Dugdale has invested £400,000 in new plant to increase production efficiency and to drive further development of its Ducavin brand of non-lead stabilised, high performance, technical PVC compounds.

Two 60 tonne silos have been installed and are operational while a new Plasmec high speed mixer is due to be commissioned in March at the specialist PVC compound and dry blend manufacturer’s Yorkshire plant.

Standing at 13.5m high and measuring 3.8m in diameter each, the silos will reduce manual handling, packaging waste and fork lift truck movements on site as well as ensuring accurate high volume delivery of PVC resin to the new mixing plant. British companies STB Engineering and its subcontractor Barton Fabrications, supplied and installed the turnkey material handling supply system.

The Combimix mixer features the latest blade design and cooling technology and will be used to feed Dugdale’s Buss quantec 80 reciprocating single screw extruder. Commissioned in mid 2005 this extruder was the first of its type to be sold in the UK.

“These investments are in line with Dugdale’s strategy to produce superior quality technical PVC products for supply to the high service end of the PVC compounds market,” says Dave Outen, managing director of Dugdale Plc. “They will support the development of our Ducavin brand of tailored lead-free PVC compounds for specific demanding applications.”

“The development of new rigid and flexible PVC materials is a key focus area for 2007. We are committed to building on our experience and know-how to expand our range of cellular grades, anti-microbial compounds, sealing and intumescent products. Expect to see more PVC alloys for elevated temperature applications too,” concludes Outen.