CASE STUDY

SCRAPER BLADE

Challenge

A Wisconsin plant that manufactures stainless steel holding tanks, mixing tanks, and silos for food processing industries was facing an inventory crisis. Their precisely engineered mixing tanks required specialty scraper blades. Without the necessary scraper blades, production would soon be at a standstill. Normally, the scraper blades were injection molded out of resin. However, due to supply chain shortages, their regular supplier was unable to obtain resin. Stock of scrapers at the plant was running low and production was in danger of being stalled.

Solution

Slideways arrived onsite and offered to develop a solution by custom machining the components. The customer explained that material selection was key due to the high temperature application conditions. The scrapers would be submerged in a solution that reached temperatures of 210° F. Additionally, the scraper had to be metal detectable. This was not a standard, off-the-shelf material.

Using their expertise and supplier connections, Slideways was able to locate a suitable material that met all specifications. A sample was produced and sent to the plant. When the plant received the sample, they realized that their drawing was not up to date. Slideways worked closely with the customer to modify the design and print to meet their current specifications.

Once the design was finalized, Slideways custom machined the scrapers in mass. Releases to the plant were scheduled over a period of months. The plant was able to continue production and their end-users received their orders on-time.

The plant appreciated the ease of working with Slideways. Attention to detail was crucial in meeting the multiple unique specifications of the part. Additionally, Slideways went above and beyond the original request by updating their drawing. With Slideways help, the plant avoided a production stall, late deliveries, and irritated end-users. Slideways listened to the customer and delivered what the plant couldn’t source from anywhere else when they needed it.

Slideways is a valuable partner even for those with in-house machining capabilities. We work from your prints or reverse engineer parts from provided samples.

Efficiency - Our specialty is designing and machining complex, custom plastic parts. Our engineers and machinists are experts in the niche “machined plastics” industry enabling you to concentrate on your core competencies of design and metal fabrication. We work from your specs with a vast understanding of conveyor belts and chains, state-of-the-art technical machines, and knowledge of various plastic materials.

Cleanliness - We only machine plastic. All our CNC machinery is specifically tooled for fabricating plastic components. There is no chance of metal contamination, which is especially important in food processing and packaging applications.

Inventory - We stock raw plastic materials; no need to worry about planning, stock levels, or the physical footprint of inventory at your location.

Delivery - We acknowledge your order with a ship date that keeps your scheduling needs in mind. We pride ourselves in just-in-time delivery with a 2-3 week standard lead-time from order to shipment.

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