Case Studies

Packaging Solutions

A hospital supply company came to ChemRite after calculating financial losses caused by materials which went unused because of substandard packaging. By changing the packaging materials and moving the packaging process to ChemRite’s clean room environment, the company realized a dramatic reduction in its rejection rate, going from 3.1 rejects per 100 to .1 rejects.

Formulation Support

Long before liquid soap was a household staple, a major manufacturer asked ChemRite researchers to test its new liquid soap product for quality. Panel tests showed that the current ingredients were reducing the effectiveness of the product. ChemRite developed a formula that substantially raised the product quality and performance and allowed the manufacturer to successfully introduce their product into the marketplace. In addition, ChemRite was able to reduce the product cost by 50%, significantly increasing margins for our customer.

In another formulation challenge, a leading electrical supply company asked ChemRite to formulate a specialized lubricant that would improve the pulling of power line wire through electrical boxes. Our customer’s requirements dictated that this formula create lubricity to reduce friction, not harm insulation, and not accelerate the conduction of electricity. ChemRite chemists successfully developed and delivered this lubricant and currently controls the patent on a polymer ingredient.

Production Equipment Innovation

An originator of products for the home fragrance market approached ChemRite with a packaging concept which presented challenges the originator could not overcome with in-house equipment. ChemRite’s engineers constructed two custom packaging lines specifically dedicated to this product to fill the customer’s need. These semi-automatic dual lane fillers were able to handle all of the production requirements for the customer for the entire life cycle of the product.

In another instance, a manufacturer had developed the idea of inserting home fragrance into the spindle for toilet tissue rolls, but had been unable to find a production facility that could package the fragrance in such an unusual container at an efficient production rate. ChemRite purchased a packaging machine, stripped it down, and added custom components that used a pressurized system with very small fill heads, enabling us to fill the containers upside-down. We then transferred the spindles to a belt where they were coded and labeled and then sent to a packing table. This custom machine was designed, built, and running within six months and manufactured the product for over two years.

Value Added Services

ChemRite’s team saw a need for tighter inventory control. After extensive research, they could not find an existing inventory control system to meet their needs. The company partnered with several industry experts to develop a custom electronic inventory control solution. The new electronic system has aided ChemRite to implement full lot and location control on all of its inventory. Inventory movement and usage is processed through bar code scanners. Customers have noted a decline in product scrap and an improvement in inventory accuracy since the new system was implemented. The new electronic inventory system eliminated the need for on-site customer inventory audits.

An example of ChemRite’s customer focus was seen when the company invested in the addition of a dedicated visitor center at its main production facility. The conference-style room was designed to be an office away from the office for customers visiting during plant tours, FEPR’s, quality audits, etc. It includes comfortable seating for 10, an ample work area and a secure space to store personal belongings. There are two high-tech televisions for viewing meeting presentations, portals for plugging in electronic equipment and wi-fi. ChemRite customers appreciate the ability to view real-time production from the comfort of the visitor center. The welcoming space also contains a refreshment area with a range of drinks and a buffet for lunches and snacks.