In the world of manufacturing, leaders know that their businesses are only as healthy as their people and the equipment they use. As equipment ages, businesses can take advantage of the opportunity to bring in newer, more effective machinery—just ask the team at Nordstrong Equipment, who recently doubled their capacity with the well-timed purchase of a new AST Flight Former!
As a manufacturer of conveyors and bulk material-handling equipment, Nordstrong relies on flight forming machines to produce flights (or “scraper plates”), an integral part of flight conveyors. When operating properly, the flights push bulk materials like sawdust, sand, gravel, coal, or chemicals along in troughs. To form a flight, the equipment bends and forms metal into a precise spiral with the required pitch for each customers’ specifications.
Their new AST Flight Former’s incredible precision and control has not only increased Nordstrong’s capacity, it’s also allowed them to expand their offerings to include sectional flights from 4-48” (with the option to produce up to an impressive 96” in diameter in a range of materials) and decreased lead times to better serve their customers.
While the machine’s advantages are many—not least of which is the fact that it improves the speed of assembly and quicker and easier tooling changes—the most important benefit of AST’s modern technology is the improvements it’s made to the safety of the machine operators. Operators can now utilize an overhead crane to manipulate the flights to reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries, thanks to the forming direction being horizontal.
With increases in productivity, the elimination of pesky production issues, and overall improvements in operator experience, it’s no wonder why Nordstrong Equipment is pleased with their decision to upgrade to the AST Flight Former. Congratulations to the entire Nordstrong team—we’ll be cheering for you on your ‘flight’ to new heights!