Kent Pultrusion expands manufacturing facility to address the growing composite market

Kent Pultrusion (Kent, Ohio U.S.), a subsidiary of Kent Automation Inc., has recently doubled the size of its assembly plant based in Kent. Together with a staff of mechanical, electrical and controls engineers, Kent’s fully equipped manufacturing facility, which includes fabrication, machining and assembly, has increased its output supply of the company’s patented fully electric ServoPul pultrusion technology. 

Kent’s ServoPul lines address advantages to conventional hydraulic and pneumatic pultrusion designs in the ever-growing need for precision automation. Through the technology’s HMI, several of the system’s features can be monitored and more accurately controlled, including pull forces, pull speed and clamp forces and position; limited data tracking is also available through the HMI. Using servo control, the hand-off from one puller sled to the other is smooth, which eliminates “snap-back,” improving product consistency and cosmetics, while reducing shock to the overall system and subsequent wear on mechanical parts.

Over the years Kent has supplied various-sized pultrusion lines from as small as 10,000 pounds and as high as 100,000 pounds. One of Kent’s largest capacity lines installed is a caterpillar design capable of processing 4-inch-thick and 10-feet wide foam-filled sheets for boat and RV decks. Current orders have included lines for utility, fenestration, carbon fiber and construction markets.

“Composites are improving the design process and end products across industries, and the need for precision is addressed with the Kent ServoPul pultrusion technology,” Michael Pollard, president and CEO, Kent Pultrusion LLC, emphasizes. “This capacity addition will provide more pultrusion lines as demand increases.”