MAJOR Increases FLEX-MAT® Manufacturing Capacity
MAJOR, a leading global manufacturer of high-performance wire screening media, is expanding the manufacturing capacity of its production plants for the company’s signature FLEX-MAT® High Vibration Wire Screens. MAJOR’s “Next Generation Project” will begin in 2020 and incorporate robotics as a means to automate production of the high performance screens. It further increases the company’s capacity to mass produce the screens, while retaining their ability to customize the perfect fit for each individual screen. This innovative process will help MAJOR better meet customer demand while keeping a short turnaround time with the same high-quality standards. The company expects to have two automated manufacturing lines up and running in early 2020.
“The FLEX-MAT product has established a reputation of high quality and high performance within the industry,” said Bernard Betts, MAJOR president. “With the addition of the automation, we will hold our product to the same quality standards, constructing each piece as if it were completely woven by hand. We will continue to provide a high quality, high performance screen that offers the highest output at the lowest cost per ton — and now we can provide it even faster.”
MAJOR’s signature FLEX-MAT screen media sets a new standard in performance for aggregates, mining and industrial producers. The innovative product’s high-frequency movement makes media an active part of the screening process, improving efficiency compared to static media such as woven cloth or synthetic panels. Unlike imitation self-cleaning screens, MAJOR designs FLEX-MAT to fit all decks, from scalping to finishing screening. It also features up to 40% more screen capacity than traditional woven wire and up to 50% more than traditional polyurethane and rubber panels. FLEX-MAT can be manufactured with either 304 stainless wire or MAJOR’s patented OPTIMUMWIRE®, the industry’s longest-lasting wire. The high vibration wire screens come in both side or end tension, as well as most standard modular panel formats, and are available in five opening patterns, offering the widest range of openings on the market.
Building FLEX-MAT screens is a multi-step manufacturing process, with each production line requiring multiple people. Until now, the labor-intensive process involved assembling each piece of media by hand. The addition of automation will increase MAJOR’s daily capacity. These additional two production lines will be added to the existing manufacturing capacity in order to significantly increase production output.
Spikes that occur during certain times of the season can sometimes triple the demand for screens. With the increased capacity for manufacturing, MAJOR will be better prepared to handle more demand, as needed, while providing the same high-quality product customers have come to expect.