AM Joan Flayler and CTM Brad Czerniak recently visited Lyondell Chemical Co. to address their high maintenance costs related to a large roller chain drive on a mixer. The plant was replacing the chain frequently at a steep $12,000 per hour, and the process was time-consuming. After listening to the team’s concerns, Joan and Brad recommended switching to a Synchrochain belt, which would eliminate the need for lubrication and make installation easier.

They worked with Conti’s Mark Merklein to review the drive and discuss the benefits of this solution. The plant team saw the value in the switch, and a purchase order followed shortly after. It’s a great example of teamwork and how Applied® delivers cost-saving, efficient solutions for our customers!

Challenge:
A bakery in Indianapolis faced frequent breakdowns of their spiral freezer due to warping in the wire belt. With increased production demands, any failure could halt the entire line.

Solution:
Applied® Account Manager Nate Purcell worked with ACC partner Regal Rexnord and Cambridge Engineered Solutions to assess and replace the faulty wire belt, ensuring the freezer could handle higher throughput.

Outcome:
The new wire belt was installed, restoring reliability and performance. Applied provided a full turnkey solution that exceeded the bakery’s expectations, securing a $610K order and helping them avoid costly production downtime.

Challenge:
A steel producer faced frequent gear coupling failures on their conveyor systems, causing 6-7 hours of downtime each time. The process to replace the coupling was time-consuming and required disassembling the entire drivetrain, often damaging the shaft.

Solution:
Applied® partnered with Platinum ACC Supplier US Tsubaki to recommend the ATRA-FLEX® elastomeric wrap-style coupling. This design eliminated the need to remove or adjust surrounding equipment, sped up installation, and required no lubrication.

Outcome:
The new coupling reduced installation time to just 15 minutes, saving both labor and costs. The mill plans to replace all 15 remaining couplings with ATRA-FLEX® for further efficiency gains.

AM Mike Soluri and CTM Conner Wise recently teamed up with the International Paper box plant in Rochester to replace a variety of competitive belts with Continental options. After meeting with the storeroom manager and reviewing a list of fifty belts, they successfully completed the interchange, converting the plant’s part numbers to Continental’s N7216 series.

This streamlined approach will help International Paper transition to the N7216 numbers, improving inventory management and operational efficiency. Great teamwork by Mike and Conner in delivering a seamless solution!

Challenge:
Edgewell’s Schick Razor plant faced high costs with 1-micron CUNO water process filters that were failing too quickly under high temperatures.

Solution:
Applied® Account Manager Fran Barton worked with Edgewell’s team to test several alternatives. The Donaldson LifeTec™ PP-100 N 10” filter passed all tests, withstanding pressures and lasting as long as the original filters.

Outcome:
After approval, the Donaldson filter replaced 800 CUNO filters annually, saving Edgewell nearly $31 per filter, or over $77,000 over three years.

Value:
This cost-effective solution not only improved process integrity but also provided significant savings for Edgewell.