designed and built a system to perform the customer-requested functions with the following features:

• Tooled vibratory feed bowl
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Specialty Design was able to offer a cost-effective solution...

 

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• Commercial base frame
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Prior to approaching Specialty Design, the Red Cross dispensed coagulants onto absorbent pads by hand.  This approach proved to be too slow and the application too inconsistent.  Specialty Design was able to offer a cost-effective solution...

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Solution:  We designed and built a special machine that had the following features:

• Robotic gun movement
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The Red Cross can now produce coagulant pads in one table load at 30 second cycle times.  Furthermore, coagulants are dispensed in a more uniform and consistent fashion.  Not only did our special machine meet the Red Cross' firm expectations for producing a critical product, but the Red Cross informed Specialty Design that the machine has most recently been provided for military use.

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A pharmaceutical company required a bottle fill machine for a new type of resin, as none of the commercially available machines would satisfy their needs. 

See Specialty Design's solution below...

Solution: 

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A pharmaceutical manufacturer required a revision to their heat seal machine to achieve greater throughput and a more efficient count/per box system.

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A manufacturer of die-cast aluminum floor panels required equipment to manufacture a better quality product to remain competitive in their industry.

See Specialty Design's solution below...

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Specialty Design designed and built a complete 2-unit work cell that would:

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An automobile frame manufacturer required an economical automatic press loading device.  Specialty Design was positioned to build a machine for a much better value than a Detroit manufacturer. 

See Specialty Design's solution below... 

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Specialty Design designed and built a press loading unit that integrated the following features:

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