Why would the same customer need both a WPC grating board production line and 1220mm PVC carbon crystal board production line

At first glance, there seems to be no similarity between the WPC grating boards and 1220mm PVC carbon crystal boards in the markets. 1 is an open grid flooring product. The other is a solid decorative wide panel. But, there are plenty of successful manufacturers that invest in both, but we have seen at JIANGSU XINHE INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT CO., LTD., many of our manufacturers invest in both. These customers understand that complementary lines provide the ability to serve more customers, utilize facilities and respond to the diverse needs of their projects. Below is a list of some of the key reasons for the two lines of one customer. Using a single manufacturing facility in various applications

Serving different applications with one manufacturing facility

Typical uses of WPC grating boards are drainage floor, anti-slip walkway, industrial platform, aquaculture floor and outdoor decking. They are open and allow water, dirt and air to pass through which is ideal for wet and outdoor spaces. 1220mm PVC carbon crystal boards, on the other hand, are rigid, solid sheets for cladding wall, ceiling panels, cabinet doors and interior partitions. These panels feature a modern look and good finish and can be used to achieve a natural stone or wood grain finish. The manufacturer can supply both the customer segments from the same factory if it manufactures both products. If a contractor is building a swimming pool area, they may need to have grating boards in the walkways around the pool area and carbon crystal boards in the changing room area. In a factory environment, you might need either grating boards in machine platforms, or carbon crystal boards in cleanroom partitions. Both of these lines enable the manufacturer to bid on larger and more extensive projects.

Sharing common raw material storage and handling systems

The material of the WPC grating boards and PVC carbon crystal boards is the PVC resin. Both are similar in terms of additives such as fillers (calcium carbonate), stabilizers and processing aids. A factory having two production lines will be able to have a common inventory of raw materials, which would simplify inventory management and reduce purchase costs, because, they can buy the raw materials in bulk quantities. Both lines can be fed into a mixing unit which frequently is a high speed mixer cooler combination. In JIANGSU XINHE INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT CO., LTD. we provide a mixing system that can be equipped with multi-discharge ports, thus one mixing system can be used to feed multiple extruders. Also, the finished product can be warehoused more efficiently as the same forklift, pallets and shipping staff are used with both product types. Overhead for both lines is cut by the shared infrastructure.

Utilizing the same extruder platform for both lines

WPC grating board line and PVC carbon crystal board line are both a type of parallel twin screw extruder. Usually, both of them have a screw diameter of 65mm to 80mm. At JIANGSU XINHE INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT CO., LTD., we often export two sets of lines to customers, which are the same model of extruder. This commonality helps to ease spare parts inventory management. An extra set of two screws, an extra gearbox and an extra heater can be used for both lines. Training is done for only one extruder platform for maintenance staff. But, if the equipment is identical on the upstream side, they can be troubleshooting faster and getting repairs more easily.

Meeting seasonal or cyclical demand fluctuations

During the dry season or summer, grating boards tend to be in big demand, as outdoor construction and renovations reach their peak. Interior wall panels, and carbon crystal boards may become more in demand at various times of the year – for example, ahead of the big holidays when homeowners renovate. Manufacturers with both production lines will have the option to produce both lines based on orders received. With reduced production rate of grating boards, more time will be given for the production of carbon crystal boards without the factory's utilization reduction. This flexibility will help to minimize equipment risk during downtime, improve cash flow and minimize costs. It can also help the manufacturer provide competitive lead times all year round as they are not solely relying on a product category.

Differentiating from competitors who only offer one product type

Some of the smaller and medium-sized producers of plastics extruded products are working on the production of grating for floors, or the production of decorative panels for walls. Few offer both. If a manufacturer spends money on a WPC grating board line and a 1220mm PVC carbon crystal board line, it will be a competitive advantage. JIANGSU XINHE INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT CO., LTD. has assisted numerous customers to achieve just the winning combination.