Have you ever tried, maybe late at night or on your lunch-break, to come up a brand-new, revolutionary, “game-changing” app for a Smartphone? If so, well then join the crowd, my friend. While there are a million good/bad/somewhere-in-between ideas floating around for new apps, it’s become quite a money-making hobby for those who have the right programming chops.
At New Process Fibre, we’re not here to sell you on the latest app that lets you detect the trendiest new Thai restaurant in a two hundred mile radius. And we’ll let other folks concentrate on developing apps that help you locate Bigfoot. What we’d like to see out there are apps that allow one to browse for specific standard industrial parts/components within a broad field of industries. A pretty cool concept, if we say so ourselves. While there isn’t as yet (to our knowledge) any defining app that plugs a company’s needs into an encyclopedic reference list of specific parts and components, we’ve come across something that seems to be heading in that direction.
For example, there’s an iPhone app called Bolt_Aero that lets engineers, machinists, and suppliers keep track of the most frequently used aerospace fasteners. An anonymous reviewer on the site writes, “Great concept. I am a helicopter mechanic and sometimes I forget a part number for a washer or bolt.” Bolt_Aero is a perfect means for those who specialize in aerospace to look up the minute specifics of their industry with just a few presses of a few buttons. While it’s an excellent tool for the aerospace industry, it remains just that: for aerospace. While we at New Process Fibre have some experience in the aerospace department, we think that an even more-inclusive Smartphone app, one that provides the specifics of washers and fasteners used in multiple industries, would be of great service to America’s manufacturers. After all, doctors now carry Smartphone apps that can look up the details of a patient’s symptoms and match them with any known corresponding illness. We think the same concept could be applied in manufacturing. What do you think?
Let’s face it: readers of this blog, or their loved ones, or their friends, or their friends of friends of friends, have no doubt participated in the modern American tradition known as “Black Friday”. For anyone out there who wants to feign his or her innocence, Black Friday starts pretty much the moment after Thanksgiving Dinner. Millions upon millions of American consumers take to the damp, dark, and icy roads of this nation, barreling off to their nearest mall, superstore, and/or department store. Once there, they set up camp and wait in the cold until the moment arrives when the store doors open (usually around midnight) and they all come trampling indoors like a herd of stampeding cattle (cattle armed with credit cards) to take advantage of “one weekend sales deals” offered by big box retailers.
Speaking of the private sector, as you scramble down the aisles of your local department store to wrangle with your neighbor over that new set of lawn furniture, take a moment (if you’re capable) and consider that you might well be looking at some of New Process Fibre’s own handiwork. Our standard and custom discs, gaskets, insulators, spacers, tags, and washers can all be found in many of the leading brands of furniture, power tools, lawn equipment, faucets, plumbing, and maritime applications. Trust us when we say that even if you manage to get yourself trampled in the human stampede, our handiwork is built to last. It’s just a matter of getting safely home to enjoy your quality purchase.
Ok, enough already. For all of you who are out there itching to go: happy Black Friday, America. Be safe, play fair, buy American, and enjoy the quality of your new New Process Fibre precision-made parts.
What is it with Orlando, Florida and cutting-edge technological conventions? Hey, it isn’t like we’re complaining. Florida in mid-December?
Sounds like a plan to us.
But in all seriousness, the POWER-GEN International Convention at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL is an event we’ve been looking forward to ever since the beginning of this year. Simply put, POWER-GEN (held from December 11 – 13) is one of the dominant conventions worldwide for companies involved in providing power generation solutions for the worldwide electrical grid. New technologies, new marketplace trends, and long-term consequential issues that stand the chance of impacting the power industry will all be on the table and up for discussion. We look forward to taking notes (and presenting our own findings) during some of these talks and conferences. It’s a surefire way to ring in the New Year on a good, strong note.
That being said, we’re also looking forward to showcasing our manufacturing capabilities on the main exhibition floor itself. Among the 1,200 exhibiters expected to present their goods and services, we hope to meet up with old friends and allies, as well as forge new ties with other companies who are looking for that “extra something” to add to their service quality.
We’ll be out there in the thick of it – myself (Kevin Dempsey), Bill Rust, Denise Jefferson and Mike Kalnitzky – all at your service. Don’t be shy, come up and see what’s new with us. We’ll be manning Booth #2783. We guarantee it’s going to be a win-win for everyone who passes our way.
Study after study shows that we as a country work some of the longest, hardest work hours per day on the planet. It may come as a shock to some of our readers that Americans in fact work – according to one online source – “137 more hours per year than Japanese workers.” 85.8% of U.S. males and 66.5% of U.S. females report working weeks well over what is still considered the national “standard” of 40 hours a week. Consequently, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the productivity of the average American worker has risen by a full 400% since 1950 – in part due to automation and computer technology, true, but also in part due to adapting to the rigors of a harder work ethic. There is after all a reason that despite these hard economic times, the United States can still count itself as by far the most prosperous nation on Earth.
As work-time continues to erode into family time, the American family has had to adjust, and the primary means of doing so has been technological. Remember those good old days when the whole family took its time to cook the evening meal for a certain number of hours? Well, that’s not to say that such things don’t still exist today all over this great country. But in today’s increasingly fast-paced world, where the domestic front has to keep pace with the breakneck time increase in the office or factory job, things aren’t quite done the same as they were in the days of Leave It to Beaver.
One solution that’s been remarkably effective at letting the American household effectively meet the demands of the workplace is on the technology front. Meals nowadays are much faster to prepare than even twenty years ago. With all the microwaves, food processors, espresso machines, and fast-cooking ovens out there, it’s easy to see how Americans still manage to squeeze in some quality family time at the end of a long work day.
But a new global trend is underway in the kitchen: the “intelligentizing” of kitchen appliances. From remote-controlled food processors, dishwashers, and ovens, to refrigerators that monitor (and automatically adjust) their own internal temperature in accordance with the outside heat index, preparing dinner for the family has – in some ways – never been easier than before. At last, the “smart home” appliance has come home to roost.
Being that we’ve had our fair share of kitchen appliance-related jobs we’ve worked on over the years, we think this is a market we should pursue with all our vested ability. Our unmatched customized work using vulcanized fibre, thermoplastics, and NEMA grade laminates lets us extrude, stamp, slit, and shear vital components for all the new kitchen appliances that are beginning to crop up in kitchens throughout America (and worldwide).
It’s not like we have anything against the distribution companies. If it wasn’t for the business ventures we’ve formed with our distributive partners over the years, there would be a lot less of our quality products in circulation around the world, and a lot less business for a lot of hard-working, well-deserving companies. New Process Fibre and the Tier 1, 2, and 3 distributors it works on behalf of are all better off for doing regular trade with one another.
But sometimes dealing directly with OEMs – the main initiators of a given product – can be of great benefit – both for our company and also for the OEM itself. Whether you’re a hardscrabble mom-and pop manufacturing outfit that happens to be building a great product, or whether you’re a Fortune 500 company with billions of dollars in assets and liabilities that you’re responsible for, sometimes coming to a company like New Process Fibres is your best bet for time well-spent on a job well-done.
One recent case-in-point: a major American automotive company with global reach was having trouble at the local level with a particular part for a particular vehicle platform of theirs. A lot of customers had been calling in to or emailing their offices complaining about a mysterious “vibration under the hood” of their cars. The fault was quickly found by the automakers’ engineers: the original company that had supplied the major automaker with a particular engine part had provided substandard components that didn’t “match” the overall framework of the design. Something needed changing. That’s where NPF came into the fray.
When an engineer from this major car manufacturer called us to provide a prototype solution to the “vibration problem,” we quickly fabricated a series of parts within a period of days that we felt would match their requirements. Sure enough, upon receiving our prototypes, we got a beaming call back from the engineer, thanking us for providing “perfect” parts for their problem. We were able to address directly the needs of the automaker, providing them with an engineering finesse on par with their own high standards. In short, we made their day. And if we can do that with a legendary company like the one we did recent business with, we surely can make your day too.
Like any healthy, red-blooded American company should always be doing, we at New Process are always scouting out new opportunities – and new industries – for our manufactured parts and services. Sometimes the ideas come to nothing, but other times the ideas pick up steam, gradually becoming realities. In the case of the North American golf industry, it seems to be a case of the latter.
The global golf industry currently generates over $70 billion in annual revenues – and contributes essentially to other sectors of the worldwide tourist economy. Being that the United States remains the most powerful nation in the world – as well as home to the most golf courses on the planet (in fact around 20,000, which is more courses than all other nations have combined) – it seems like a prime market for us to provide custom-made quality parts and services for. What kinds of parts, you might ask? “Parts for golf carts”, would be our answer.
Our history of providing high-quality, last-minute, large-volume work for the automotive industry puts NPF in a great position as far as golf carts. Golf cart manufacturing is a huge – albeit somewhat “behind-the-scenes” – economic powerhouse to be reckoned with. From the elite desert, mountaintop, and seaside golf resorts; to the sprawling country clubs of the suburbs; to the major golf courses interwoven into the fabric of all major American cities – we realize there’s a never-ending need for quality construction of golf carts. It’s a need where we can apply our expertise in manufacturing custom gaskets, custom insulators, custom parts, and more, as part of the solution.
And while we wouldn’t necessarily expect our future golf cart partners to score us tickets for the U.S. Open on account of our precision craftsmanship… we wouldn’t, um, be averse.
It seems everyone around the world these days wants a nice house and garden. Nothing wrong with that! What began as an American suburban phenomenon after World War Two – the rolling miles of suburban tract homes with their well-trimmed front lawns and neatly-kept backyards – has mushroomed into a global industry. Places like China, where even 25 years ago it would have been pretty much inconceivable to own a well-tended “American-style” suburban home, have seen remarkable changes. Chinese urban planners now make regular visits to the States to places like Phoenix, AZ to gain inspiration for planning their own suburban and exurban communities outside of huge cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen.
Part of this new found interest in home improvement among developing countries has been a monumental expansion of lawn-care and watering systems. Everything from simple garden hoses and water sprinklers to more specialized chemical lawn sprayers (the kind often used to manage pest control) has seen remarkable sales increases in the PRC. American companies long familiar with the business of keeping suburbs nice and tidy have been taking notice, and even relocating overseas to take advantage of the lucrative profit potential. One such company – an American company that specializes in making garden sprayer systems – has relocated its office to China, but still needs American manufacturing expertise to help supply it with new, trustworthy parts. That’s where we come in at New Process Fibre.
Just to give you an idea of the volumes of parts we’re producing for the Chinese market: we’ve built over 10,000,000 parts this year alone for a garden sprayer. It’s the precision and quality attention to detail – oftentimes so lacking still in Asian manufacturers – that keeps this relocated American company coming back to us: we just “get it.” We know exactly what they need, what quantities they need, and most of all, we know how to give them their money’s worth in terms of a long production run.
Currently we’re slated to provide many millions more parts for this company. In the meantime, we’re leveraging our ability to mass produce quality precision home and garden parts and taking a look at the local North American market for these kinds of services. After all, the American economy might be in trouble, but that doesn’t mean people want their front lawns to be in trouble also.
With 85 years of manufacturing experience, New Process Fibre is a manufacturer of Non-metallic Stamped Components. One of the many components we make are Flat Washers. Nylon Flat Washers are just a few types of what we make. There are many uses for Nylon Flat Washers all over the world. It is an excellent wear resistant material and is manufactured from a variety of resin formulations to produce plastics made into Nylon 6, Nylon 6/6, and Nylon MDS (Molybdenum Disulfide). Nylon Flat Washers are available as Glassed Filled Nylon containing 13% up to 33% Glass Fill, as well.
Nylon Flat Washers are supplied by New Process Fibre to the Aerospace/Military, Automotive, Construction, Electronics, Fastener, Furniture, Marine, Petroleum, Plumbing, Power Tools and Recreation Vehicle industries.
With an in-house tooling department on site, we can create hard tooling to produce most customer requirements.
High volume punch press capacity is assured by an inventory of 75 presses, with cost-efficient small units and high volume equipment capable of 400 strokes per minute.
All Nylon Flat Washers are available in English and Metric Units.
Many colors are available — Color Matching is offered as well. Standard Nylon resin colors are Natural, Black, Blue, Green, Red and Yellow.
With a library of over 7,500 washer dies available, No Tooling charges can be realized.
Nylon Flat Washers are available in the following thickness:
Nylon and Nylon 6 Flat Washers: 0.040″ – 0.125″
Nylon 6/6 Flat Washers: 0.010″ – 0.125″
Nylon MDS Flat Washers: 0.010″ – 0.125″
Nylon Glass Filled Flat Washers: 0.031” – 0.090”
Nylon Flat Washers are available in sizes as small as 0.093” and as large as 16”.
For more information about our nylon washers, please visit this page. To learn more about our capabilities to produce your Nylon Flat Washer requirements give us a call at 800-487-4520 extension 218 or email us at sales@newprocess.com
These days there are not a lot of companies left that do turnkey jobs under one roof. With the proliferation of outsourcing and 3rd party contractors, many of our competitors have never invested the time or money into building up their own capabilities. It does help that we’ve been a leader in non-metallic stamping since 1927, but just being around for 85 years doesn’t mean a ton unless you’ve acquired a corresponding level of accumulated knowledge and expertise. If a company possesses both of these qualities, that company is in a position to provide creative solutions like few others can. At New Process Fibre, we not only make everything under one roof, but we strive as well to apply our 85 years of manufacturing experience towards cutting-edge industrial and commercial solutions.
One area of our business that has just been booming of late is tool-making. Companies from every industry imaginable come to New Process Fibre for our in-house tooling capabilities. As an industry leading, ISO 9001:2008-registered manufacturer, our level of quality never wavers. It’s one thing to make everything yourself, it’s another thing to make it properly. Our in-house tool room is not only equipped with top-notch wire EDM capabilities but also comes with a staff of highly-skilled craftsmen who can complete virtually any job no matter the size or complexity. Because everything is within reach, we can save you time, money, and the aggravation of delays caused by outsourcing and off-site inefficiency. And it’s not just tooling, we also extrude our own outstanding thermoplastics. You will be hard-pressed to find another company that can do so much under one shop roof. Even if you can, no one out there can come close to matching our skill, expertise, and prices.
If you want to learn more about our in-house capabilities, feel free to browse our website or give us a call today. We’re so confident you’ll be impressed by what we have to offer that we’ll even give you a no-obligation cost estimate.
In 1927, F. Carl Porter decided to take a chance. He had a steady job working for a company that made vulcanized fibre, but he knew that he could do it better, faster, and more cost effectively. F. Carl Porter knew he had the ability to turn cotton paper into vulcanized fibre better than his competitors could and 85 years later, this desire to improve the manufacturing process still drives New Process Fibre today.
So how do you survive, prosper, and continuously innovate for over eight decades? How do you make it through depressions, recessions, and wars while 99% of what’s around you fades away?
First, we built New Process Fibre around the concept of self-reliance. We make all our own plastics and tooling and do our own slitting and stamping. Many of our competitors either won’t or can’t make their own tooling, and they won’t even attempt to master the art of slitting. We make such high quality plastics, that some of our biggest customers are our competitors themselves! However, you cannot just survive on even the most outstanding products alone; you need a solid strategy to survive the vagaries of the business world.
At New Process Fibre, we decided long ago to focus on diversity over domination. Instead of focusing on one industry, we have stayed spread out. We are involved in all the major markets, but not heavily in any one. In fact, we serve over 2500 different companies worldwide.
When the US auto industry went sour in 2009, many of our competitors were either heavily damaged or forced out of business. Thanks to our focus on diversity, the blighted auto industry was only 5% of our business. Its collapse did not mean ours. When 5% of your business is hit hard, the other 95% is there to catch your fall, and allow you to patiently wait for that 5% to rebound. It is how we have weathered so much in the last 85 years. You don’t survive the Great Depression, World War II, and numerous recessions without a strong foundation built on innovation, self sufficiency, and diversity.
The purpose of this blog is to not only highlight new and exciting products and projects, but also to share New Process Fibre’s unique and time-tested business philosophy that has allowed us to survive and thrive for almost 85 years.
To learn more about our in-house extrusion, tooling, and stamping of non-metallic components, visit our website, or contact one of our experts today.
