Proprietary process boosted by drives, regenerated energy
Two years ago when American Synthetic Fiber (ASF) planned construction of its new 240,000-sq-ft fiber extrusion and nonwoven fabric production facility in Pendergrass, GA, managers focused on a singular objective: maximizing up time. "Our goal in 2000, with the first needle punch line starting up in May and the second in September, was to ensure a capability of producing 14 million lb of high-quality, standard, and proprietary fabric annually," said Ray Amin, ASF president.
ASF also pioneered an industry first for electrical integration and control of its new production lines. Working alongside systems integrator Electric Systems Integrator, LLC (Chattanooga, TN), ASF elected to install a combination of PC control and multidrive ac motor control for seamless operation of all processes from the carding system to the winder. The two lines installed are, to date, the largest and first production lines in the nonwoven industry to be built this way, with the multidrive featuring a true, common dc bus.