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The Bradbury Group has three representatives who will share their knowledge, processes, and advice during the FMA World Class Roll Forming Virtual Workshop in September. The four-day virtual conference will cover the complete roll forming process from beginning to end; discussing roll forming justification, complete roll forming systems, design, tooling design and installation, material handling, and more.

For decades, Brownie Cox has been known as a trailblazer when it comes to enhancing the technology associated with metal flattening machines. Brownie has been a part of The Bradbury Group for over 30 years and has a professional background in industrial controls and machine programming.  He has been a guest speaker at conferences in Europe, China, India, and throughout the U.S. and specializes in topics associated with leveling technology. With extensive experience in the steel processing industry, multiple feature articles in manufacturing publications, six leveling technological advancement patents, and senior sales leadership roles at Bradbury, Brownie has definitely made a mark on the industry. That is why Bradbury is pleased to announce that Brownie has joined the R&D department as Leveler Product Manager.

It has been over a year in coming for the participants of Bradbury's first ever Leadership Development Program to reach the finish line. This group of twelve spent countless hours immersing themselves in the teachings of recognized thought leaders such as Marcus Buckingham and John Maxwell; reflecting and capitalizing on their strengths; and reinforcing The Bradbury Group's Vision, Mission and Values & Beliefs.

Pictured back row left to right - Matt Werner - Sr. Mgr. Global Marketing & Sales, Bryan Smith - GM of CRC, Aaron Woods - Sr. Mgr. Customer Service, Tucker Hageman - Information Systems & Technology Director, Scott Arnold - Controller, Hector Segura - Plant 3 Team Leader

Pictured front row left to right - Maria Pressnall- HR Director, Ron Dies - Technical Training Director, Ben Bigham - Sr. Mgr. Engineering, Elizabeth Graber - Production Services Mgr., Jeremy Croley - Plant 2 Mgr.

Not Pictured - Justin Graber - Sr. Mgr. Manufacturing, Bill Maurer - Test Mgr.

At The Bradbury Group, we are continuing our customer commitment by ensuring essential businesses are able to operate their equipment with little down-time during the global pandemic we currently find ourselves in. Our Technicians are ready and available to service your equipment needs!

Bradbury Metal Tile Roofing Solutions (BMTRS) welcomes Justin Pressnall to the USA Sales Team!

Most Cut to Length lines suffer from a bottleneck in production at the exit end of the line due to customers' unique requirements for packaging the CTL sheets or plates. These customer-driven stipulations can be quite extensive and labor-intensive for the line operators. End customers today are requesting smaller stacks and more frequent deliveries to manage their cash flow more effectively. This puts additional pressure on the line operator due to the increased number of packaged stacks the line must produce. 

Requirements from the end customer might include the following:

• Strapping sheets both horizontal and vertical directions.
• Strapping dunnage to the sheets both horizontal and vertical directions.
• Protective wrapping such as paper or plastic.
• Stacks with or without wooden skids.
• Corner protectors
• Shrink wrap

Athader S.L., a company within The Bradbury Group, offers the following automated stacking and packaging solutions to improve throughput efficiency:  

• Storage of packs via roller and chain type conveyors.
• Ability to discharge scrap pieces without manual lifting.
• Automated insertion of corner protectors. 
• Pack Lifter – This is used to elevate a stack of sheets that have exited the stacker. Once elevated the package can be easily wrapped.
• Wrapping Systems - Height wrapping can be manual or automated; Width wrapping can be automated via an orbital wrapper.
• Automatic dunnage retrieval from an organized pack by robot or by a dunnage cartridge system.
• Automatic dunnage insertion under the stack of sheets.
• Automatic strapping of the dunnage to the stack of sheets.
• Automatic formation of a master stack of sheets via an automated sheet lifter and/or gantry crane.
• Once the master stack of sheets is built, the sheets are deposited onto the floor for removal by the main overhead crane and put into the storage area.
• Cloud-based data storage/tracking system including package specific details, machine status, faults or stoppages, and production levels. Over time this system can provide information on areas of needed improvement to further increase production or help the owner identify the packaging costs to improve the management of as sold costs. 

Calendering:  A process that plays a part in all our lives, yet most of us have no idea what it is. From disposable diapers to dryer sheets, to disinfectant wipes, to rubber tires, to PVC films used on laminate floors, to healthcare protective equipment, and many more - calendering  is vital to the production of thousands of products used every day.  

Calendering is the process of pressing a continuous web or substrate, such as cloth, rubber, paper, film, nonwoven, composite, wire mesh, etc., between rollers to create specific physical characteristics. These can include controlled thickness, surface finish, and required properties such as structural reliability, liquid absorption, and abrasion resistance.

Alliance Machine and Engraving, LLC manufactures custom calender machines for numerous industries. The calenders employ two or more steel rolls that close under pressure to smooth, compress, and in some cases partially bond a nonwoven, plastic, paper, or another substrate. The rollers may be mirror-smooth, embossed with a pattern, or porous, and are usually heated with hot oil or electric elements. The calender machines can be utilized in an independent converting setting or an integrated production facility. Each designed with a specific application, Alliance calenders currently in use range from 260” wide to less than 12” wide.   

When processing certain webs such as fine paper or precision magnetic tapes, a calender will have a stack of rolls through which the web is threaded. This is referred to as a supercalender. 

Many nonwoven’s need to be calendered as part of their production or finishing process. The combination of heat and pressure seals and consolidates the random fibers in the web, yielding a sturdy, cost-effective replacement for woven fabrics in applications such as disposables (medical masks, dental bibs, diapers, wipes, dryers sheets), semi-durables (filters, packaging, scouring pads) and durables (automotive, home furnishings, garment bags, geotextiles).

Alliance is currently working with a major supplier of woven fabrics for various markets including healthcare. Many of their materials have a cotton and a synthetic component. The supplier wants to investigate how calendering one such blend could help reduce porosity by partially melting and sealing the surface, therefore making the material better suited for a protective garment barrier application. The supplier sent material samples to Alliance and the samples were run on a test lab calender at various speeds, temperatures, and pressures. The materials have been returned to the supplier to test results. Helping find ways to improve the material used for healthcare gear is an honor for Alliance. 

Providing great service to our customers is something we take pride in.  During this everchanging COVID-19 pandemic, we want you to know that our facilities are open and we are here to provide support.  We are receiving daily updates and continually communicating with our staff while endeavoring to support you to the best of our abilities. 

While we have limited some of our travel, our sales and service teams will continue to make calls to discuss your needs.  We will contact you prior to any visit that is scheduled.  We can also connect with you remotely via our meeting software or another way.  Technology allows us to be on-site virtually with you to support equipment. 

Safety for everyone is our priority.  We will continue to monitor the situation and communicate with you.  We will adhere to the guidelines as presented by the Center for Disease Control, State Health and Environment Department’s and the World Health Organization.

Please contact us with any requests and we will assist you during this time.  Our main phone number is 620.345.6394.  Our email is bradbury@bradburygroup.com. 

With regards,

President

The Bradbury Co., Inc.

Bradbury announces the promotion of Ben Schmidt to Industry Sales Manager. He has been with Bradbury for 14 years, serving as Industry Sales Leader since 2015.  In this new role Ben will lead a team to manage all facets of sales and customer relationships in the Metal Building, Decking and Trim Shop industries as well as speak directly into equipment Research and Development.  Ben will work closely with Ryan Durst - Bradbury President, Matt Werner - Senior Manager Inside Sales and Global Marketing, and Greg Smith – Vice President R&D Engineering & Market Development. 

“Ben has consistently proven his ability to sell into multiple industries and build personal connections and relationships.  He has a deep understanding of customer requirements and technical industry needs.  We are very pleased to promote him to this leadership role,” commented Ryan Durst. 

Bradbury Group Australia, a member of The Bradbury Group, looks to future growth and development with the announcement of the following promotion and company new hires.

Mark Osborne transitioned into his new role as General Manager of Bradbury Group Australia. Mark brings over 30 years of experience in engineering to his position. He joined Hilleng International as a Production Manager in 2004 where he was heavily involved in the manufacture of laminated panel equipment for insulated panels, roofs, and walls. In 2010, when Hilleng International and Die-Craft Engineering were acquired by Bradbury to form Bradbury Group Australia (BGA), Mark became Engineering Manager. His duties included conceptual equipment design, customer service and sales, and management of the Bradbury Group Australia design team. As a customer-focused general manager, Mark will lead the direction for continued industry advancement at BGA.

Adrian De La Cruz recently joined the team at Bradbury Group Australia as Senior Sales Engineer. Adrian will work closely with the management team at BGA to drive sales and find new market opportunities. Previously, Adrian worked for Savaria Australia where he was instrumental in introducing the Canadian designed elevators to the Australian building industry. Prior to his time at Savaria, Adrian worked in the sky light industry as a manufacturing engineer and sales consultant, where he was associated with many BGA customers. Adrian has a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and approximately 13 years of experience selling metal roofing, steel decking, steel cladding, and other roll formed metal building products.

Pete Kenny joins the BGA team as the company accountant. With a degree in accounting from Queensland University of Technology, he is a CPA with 15 years of knowledge in the manufacturing, mining services, and construction industries. His duties include continuous improvement for BGA, driving cost efficiencies, and providing support to the sales process.