Dusenbery Converting Systems History

	The Dusenbery Story
	*Your audio and video cassette tapes. The foil-lined bags keeping your potato chips fresh. ATM receipts. Surgical tapes and bandages. Adding machine rolls.*
	For over five decades, Dusenbery has created a full range of slitters / rewinders for the converting industry. Dusenbery specializes in machines which unwind, slit, and rewind large reels (or webs) of material, making them suitable for further processing or consumer use. Some of these machines run as fast as 3,000 feet per minute. Major companies worldwide have come to depend on Dusenbery technology to achieve high precision, tension-controlled slitting / rewinding for a wide variety of jobs. SLITTERS / REWINDERS AND MORE In 1980 Judelshon Industries, Inc. was added as a division and Dusenbery became perhaps the largest single source of converting machinery and accessories. Founded in 1899, Judelshon is a leading manufacturer of single knife slitters and related equipment for the textile, pressure sensitive tape and packaging film industries. Together under one corporate umbrella, the two companies offer comprehensive engineering, sales and service capabilities. A BRIEF HISTORY The company roots stretch back to the end of World War II. John Dusenbery, who had been adjusting magnetic compasses and manufacturing sextants for the U.S. Navy, turned to peacetime manufacturing. The machine shop set up by John Dusenbery began by manufacturing a wire drawing machine line. The next project was designing and building a pressure sensitive tape slitting machine. With the War so recently over, the budding company initiated a market study to determine converter needs for production equipment. The study confirmed that most of the 8000-plus users were dissatisfied with their slitting / rewinding equipment. Either the machines were not suitable for high speed production operation or they took months to obtain. Maintenance knowledge and replacement parts for existing systems were major problems also revealed by the study. John Dusenbery describes the post-war industry as "fumbling." "Compared to today's equipment," he recalls, "early machines were unreliable - tension during slitting / rewinding was a great problem. Breakage of paper and pressure sensitive tapes caused frequent stoppages of converting operations. That's why we took the approach of providing troubleshooting services. We would adapt existing machinery to meet specific production needs or design new converting equipment to perform better and longer." The first breakthrough came with an order from Permacel for a special slitter for a brand new material - pressure sensitive acetate tape. Roger Young, former Executive Vice President, who had been with the company since its beginning, originated a whole new approach to slitting and rewinding. Delivery to Permacel of that revolutionary Model 585 slitter/rewinder offered, for the first time, a reliable way to manufacture rolled goods from bulk. Other converters began turning to Dusenbery for similar systems. Next Dusenbery was approached by E.I. DuPont to develop a special system for slitting a brand new product - Mylar film. The result was the Model 635 Series for polyester film, the industry's first slitter / rewinder designed specifically for plastic films. Orders began to roll in, and the firm's engineers designed fresh systems and concepts to handle newer products, including polyethylene, PVC, tri-acetate, cellophane and Polystyrene. FASTER AND BIGGER By the mid-50's, the market was demanding faster and bigger machines, prompting Dusenbery to respond. Enter the 815 Series, which offered faster speeds, greater capacity and new concepts to enhance production. Throughout the 1950s, Dusenbery also worked closely with suppliers of medical items, specifically manufacturers of surgical tapes and related goods. In 1960, the company developed the 800 Series, a new departure in slitters / rewinders, which offered converters greater production parameters. Dusenbery has continued to remain in the forefront of slitter / rewinder manufacturers by responding to the immediate and future needs of its markets. When polyethylene bread wraps were introduced to replace waxed paper, the 815 Series was ready. And as the '50s and '60s brought Telex rolls, multi-ply teletype paper and adding machine rolls, office copier rolls and more, new Dusenbery systems met the requirements of each product advance. One challenging task of the 70s was the development of units for producing magnetic tapes and microfilm. Dusenbery's 809 Series achieved nearly perfect video tape rolls at production speeds up to 2000 ft/min. With the 1980s came giant advances which have provided productivity and consistency levels never before possible. Dusenbery product lines have evolved from designs based on electronic control systems to designs utilizing the very latest in microprocessor technology. Consequently, everything from finite control of all operating parameters to specific product programs to individual customer requirements and day-to-day operating procedures can be stored and then repeated accurately - months or even years later with very little room for operator error. A highlight of the '80's decade was the introduction of the Dusenbery 10000 Series designed and engineered to speed set-up, minimize operator involvement and maintain uniform quality. And while the series presents a uniquely cost-effective solution to problems posed by high-tensile film laminates and other new materials, it also handles off-caliper papers, non-wovens, and light stretchy films with equal ease. Additionally, the decade's revolutionary Dusenbery 804/805/806 Series which features efficient overhead web feed, operates at web speeds of up to 3,000 feet per minute. Their open-space design allows the addition of a wide range of automated options available now and planned for the future. And the Dusenbery 807, the largest Dusenbery model ever built, completely breaks the bonds of the past to push technology to new frontiers of accomplishment. The '90's saw Dusenbery introduce a new Model 616 multi-ply slitter / rewinder capable of producing small paper roll products automatically and at high speeds. Additionally, a totally redesigned Model 635 was introduced with many new features such as PLC controls, AC vector drive systems and digital electronic line/edge guiding capabilities. The Model 835 was also introduced featuring a cantilevered, lift-out or combination of both designs. The Model 835 cantilevered version was also enhanced by the addition of the Dusenbery-designed spacerless air differential shafts. Throughout its history, Dusenbery Company has designed and manufactured slitting / rewinding systems ideally suited to customer needs, and able to perform the most critical slitting and rewinding operations. GLOBAL PRESENCE In July 1966, Fords of Finsbury (later called TI Fords) started the production of Dusenbery machines under license from the States. In 1968 the range of Dusenbery Company film and foil slitters/rewinders was licensed in Australia to Aldus Limited. The manufacturers of the equipment was Rhodes Engineering Company and Seligson & Clare (Aust.) Pty. Ltd, who were responsible for marketing and service. The agreement with the Aldus Group involves a close technical liaison as much as a license to manufacture. Australian converters have access to the development and design experts at the Dusenbery plant. A ready market was found and the wide range of Dusenbery machines sold well all around Europe extending the Company's worldwide reputation. In the early eighties a market niche was seen in Europe for European style and design machines, and consequently Dusenbery Europe Ltd. was formed in 1981 with the aim of tackling the European market from a European viewpoint. This move enabled dramatic changes to be introduced, resulting, in just four years, in a complete new range of machinery for a wide range of products. The increasing levels of automation, right up to fully automatic machines enhanced Dusenbery's name as their customers benefited from higher outputs, particularly in the magnetic tape, thermal transfer ribbon and paper roll conversion areas. STILL GROWING STRONG From its first small headquarters in Montclair, New Jersey, John Dusenbery Company has continually increased the size of its facilities to meet growing demands from the marketplace. In 1980 the company relocated its corporate headquarters to a 25-acre site in Randolph Township and greatly expanded its production and office space. Able to handle anticipated company growth for a long time to come, the facility is conveniently located less than an hour's drive from New York City and easily accessible via Interstate Highways 80 and 287 and State Highway Route 10. The company has sold equipment nearly everywhere in the world. Almost every company listed in the Fortune 500 is a Dusenbery customer. This record reflects the company's achievement in developing "the better mousetrap' " When newer and better materials were created and no other firm could provide equipment to slit and rewind them, Dusenbery stepped in. From initial success in maintaining or improving other systems, the company moved to designing its own equipment to meet expanding needs. But as John Dusenbery notes, the operation of any slitter / rewinder is only as successful as the manufacturer's willingness to train customers to use it. Equipment manufacturers must work with their customers on a continuing basis to consolidate and refine mutual ideas and projected future needs. Such cooperation will assure that new equipment is easy to operate, performs reliably and will not become outdated the moment it is set up on the production line. Each new concept to simplify and expedite operations must be carefully blended into each new piece of equipment. As the market calls for converting equipment that will meet ever higher levels of performance, increased speeds, lower labor costs, less waste and multiple functions during a single run, Dusenbery will continue to meet these growing needs in the 21st century. NEW TRANSITION Dusenbery Converting Systems continues well into the future with Mr. John Dusenbery entering into an agreement with the senior officers of the Company. This transition allows the Company to continue to develop and market technologically advanced products for the slitter / rewinding industry. Dusenbery Converting Systems will continue to combine our engineering excellence and technical expertise to focus on meeting and exceeding the challenges of the converting industry today.

The Dusenbery Story