 excess noise, since these applications tend to be run at very high speeds and can make a lot of noise if it is not designed properly. The belting also has to be able to be cleaned thoroughly for food-handling applications. “You need a product that’s completely inert and one that resists moisture absorption,” explains Kelley. “Our lightweight belts are usually single-ply carcasses, typically coated with a PVC coating.”
Scandura’s primary product in this category is its ATI (advanced technology interwoven) conveyor belting. This product line uses interwoven carcasses with a variety of cover compounds and various cover combinations. The interwoven design resists edge wear and eliminates the possibility of ply separation failure.
Operating a broader manufacturing network than any of its competitors, Scandura leads in product quality and overall customer service. “We stand alone in our ability to provide a top-quality product with timely delivery and excellent service in the field,” says Kelley.
Networking the Product
The company has a network of more than 100 distributors. “Scandura invested a lot of time and energy in developing the best network in the industry, which we consider a competitive advantage,” Kelley says. Value-added distributors provide installation, repairs and other belt accessories such as the conveying equipment itself and idlers, pulleys, scrapers and cleaning equipment.
Scandura employs 460 people and operates five facilities totaling more than 800,000 square feet of space. In addition to the company headquarters in Charlotte, two other operations are located there, including the weaving facility and the facility that manufactures the ATI line of lightweight belting and the PVC-coated belting. Rubber belting is manufactured in the Port Clinton, Ohio, and the Bracebridge, Ontario, facilities. The Toledo, Ohio, facility produces lightweight rubber belting, primarily.
Scandura has always had a policy of continuously upgrading its manufacturing systems to keep the company’s facilities at state-of-the-art levels. “We operate some very large equipment in these belting operations and we have what we believe to be the largest belt press in the world,” says Kelley. “It is a triple-deck press capable of curing 150 feet of belt at a time. We also operate what we believe to be the longest press — a double-deck press that’s 52 feet long.
“With all that huge equipment, there’s a heavy capital investment in this business. But the most valuable assets are the people that make and sell the products and services. Our people are what really set Scandura apart from the rest of the pack. So their health and well-being are as important as any other priorities for the company. This has obvious implications for investment in workplace safety and employee development at all levels of the organization.”
With a sensitive eye toward the environment, Scandura focuses on waste reduction. “We are aggressive not only in eliminating waste at the source, but also at finding suitable uses for products we consider waste,” says Kelley. The company’s rubber trim scrap is used for practical applications such as horse fences to protect horses from getting scraped or cut. This scrap is also used in artificial reefs built with old tires. Kelley explains, “The conveyor belting is used to hold these tires together and help keep them from drifting away.”
With new challenges facing this mature industry, the company nevertheless has its sights firmly set on avenues of new growth. “We see a lot of opportunity for growth through product development and through providing additional services, particularly those that can be accessed through our Web site,” says Kelley. “There are Web-based services we intend to provide to our distributors and our end users that will help them manage their conveyor systems more effectively and more cost-effectively.”
Readers are invited to visit www.scandura.net for a first-hand look. As the conveyor belting industry experiences overcapacity and global consolidation, Scandura is facing these challenges with squared shoulde