Cost and lifetime outcomes in chemical production facilities

The Versiv team needed specifically to achieve better tonnage per Euro value for the customer in terms of PTFE coated fabrics. There was also an expectation for the material and belt to have greater lifetime capacity than the previous generation supplied by Versiv could provide. In summary, the customer needed the complete solution to be more cost effective than had previously been the case.

Versiv provided a new splice with PTFE coated fabric material optimised by a secondary treatment process, where we consolidated and densified the material to meet requirements.

• This PTFE composite material led to a more cost-efficient product, improved by a subsequent process step. This secondary process provided a far superior surface.  
• The improvement meant a more homogenous surface on the micro-level, with less micro fractures and more smoothness overall.
• The work ensured the extra tonnage required was facilitated, achieving a ratio improvement of 5+%.

PTFE belt solutions deliver better lifetime and cost benefits compared to the previous approach. We identified three PTFE coated fabrics:

1. Cost-Effective Option: Slightly longer lifespan at a lower cost, leading to fewer belt changes per year.
2. High-Performance Option: Significantly improved lifetime at a slightly higher cost.
3. Balanced Option: Slightly improved performance at the same cost.

Overall, Versiv PTFE solution offers flexibility based on customer priorities, ultimately leading to fewer processing belt changes and reduced long-term costs.