As a family-owned business spanning three generations and 60 years, Poly Vinyl Co. of Sheboygan Falls, Wisc., thrives in the custom extrusion segment. Instrumental to their success is Davis-Standard extrusion technology and ongoing aftermarket collaboration that supports a diverse product range. Poly Vinyl Co. employs standard, co-extrusion and tri-extrusion processes to produce custom profiles for multiple industries, including large appliance, commercial refrigeration, building products and several OEM’s. Not only has Poly Vinyl Co. turned to Davis-Standard for nearly every extruder over the years, but they have taken advantage of upgrade and rebuild services to enhance processing options and extruder performance.
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| Mark Schnettler with the recent rebuild of a 3.5-inch (90mm) Davis-Standard extruder |
“My father, James Schnettler, has been working with Davis-Standard extruders for over 43 years. Matching products and profiles to the right extruder has always been a point of pride for us,” explained Mark Schnettler, Poly Vinyl’s President. “It’s nice to buy brand new machines, but that isn’t always necessary. This is especially true with Davis-Standard because their gearcases are designed to run thousands of hours. If the gearing is set up properly and the right feedscrews are used, you’re going to have positive long-term results. We also have an excellent maintenance program and make appropriate upgrades and changes based on materials.”
Poly Vinyl Co. runs several Davis-Standard co-extruders for its dual-durometer processes ranging from 1.25 to 1.5 inches (32 to 38mm) as well as 28 main extrusion lines, all equipped with Davis-Standard extruders and feedscrews. These extruders range from 2 inch (50mm) 24:1 single screw models to GC-65 conical twin-screw designs and are engineered to process polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, polycarbonate, and ABS; among others. Over the past 10 years, Poly Vinyl Co. has worked with Davis-Standard on five major rebuilds to boost processing capabilities. These include conical twin-screw extruder upgrades as well as a recent rebuild of a 3.5-inch (90mm) Davis-Standard extruder, purchased via the used market, which was completed in less than 12 weeks. In all cases, Poly Vinyl Co. has been pleased with turn-around time and processing results, which have added value to customer products. Schnettler credits the attention to detail by Davis-Standard’s aftermarket department and their collective working relationship with his team at Poly Vinyl Co.
“Joe Guigli and his team have really helped us with our extruder knowledge, maintenance procedures, and in getting the most out of our machines,” said Schnettler. “Davis-Standard is very timely in their response, which has been especially helpful during COVID. They are also great at record-keeping, which helps us work through any challenges.”
In addition to outstanding equipment capabilities, Schnettler says Poly Vinyl’s employee-driven culture, sales focus and operations execution has been paramount to their competitive advantage.
“The fact that we are a multi-generational family-owned business with 130 talented employees makes us unique. As we look to expand, we will continue to carry out the good work that our customers expect while enjoying the journey along the way.”
