FLEXIBLE FRIENDS - ARE YOU MEMBRANE PRESSING?
IF SO VACFORM IS A NAME YOU MIGHT WANT TO NOTE

Where do you get your rubber membranes? Are you happy with the quality and the service you're getting from your supplier? Can you be certain that you re buying the most appropriate membranes for your presses?

If the answer is yes to the second and third questions, the answer to the first is almost certainly Keighley-based Vacform Design. However, if your answers were not resounding positives, Vacform Design is a company you might want to know a bit more about.

Established in 1991, Vacform Design specialises in the supply of rubber membranes to the international membrane pressing industry. In its portfolio are natural rubbers which are guaranteed not to stain, silicone rubbers for really tight radii and incised definition, laminated membranes which are perfect for use on such as Kolmag presses, and latex rubbers in a wide range of thicknesses. A large stock is held in Keighley for delivery throughout the UK but many membranes are fabricated in house for specific applications and to custom sizes. And, of course, alongside these Vacform Design stocks all the accessories a pressing specialist might need from hoses to release films, PTFE tapes to repair kits.

So what makes Vacform different? The company's International Business Manager, explains; "Selling membranes is about helping the customer to get the best life out of their membranes," she says. "We solve problems for our customers. We take a look at the presses and the processes and make recommendations to improve the product. Sometimes it s simple - a question of using release films, or changing the rubber - but often it s the simple things that are missed in a busy manufacturing environment."

Vacform sees its role as a problem solver; an independent expert with a capacity for lateral thinking. And according to many of its customers, that s something Vacform does very well. Consultant Engineer, Peter Butterworth, believes lateral thinking is behind many of the innovations for which Vacform claims credit - among them, nonstaining silicone and natural rubber membranes, membranes which yield high definition and withstand higher temperatures even with presses that run at 3-400psi and special laminated membranes which give the best of both worlds.

We are currently testing different finishes which have lower friction surfaces, says Peter. We offer various surfaces. Most companies take a plate finish. We also supply fine fabric finishes which give better pull down and breathe without trapping air. All our products are cut to the width and length required and individually packed. Vacform even offer a repair service for silicone membrane users.

Can you honestly say your current supplier is such a flexible friend?

VACFORM MEMBRANES TAKE THE PRESSURE AT MFI

The MFI plant in Stockton-On-Tees is, through a programme of expansion, soon to be the largest kitchen and bedroom door manufacturing plant in the world.

It has been a major user of Vacform Design's 4mm thick natural rubber and 3mmm silicone rubber pressing membranes for many years. These membranes allow heated gloss and matt PVC fascias to be vacuum-pressed on to MDF door forms.

The flexibility of the membranes ensures the PVC adheres to a range of profiles, folding around the doors to give a perfect finish.

Ian Wood, Interim Production Engineer, has been working at MFI's plant for some time, perfecting methods of increasing quality and productivity. "Our job is to monitor the temperature, pressure and time cycles of the presses with the aim of increasing each machine's daily cycle rate" said Mr. Wood. "Using Vacform Design's rubber membranes and carefully balancing process parameters we have already reduced press cycle times from 4 minutes to 3 minutes, resulting in an output of around 110,000 finished doors per week".

MFI are enthusiastic users of Vacform Design's products because of a combination of cost, durability, delivery and technical support. "We can rely on achieving around 5000 pressings from natural rubber and 4000 from the silicone membranes", continued Ian Wood, "better still, if small tears occur in the membrane, Vacform Design collect them, carry out a vulcanised repair and return them, all within a matter of days".

VACFORM SAVES TIME AND MONEY FOR CLASSIC VENEERS

Classic Veneers of Prenton, North Cheshire, were delighted when their smart new membrane press arrived from Italy. Joy soon turned to despair, however, when it became clear that the machine's performance left a lot to be desired.

Classic Veneers is a major national supplier of veneered and foiled chipboard, MDF and timber to coffin manufacturers and small furniture outlets, as well as producing finished coffins and caskets itself under the Avalon Funeral Supplies brand.

The company applies West African Sapele, American White Oak and American Red Elm veneers to pre-shaped boards. The membrane pressing problems led to veneered board sticking to the membrane within the press. The `unsticking' process left dirt and damage on the veneered surface, decreased the life of the pressing membrane and subsequently spoilt the finish of the next batch going through the press. A pressing-cycle of 150 seconds was extended by at least another 60 seconds through the time taken to remove the boards stuck to the membrane.

Vacform Design were called in to offer advice and immediately identified various problems. The sticking was cured by the use of a special Vacform-developed release film. This film also allowed the press's vacuum to be localised to specific areas as required, according to the size of board being produced.

A new 4mm thick Vacform Natural Rubber membrane was also fitted, and the membrane press is now performing even better than originally planned.

Stephen Halliday, Classic Veneer's works director, has nothing but praise for Vacform's products and advice. "Vacform realised immediately how to put things right. Throughput is now up by at least 30%, allowing us to produce 35 pairs of coffin sides per hour - we were lucky to achieve half this number before their help. A second important benefit is that we no longer use talcum powder in an effort to stop the sticking problems", continued Mr Halliday "this used to get sucked into the machine and block pipes, meaning we had to pay for two extra services each year. Last, but definitely not least, Vacform membranes cost well under half what we were being charged by our previous supplier."