Since its foundation in 1965, Derby-based A-Chem has become well known for providing liquid solutions to a wide range of industries.
Throughout that time, Greaves has been proud to supply the company with mixing technology. Our latest collaboration has delivered significant process improvements:
“….batch processing time reduced by up to 93% and a more stable product with a longer shelf life…”
A-Chem has developed a strong reputation for using its chemical expertise to develop speciality products in:-
- Car care (valeting & detailing)
- Wood care (stains, treatments, paints & preservatives)
- Industrial cleaning (specialist cleaning and maintenance solutions)
- Janitorial cleaning (for general cleaning & catering applications)
- Odour control (industrial odour neutralising & control products)
Early in 2017, James Davis, A-Chem’s Commercial Director got in touch with Greaves to discuss how the companies might work together to develop a new manufacturing base and lay the foundations for the next phase of A-Chem’s growth.
Implemented over a 3 year programme, A-Chem’s revitalised manufacturing capability has proved to be invaluable as the Company has successfully weathered the Covid storm.
“We were ambitious to build on our reputation for creating innovative products, but our success has generated a number of challenges. To remain flexible and meet customer requirements we needed to be able to switch rapidly between different products whilst maintaining productivity and quality. We also needed the capability to manufacture in a wide variety of batch sizes so customers can order the quantity they require without being restricted to large minimum order quantities.
James Davis, Commercial Director, A-Chem
“Greaves worked closely with A-Chem to understand the the detail of their issues and opportunities. This enabled Greaves to propose a staged investment plan with solutions to each of these challenges and importantly a clear business case to invest at each stage.
Another challenge arose from the wide variety of product properties, including flammability, foam generation, and low to high viscosities. Switching in and out of high viscosity mixes can be particularly disruptive – and costly when products require a long clean downtime.”
Edward Greaves, Greaves Mixers
James Davis continues…:
“The new laboratory and manufacturing equipment range is now extensive and has transformed what we can offer our customers. It is a base that we can grow our business on, offering reliable and repeatable solutions across a wide range of product types. The accuracy when scaling up from the laboratory mixers to production equipment has reduced wastage of batches, and allowed improved our right first time targets, ensuring the customer receives exactly what they have approved during the development stage. With regards to High shear mixing, the closer tolerances between the impeller and shear stator mean batch processing time reduced by up to 93% and a more stable product with a longer shelf-life. In addition, the Greaves Flexi-batch system with fixed mixers and interchangeable mobile vessels ensures quick clean down with flexible batch sizes – something that is important to ensure efficiency when growing in various markets across very different product types.”
