Manufacturing Today Issue - 231 Dec 2024 | Page 34

Cover Story ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Advanced automation
The company has recently invested in the renovation of its Russellville facility , as Chuck details : “ We ’ re always striving to stay one step ahead of the competition . We noticed that across the industry , there was a demand for large profile hard and soft alloys , something that very few competitors were offering . With such limited supply , it seemed like a smart strategic move for us to grow our support for this market .
“ We have invested significantly in our existing facilities over the past few years and have plans to modernize our press here in the Russellville facility over the coming year , but it ’ s important to balance these advances with day-to-day demand . Our press can ’ t be out of action for long . Once it is updated , however , it will allow us to produce even more profiles . What ’ s more , we ’ ll be able to produce our existing offering more efficiently . Currently , if a customer needs a 30-inch profile , we

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produce three ten-inch profiles and weld them together . The new press will allow us to cut 30 inches off the bat , as well as any measurement in between .”
The recently announced new press facility will boast one of the largest direct extrusion presses in North America . With this added capacity and capability , Taber Extrusions can expand its offering and streamline its service . “ The new press will be a 16 ”, 10,000 ton press , with an extrusion line designed for both hard and soft alloy . We also have a state-of-the-art quench , heat treatment , and handling system , which will greatly enhance our productivity , capability , and energy efficiency . All of this means that from the time the log is loaded , to the moment it reaches the packing area , no human must touch the product . It ’ s one of the most advanced automation systems you ’ ll see across our industry ,” enthuses Chuck .
Environmentally conscious operation
For Taber Extrusions , environmental consciousness and efficiency go hand in hand . As Chuck affirms : “ The great thing about aluminum is that it ’ s 100 percent recyclable , forever and ever . That means we ’ ve been able to develop a closed loop scrap process . All of our scrap gets recycled back into our own facility , so that it can be
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