Challenge: When a major automotive glass maker in the Midwest purchased PVA rollers for glass plate drying from a company in Taiwan, they'd been attracted by a seemingly low price. What seemed to be a bargain soon proved to come at a high cost: the rollers deteriorated every 5 weeks, and needed replacement. Replacing the rollers meant shutting down the production line for 3-4 hours. This down time was costing the company thousands of dollars in lost productivity.
Solution: Shima collaborated with the customer and Shima’s PVA manufacturing partner, Aion Co. Ltd., to produce a PVA roller that lasted 10 times longer. The Japanese-made PVA roller provided by Shima was higher in price, but its longevity proved to be the best option from a total cost of ownership perspective. The company could now go an entire year without changing the rollers. Each Aion PVA roller delivered 1,000,000 immaculate pass-throughs. By eliminating unnecessary downtime, Shima helped the company recoup thousands of dollars in heightened productivity.
