Practically every new geotextile calender built in the US during the past 10 years has been equipped with nylon calender rolls from Richard Hough. In what has been a boom period for US geotextiles, that certainly amounts to a lot of calender rolls.
The latest of these contracts also demonstrates the global appeal of Hough products: two massive Syncast nylon rolls have been ordered for a 120-inch geotextile calender that is being manufactured by Standex in the US for the Indian market.
Hough’s reputation is a key factor in this dominance of the US business. As well as supplying rolls for all the new builds, the company has also carried out numerous retrofits, in which original blue denim rolls have been replaced with the superior and maintenance-free nylon rolls. In all, more than 30 rolls, all 120 inches wide, have been supplied in the past decade, all of which are still in operation.
Customers also appreciate Hough’s three-year warranty on the rolls, based on its total confidence in the unique manufacturing technology behind these products. The Syncast nylon sleeves are made on the world’s most modern equipment, computer-controlled and with centrifugal casting at up to 2,000 m/min. This prevents contamination of the sleeves by dirt or air bubbles. Fully-integrated mixing of the ingredients within the rotating machine chamber takes place under a nitrogen ‘blanket’ so that the nylon is never melted.
This technique contrasts with crude extrusion processes used 04.03.08 TCN Pendergrass 010 by other manufacturers, in which recycled nylon pellets can be melted and shock-cooled several times, causing brittleness in the finished product.
“It’s the winning blend of our strong reputation with specialised know-how and unparalleled technological expertise which ensures that customers always specify Hough sleeves,” says Managing Director Anthony Ashton.