Spencer Industries Inc. Plastic Blog

Celebrating 30 Years of Custom Thermoforming

2011-03-10T11:41:00.017-06:00

We are very excited to be celebrating 30 years of Custom Thermoforming!! Our company is a very strong locally owned and operated business. I wanted to share with you a little bit of our history, as many people do not realize how we started into the Thermoforming business.

We are a very unique company nestled in a small town in Southern Indiana. We started out thermoforming plastic as Thermwood Corporation where we thermoformed wood grained plastic products for the furniture industry, hence the name "Thermwood".

In 1981 Thermwood made a corporate decision to become totally automated, and they set out their dream to build CNC Routers. We then set out on our mission to provide Custom Thermofoming. We built a facility next door and purchased the Thermoforming and Sheet Extrusion assets of Thermwood. With our company headquarters being located in beautiful Spencer County, Indiana we decided to name our company "Spencer Industries Incorporated".

Our company began with 58 employees in 1981. Now in 2011 we have over 200 employees in our Indiana & South Carolina facilities. We are proud to say that many of those same experienced employees are still working with us today!

Over the past 30 years we have expanded our Thermoforming, and warehouse facilities many times. There were also purchases of new facilities in El Plaso, Texas and in Hampton, South Carolina. The El Paso facility is no longer open, but we do currently produce large amounts of Thermoformed plastic products in our Hampton, South Carolina facility today!

Over the past 30 years we have also achieved several awards for our unique Thermoforming abilities. These abilities are continually improving as we learn new ways to improve or products and business.

It's like our Motto says :
"Excellence Through Continuous Improvement"

More history on our company

Thermoforming Job Opening: Quality Assurance Manager - Hampton, South Carolina

2010-09-01T13:57:00.002-05:00

Thermoforming Business is picking up and moving forward...

Spencer Industries Inc. is searching for a Quality Assurance Manager to join our team in Hampton, South Carolina.

Quality Assurance Manger Job Description

To apply please fill out an application

in our front lobby or email your resume here

This position has been filled. Thank you to all the applicants!!

Spencer Industries 2010 Scholarship Winners Announced

2010-05-13T07:07:00.005-05:00

We are proud to announce that recipients of the 2010 Spencer Industries Primary Scholarship in the amount of $1,415 each are Derek Brown, son of Kenny and Darlene Brown, and Jessica Ritter, daughter of Jody Dodd.

The winners of the Special Supplemental Scholarship Drawing in the amount of $250 each are Caitlin Hedinger, daugher of Lisa Hedinger, and Joshua Rhoades, Son of Randy Rhoades.

Reduce Product Production Cost by adding a Plastic Living Hinge Vs. Traditional Metal Hinges

2010-05-07T12:27:00.009-05:00

I have been writing about different ways to reduce the cost of producing products. Design and Engineering are key to producing a high aesthetic product, but one goal usually is to keeping the total project cost down.

Here is another idea to ponder....

Replace a Traditional Metal Hinge with a Plastic Living Hinge

Plastic Living Hinge

Imagine the Savings!

No hinges to order! Lower Inventory costs!
No extra labor/machine time to fasten them to the product. They are already there molded into the product.
No risk for rust, and no need to grease the hinge.

Plastic Living Hinge
similar to the hinge on a Tic-Tac Container but large scale

We have put together an example of a Twin Sheet Thermoformed Roll-up Door with a Plastic Living Hinge.

Plastic Can Reduce Manufacturing Costs... Replace Metal with Plastic

2010-05-03T10:40:00.004-05:00

Naturally plastic weighs less than most metals. There are many things that can be done to save on manufacturing costs of a product if you can reduce the weight or components. Here is an idea to ponder...

Replace Metal with a Thermoformed Plastic Component

Replacing any size piece of metal with Thermoformed plastic Component can reduce the weight of the product. This will also lower the packing requirements and shipping costs.
Worried about Strength? Twin Sheeting is a proven solution to add structural integrity to a plastic thermoformed component.

The Velocity Tanning Bed is a great example of a product where a Thermoformed Plastic Component was used in place of Metal to reduce production and shipping costs.

Plastic Can Reduce Manufacturing Costs... How??

2010-04-29T11:31:00.006-05:00

The economy has many companies thinking about different ways to reduce manufacturing cost. There are many ways to do this, but many Innovative American Companies are looking into using different materials, or parts to reduce costs.

Naturally plastic weighs less than metal. There are many things that can be done to reduce cost if you can reduce the weight, eliminate painting with molded in color, or reduce the number of components needed to produce a product.

Other related Blogs : Plastic Can Reduce Manufacturing costs - Replace Metal with Plastic

Taking a Plastic Product Concept and turning it into Reality!

2010-04-20T12:59:00.004-05:00

We have just published an additional page on our website to explain how we turn a Unique Plastic Product Concept into Reality!

This webpage will step you through how our plastic thermoforming process flows from the initial rough draft a customer sends in, all they way to a finished consumer product.

Please view our Thermoformed Product "Concept-To-Reality" page to see how we can work One-on-One with you to help manage your project!

Spencer Industries Employees take the Biggest Loser Challenge

2010-04-05T09:05:00.000-05:00

Spencer Industries employees participated in "The Biggest Loser" contest that started Jan. 6th, 2010. We had 23 Employees committed to weighing in each week for twelve weeks.

Employees were constantly watching their opponents, and seeked healthy advise on how they were losing weight. Like any other competition it came down to the wire between two employees. Between the both employees they have lost a total of 104.5 lbs. The winner was Randy Rhoades, and Kevin Martin falling only 4 lbs shy of winning.

There has been talk about starting a "Maintain Program" for those who participated in the contest to keep those pounds off.

Total Company Weight Loss 303.9 lbs

Thermoforming Plastic .. use your imagination!

2010-03-15T15:28:00.003-05:00

Plastic can be formed into almost any shape and size, and can be used for almost anything!!

Use your Imagination.... The band DEVO did!

Do you remember the band "DEVO" from the 70's & 80's?

Do you recall their famous Energy Dome hats? Devo is a band that is known for their originality.

Click here to learn more about....

the band DEVO, The Blue Plastic Energy Dome hats we Thermoformed, Pictures, and to also view a Video of the plastic energy domes being worn at their concert at the 2010 Olympics.

Indiana Thermoformer Receives Kubota Manufacturing of America’s Kaizen Award

2010-02-18T15:21:00.001-06:00

Spencer Industries Inc. received Kubota Manufacturing of America’s Kaizen Award for the best over-all Kaizen and commitment to Kubota Manufacturing of America.

This award is based on an eight month competition between Kubota suppliers to improve processing and reduce the cost of not only Kubota components that Spencer Industries Inc. produces, but an overall commitment to the Kaizen philosophy of process improvement. To further utilize the Kaizen approach in their overall manufacturing process, Spencer Industries Inc. is visiting Japan (the home of the Kaizen Philosophy) for additional training and in-depth observation.

Twin Sheet Thermoforming - Advantages and Features

2010-01-28T15:27:00.003-06:00

Twin Sheet Thermoformed parts/product are made by very few thermoformers. Spencer Industries is one of the few that Specializes in this skill. When using the Twin Sheet Thermoforming method there are many unique advantages that allows the engineer to think "outside the box." Using the Twin Sheet Method can also be a huge cost savings!

Twin Sheet Thermoforming is accomplished by heating two extruded plastic sheets simultaneously and then forming and sealing or fusing these two sheets together during the thermoforming process. In many cases, the twin-sheeting process produces parts that can resemble a blow-molded or rotational molded product, but with several advantages.

Advantages of Twin Sheet Thermoforming

A two-color product option
Ability to have 2 different material thicknesses
A higher esthetic product because of complete tool contact of both exterior sheets
A hollow product with a separate component trapped inside the two sheets as the part is being twin sheet thermoformed.
Allows a parting line that varies in locations around the perimeter of the two halves
Increased Structural Integrity and helps Rigidify otherwise weak areas
Multiple Materials that we commonly Twin Sheet Thermoform - HIPS, ABS, TPO, HDPE, PP, TPU, & PETG
Size capabilities range from as small as 8" x 8" to as large as 7' x 11' x 36" Depth

Features of Twin Sheet Thermoforming

Hollow Formed Parts
Two Color Part Option
Foam Filled
Living Hinge Capabilities
Custom Color Layering
Variable Wall Thickness
Multi Textures
Air and Wiring Ducting

Spencer Industries Announces Expansion in Hampton, SC

2010-01-05T15:48:00.003-06:00

PRESS RELEASE

Spencer Industries, Inc. has announced that the company will expand operations at their Hampton County facility to increase production capacity and capture a larger market share in the thermoformed plastics industry. According to Plant Manager Todd Warren, the expansion represents a capital investment of $1.2 million and will create a total of 12 jobs at the Hampton County location. (view the complete article here)

Excellence Through Continuous Improvement and 6S Methodology

2009-11-10T11:12:00.021-06:00

"Excellence Through Continuous Improvement!"

- Spencer Industries moto

We strive to continuously improve our processes, product, and working environment at Spencer Industries.

We are implementing a 6s system as a way of improving organization and management of the workspace, efficiency by eliminating waste, the process flow, our overall working environment, and our safety program.

Our safety team is leading this effort through out our facility.

365 Days Without a Lost Time Accident and Counting !!

2009-11-06T14:50:00.010-06:00

We have recently hit a milestone of 365 Days without a lost time accident at Spencer Industries Inc.!!

What that means is that our employees have avoided work related injuries; where time was lost in recuperating from on the job injuries, over the last year.

Employees have been awarded a ZERO candy bar each month for "0" Lost Time Accidents. When reaching the 365 day mark each employee received a Safety T-shirt that read-

Spencer Industries

Safety

Believed It - Achieved It

Thermoplastic and Thermosetting

2009-11-02T16:10:00.000-06:00

Did you know all plastics fall into only 2 categories when it comes to their reaction to heating? These 2 categories are called Thermoplastic and Thermosetting.

Thermoplastic materials become soft when they are heated and solid when cooled to room temperature. This is similar to heating and cooling wax. Thermoplastics are materials such as acrylics, cellulosics, polyamide, polystyrene, polyethylene, fluoroplastics, polyvinyls, polycarbonate, and polysulfone.

Thermosetting materials cannot be reheated and softened again. Once these are formed they cannot be reformed. This is simliar to baking a cake or boiling an egg. Thermosetting are materials such as aminos, casein, epoxies, phenolics, polyesters, silicones, and polyurethanes.

What's in a Company Name??

2009-10-21T08:11:00.011-05:00

Did you know...

Spencer Industries Inc. is located in

Spencer County, Indiana

In 2008 Spencer County's Population was 20,111

We used this company name because of our involvement with the county. Spencer County is known for it's beautiful scenery, rolling hills, and fields upon fields of corn. I think the most scenic places to visit would be the St. Meinrad Archabbey and the Lincoln State Park.

Fast Fact...
Abraham Lincoln lived in Spencer county from 1816 to 1830, between the ages seven and twenty-one. His family moved to Illinois in 1830. The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial is located at the site of the Lincoln family farm.

Spencer County has many places to visit!
You can Celebrate History and Holidays all year long! Visit http://www.legendaryplaces.org/ for information on places to visit in Spencer County.

Plastic Manufacturing in the USA

2009-09-29T13:15:00.008-05:00

We are proud to be a Plastic Manufacturer in the USA supplying Custom Thermoformed parts all over the United States!

Our molds are made in the USA, and our parts are all manufactured from resin made in the United States as well.

Keeping business in the United States is very important, as this strengthens our economy!

We fly our flag with Pride!

Light Penetration Properties of Plastic

2009-09-28T07:30:00.011-05:00

We posted a quiz last week on Opaque Plastic. Here are the voting results of optical properties of Opaque Plastic.

20% voted - Light will pass through. Can be seen through.
40% voted - Light will not pass through. Cannot be seen through.
40% voted - Light will pass through. Cannot be seen through.

The 2nd choice is the correct answer
Opaque - Light will not pass through. Cannot be seen through.

This is something that is easily confused. Plastic is often classified relative to light penetration because many plastics possess unique properties. There are 4 different types of light penetration It is much easier to differentiate them when their properties are side by side.

Opaque - Light will not pass through. Cannot be seen through.

Transparent - Light will pass through. Can be seen through.

Translucent - Light will pass through cannot be seen through.

Luminescent - (a) fluorescent: emits light only when electrons are being excited, usually transparent; (b) phosphorescent: gives off light energy more slowly than it takes on light, translucent.

Plastic Light Penetration Quiz of the Day

2009-09-22T14:36:00.010-05:00

Thermoforming Cost Reduction Opportunity

2009-09-08T11:20:00.015-05:00

Thermoforming is often a great cost reduction opportunity when producing custom products.

Thermoforming methods can be used to reduce cost by eliminate painting and some sub assembly operations. This combined with the ability to mold in unique geometries that can replace components and additional hardware are just few ways to cut costs.

Take our Door- In-a Door Refrigerator Door program for example.
We used this similar theory in the design stage of the product to produce and improve the Door-In-A-Door program. Spencer Industries worked with the customer to develop a new twin sheet formed version of this product that greatly reduced the number of component parts and the overall cost, while yielding a product that was as aesthetically pleasing and functional as its predecessor.

Twin Sheet Thermoforming is one of the thermoforming methods that can be used. We chose the Twin Sheet thermoforming process on this door which eliminated the sub assembly of the traditional separate interior and exterior injection molded pieces. Our process allowed us to trap hidden structural components between the two sheets.

This provided a huge savings for our customer!

Feel free to contact us to review your cost cutting needs.

What does ABS Stand for?

2009-09-03T10:18:00.006-05:00

ABS is an acronym that is very commonly used in the plastics industry. This acronym has become part of our every day vocabulary, but do you know what it really stands for?

Basic Design Guidelines for Thermoformed Parts

2009-08-31T10:43:00.010-05:00

It is our recommendation that each part be discussed prior to and after the quoting process. We have published our Basic Design Guidelines to help you in the design process. We stand ready to assist in these discussions and any questions that may arise.

Excerpt from our Basic Design Guidelines ....
Materials chosen for a product play a large role in the tolerances of a part. These guidelines are based on experience with dimensionally stable resins such as HIPS, ABS and TPO. They guidelines would also not be recommended for dimensionally sensitive materials such as HDPE, HMWPE, PP,etc..

All trimming is done at ambient plant conditions. Dimensions are based on these temperatures.If parts are measured subsequently in varied temperature conditions, dimensions will change. All materials have differing thermal expansion rates. If wide temperature swings will affect the part it should be noted up front so adequate steps can be taken to insure that the part will function as designed.

Please Rate our Thermoforming Design Guidelines here!

Innovative Living Hinge Roll-up Door for Box Trucks

2009-08-26T15:33:00.027-05:00

Imagine this could be the Last Door you ever have to purchase for your Box Trucks!

This door was designed by Spencer Industries using our twin sheet thermoforming method with a living hinge to reduce hardware cost and assembly. Doors can be made up of as many panels as required depending on the various truck heights. The living hinge door is made from TPO material. This door has been rigeriously tested to extreme temperatures and environments, and has proven it could last a lifetime.

Click here for more information on our Living Hinge Roll-up Doors

Twin Sheet Thermoforming Advantages and Features

2009-08-14T16:05:00.005-05:00

Twin Sheet Thermoforming is accomplished by heating of two extruded plastic sheets simultaneously and then forming and sealing or fusing these two sheets together during the thermoforming process. In many cases, the twin-sheeting process produces parts that can resemble a blow-molded or rotational molded product, but with several advantages.

A two-color product option
Ability to have 2 different material thicknesses

A higher esthetic product because of complete tool contact of both exterior sheets

A hollow product with a separate component trapped inside the two sheets as the part is being twin sheet thermoformed.

Allows a parting line that varies in locations around the perimeter of the two halves

Increased Structural Integrity and helps Rigidify otherwise weak areas

Multiple Materials that we commonly Twin Sheet Thermoform - HIPS, ABS, TPO, HDPE, PP, TPU, & PETG

Size capabilities range from as small as 8" x 8" to as large as 7' x 11' x 36" Depth

Spencer Industries Incorporated ISO 9001:2008

2009-08-03T09:05:00.003-05:00

Spencer Industries Incorporated is proud to announce their Quality Management System has been assessed and found to be in conformance to the new ISO 9001:2008 standard. This is following an upgrade reassessment audit conducted on July 7th and 8th by NSF-ISR. Spencer's Quality Management System is a processed based system that focuses on the eight quality management principles in order to lead the organization towards improved performance, greater customer satisfaction and continual improvement of the processes.

Customer Focus
Leadership
Involvement of People
Process Approach
System approach to management
Continual improvement
Factual approach to decision making
Mutually beneficial supplier relations

Plastic Is Here to Stay! - 28 Years and still strong ....

2009-07-31T07:57:00.014-05:00

Plastic is one of the world's most widely used materials, and it is here to stay. The recycling efforts that businesses and communities are putting into place are keeping the plastic industry alive! I have even just seen lately that a Thermoformer is doing some recycling of their own and forming products from recycled plastic bottles all in the same facility.

The economy has definitely had an effect on this market, but there will always be a need for plastic! We, Spencer Industries, have been a Plastic Thermoformer for 28 years strong, and we will be open for years and years to come.

We were founded in 1981 here in Dale, Indiana. This was accomplished by our purchase of the Plastics assets of Thermwood Corporation at the time that Thermwood made a corporate decision to become a total CNC Automation Manufacturing company. Our first year of production took place in the Thermwood plant while we were in the process of building our new plant next door. Our company began with 58 employees.

The economy, environment, and people will be forever changing. We will adapt to the customer's needs wherever that may lead us

Today with many expansions and four locations in Dale, Indiana, plus one in Hampton, South Carolina we have over 440,000 square feet to help support our customers' needs. We are here to stay!

Thermoform Value Advantages - Spencer Industries

2009-07-17T10:43:00.013-05:00

I would like to share with you why making Spencer Industries your choice for a custom thermoformer is the right choice.

In-House Sheet Mfg.: 3 extrusion lines - flexibility, lead-time, price & in-house regrind.
Mfg. Flexibility: scheduling, 29 vacuum, pressure & twin sheet forming machines (8'x14', 39 cnc tables & 14 presses.
Secondary Operations: Painting, foam filling, hot stamping, sonic welding, adhesives & fasteners.
Manufacturing Plans Drive Continuous Improvement Year Over Year
ISO 9001:2000 Certified Supplier - PPAP, Faro Arm and SPC.
In-house Mold Shop: Tool design, make own cnc fixtures and in-house mold texturing
Spencer is in the top 10 for industrial thermoformers in the U.S.
Society of Plastic Engineering Awards - 6 awards received in the last 7 years.
Two locations: Dale, IN Headquarters & Hampton, SC

Thermoformer Receives Supplier Award

2009-06-25T10:06:00.010-05:00

Spencer Industries Incorporated is proud to receive a Hunter Engineering Company 2008 Supplier Excellence Award for their outstanding Quality and Service.

The criteria for selection of this award included the reject rate of parts shipped as well as the number of lots rejected during 2008. Hunter's business with Spencer Industries nearly tripled from 2007 to 2008 due to the addition of new cartons they supply for HawkEye systems.

From a service standpoint, the team at Spencer has been consistently proactive in addressing issues before they arise while handling those that do arise in a very timely fashion. In addition, Spencer has a firm understanding of Hunter's stringent quality requirement and has supported this requirement with a .50% reject rate and a 1.02% lot reject rate. Spencer also worked with Hunter on a release system that is controlled by their plant which has proven to be successful for both.

Spencer is a unique custom thermoformer because they can be a complete supplier to customers. Their added in-house Extrusion and Assembly capabilities allow them to streamline the product. This in turn is reducing leadtime and eliminating added costs for the customer. Spencer Industries is proud to be a complete supplier for Hunter Engineering.

Thermoformers enter the Social Networking World

2009-06-11T08:53:00.006-05:00

Social Networking is rapidly growing in the plastics industry. We have seen the Society of Plastic Engineers and Plastics News are now using these online social tools along with many many other plastic companies and thermoformers. These groups are very valuable and keep customers, vendors, and prospects up to date on what is happening in the company.

Spencer Industries is now on Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin. We post Website updates, Company News, and will be posting job openings as they become available. We would like to invite the Social Networking world to join our groups, and share with us! Please visit http://www.spencerindustries.com/ and choose one of the links at the bottom of our page.

Spencer Industries was established in 1981, and is locally owned and operated. We provide Rotary, Shuttle, Inline, and Award Winning Twin Sheet Thermoforming products. Our specialty is in providing high definition Pressure Formed cosmetic parts. We have In-house co-extrusion sheet lines that can gauge from .032" up to .500", Full Assembly, In-house painting, Foaming, Decorating, and custom requests.

Spencer Industries Announces Scholarship Winner for 2009

2009-05-28T08:44:00.005-05:00

Spencer Industries Inc. Scholarship Winner for 2009

We are proud to announce that Miranda Kline is the recipient of the 2009 Spencer Industries Inc. Scholarship. Miranda is the daughter of Madonna and Michael Kline, and she plans to pursue a degree in occupational Therapy at Indiana University.

Did you know that April 22nd is Earth Day? What does that mean?

2009-04-22T08:28:00.002-05:00

It is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It was started back in 1969. That has been 40 years ago but there are still so many people that don’t try to recycle. Here at Spencer Industries we started our major recycle program in December 2008.

We have reduced our monthly cost for our trash disposal by almost 75%.

Are you doing your part? Look in your trash can. Do you have to dump it very often? If you have any office paper, envelopes, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, metal, wood, etc. in your trash then you are not doing your part. Almost everything is recyclable these days. Not only does this help save the Earth but it also helps companies with unneeded expense for disposing of the trash in dumpsters.

It takes everyones effort to do this. Don’t expect others to pick up your trash if your not recycling, do your part and start recycling today and don’t forget to recycle at home.

~ Paul

Proud Supplier of Hoshizaki

2009-03-13T07:58:00.003-05:00

We are proud to be a supplier to Hoshizaki! Be sure to see our add in the next issue of Manufacturing Today Magazine!

Kubota Awards Spencer

2009-03-09T15:19:00.003-05:00

Feb 2009
Kubota Awards Spencer

Spencer Industries is honored to receive the Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation's prestige "SUPPLIER EXCELLENCE AWARD" in February 2009. This award is based on outstanding "Quality, Delivery, Cost & Commitment"