Challenge/Solution Case Study:

Redesigning the Cooling Section of an Asphalt Roofing Line

Result

As a result of EFI Group’s analysis, recommendations, design and implementation oversight, this manufacturer was able to resolve a variety of technical and profitability issues that had their root causes in the coating and cooling sections of its asphalt roofing line.

EFI Group’s solution not only enabled the cooling section of the asphalt roofing line to operate at a consistent tension at higher speeds, but also to achieve a consistent temperature range at the cutters. This resulted in increased productivity and improved quality.

Challenge

Issues involving the cooling section of the client’s asphalt roofing line were resulting in damage to the end product, increased downtime and numerous customer complaints.

Specifically, the original configuration of the cooling section was deluging the asphalt sheet with water without regard to sheet or ambient temperature variations. This often resulted in wet product arriving at the cutters either too hot or too cool causing product jams. Additionally, tension control issues within the cooling section were causing frequent web breaks, resulting in significant productivity losses due to unscheduled downtime.

Solution

EFI Group worked closely with plant leadership and engineering personnel to explore potential options for solving the client’s cooling section issues. After extensive thermodynamic analysis of methods to effectively cool the sheets, as well as in-depth discussions with OEM’s, controls integrators and other vendors, EFI Group recommended the client adopt an evaporative cooling solution operated by smart technology.

The new smart system is able to accurately sense sheet temperature and adjust newly designed (and more appropriate) fine-spray nozzles and airflow system to apply the correct amount of water and air for effective and timely evaporation. Now, each sheet arrives at the cutting heads dry and at the ideal temperature.

Once the client agreed to the proposed solution, EFI Group managed the challenging task of determining the most effective way to mount the new cooling section within the existing space.

EFI Group perfected the design and oversaw the construction of a frame that would position the top rolls 20 feet above the ground, allowing for the correct length-to-speed ratio for evaporation to occur.

Additionally, EFI Group worked directly with vendors and contractors to ensure successful installation of each component of the new system, including plenums, spray nozzles and smart technologies.

Deliverables

Mathematical and engineering analysis to arrive at the most effective solution for solving the client’s challenges.
Vetting of OEM’s contractors and other vendors.
Detailed design of the new cooling section.
Completion of the general arrangement of new equipment.
Oversight of existing system demolition.
Oversight of new system installation.
Overall project management – schedule, budget, management of project issues and technical challenges.

We hired EFI Group to help us figure out a project and scope it, and I felt confident they would keep a keen eye on it. They had to deliver quickly and they did it well. They are especially good at project management when you don’t have the resources to do it internally. Reliability is the word I would use to describe EFI Group.

— Coatings Industry Professional

EFI Group is timely. We’ve had a lot of situations when we’ve been in a time crunch and they’ve responded very quickly. They are detail oriented and efficient. They’re a good group of people who also have a lot of strength in pre-engineering — the thought process to get to preliminary design and making sure we’ve investigated all the potential asks of a project to ensure we didn’t miss anything. They have great attention to detail up front which is very important to any project because having that detail-oriented deep dive into the pre-engineering phase sets the stage for the success of the rest of the project, making the process smoother and making it much easier to keep the project on schedule and on budget.

— Mike Quigley, Engineering & Maintenance Manager, Food Industry

I’ve worked with EFI Group for a while, so I know they have a good, knowledgeable staff. We know we’re going to get the results from them we expect. From my interactions with all the different EFI team members I’ve worked with, I know they have knowledge across many industries. Equally, I never have to follow up with EFI Group and, in some cases, they keep me on track.

— Ryan Fredsall, General Manager, Pacer Minerals LLC

We view EFI Group as a team that can dimensionalize our capability to execute projects. We can articulate what it is we want to do and they can take that input and run with it without much intervention from us. They’re able to move a project along independently and only engage us when it’s time to bring us up to speed or get more input to drive a project to conclusion. That’s one of the reasons I view them as an excellent contractor.

— Environmental Engineering Industry Professional

EFI Group has good engineers and good customer service. We know when we get an EFI engineer on a project, we’re going to a get a good job from them and it’s been a productive relationship for both of us — I genuinely like the people.

— Corporate Director, Project Management in Food & Flavors Industry

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Challenge/Solution Case Study:

Redesigning the Cooling Section of an Asphalt Roofing Line

Result

Challenge

Solution

Deliverables

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