Strandex Corporation
Contact: Sales Manager
1621 Beld St.
Madison, WI 53715
US-Wisconsin
Phone: 608-255-8733
Fax: 608-255-8738
Strandex Corporation is the licensor of its patented technology and process and materials know-how related to the extrusion of wood-plastic composite profiles for application in industries including building and construction, furniture, consumer goods, and other wood replacement products. The company produces no extrusions for sale, but maintains a development laboratory at its Madison, Wisconsin headquarters in support of its licensees and future developments. The company's revenue is generated through license fees, royalties, consulting fees, etc. related to its licensing business. The company also provides services such as: extrusion die engineering, manufacturing, and development services for Strandex licensees and other potential licensees.
Strandex Corporation is a privately held S corporation with a 30,000 sq. foot laboratory located in south central Madison. The lab contains two production size extrusion lines used to support wood fiber-plastic composite material and process development. The company also maintains an office in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Strandex process was developed by the company in the early 1990's around the use of a unique die system and process formulation containing high levels of wood or other cellulose fiber, thermoplastic resin, and other materials which enhance physical properties and process advantages. As developments and refinements have continued, Strandex wood composite profiles have effectively replaced wood in many applications.
The core of Strandex Corporation's business is providing technical assistance and experience to wood product manufacturing companies who wish to convert their wood waste stream into a value added, complementary product already in distribution. Many wood products manufacturers are facing a challenging culture change within their organizations as wood plastic composites gain widening acceptance in the construction and consumer products markets. Strandex Corporation is organized to serve companies unfamiliar with the world of composites to make the change quickly and effectively. The company's staff of engineers work closely with licensees in the areas of application identification, product design, plant design, raw material specification and acquisition, equipment specification, equipment review and acquisition, on-site start-up service, and training, and on-going technical service and support. The company is committed to remaining the technical resource for its licensees for many years to come.
HOW TO OBTAIN PRODUCTS PRODUCED USING THE STRANDEX PROCESS
For more information on how to obtain products produced using the Strandex process, please see the Licensees section of this website for a complete listing of all of Strandex's licensees.
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APPLIED PROCESS TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE TO LICENSEES
The Strandex process incorporates several applied process technologies to produce unique and high performance products. Descriptions and pictures are listed here.
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RESOURCES/SERVICES
Since Strandex is a service organization, our products are our services and technologies. In addition to licensing our process and formulations, Strandex can provide any of the following resources/services:
Product Design
- profile design for functionality and cost analysis
- material and formulation specification
- net section structural analysis
- prototype manufacturing and testing
Application Engineering
- durability testing
- failure analysis
- process development
- surface finishes
Technical Service
- laboratory facilities for training
- in-house training
- raw material specification
- material handling equipment specification
- extrusion equipment specification
- extrusion die design and development
- auxiliary equipment and specification
- co-extrusion dies and process training
To obtain products produced using the Strandex process, please contact one of our licensees. If you or your company is interested in becoming a Strandex licensee, please contact us or email us at info@strandex.com.
The following is a complete listing of our licensees with a brief description about the type of product that they produce:
Compos-A-Tron Manufacturing Inc.
25 Ironside Cres.
Toronto, Ontario M1X 1G5
CANADA
Contact: Drew Knox
Phone: 416-335-6500
Fax: 416-335-8500
URL: www.composatron.com
Compos-A-Tron manufactures custom components for the building products industry.
Dakota Western Corporation
100 Veterans Memorial Drive
Agency Village, SD 57262
Phone: 605-698-4331
Fax: 605-698-7016
URL: www.dakotawestern.com
Dakota Western manufactures decking and other components.
Louisiana-Pacific Corporation
10115 Kincey Avenue
Huntersville, North Carolina 28078
Phone: 877-446-3030
Fax: 704-875-1680
URL: www.weatherbest.com
Louisiana Pacific Corporation manufactures decking systems.
PlyGem Industries, Inc.
303 West Major
Kearney, Missouri 64060
Phone: 816-903-7500
Kroy Building Products
521 West 26th Street
York, Nebraska 68467
Phone: 402-362-1212
Fax: 402-362-1867
Kroy manufactures various components and systems for the building products industry.
Universal Forest Products
1501 Lessard Street
Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin 53821
Contact: John Hess
Phone: 608-326-2481
Fax: 608-326-5469
URL: www.everxdeck.com
Universal Forest Products manufactures EverX decking products.
Eidai Kako Co., Ltd.
408 Ninja Kashiba-City
Nara, 639-0261
JAPAN
Contact: Frank Sugiyama, Sugico, Inc.
Oakland, CA
Phone: 510-638-0898
URL: www.eidaikako.co.jp
Eidai Kako produces various building and construction components.
Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.
Dojima Kanden Building
4-4, Nishitemma, 2-Chome,
Kita-Ku, Osaka, 530-8565
JAPAN
Contact: Tooru Fujioka
Phone: 81-6-6365-4175
Fax: 81-6-6365-4197
Sekisui manufactures decking and decking systems.
STRANDEX EUROPE
7 Anton Drive, Walmley, Sutton Coldfield,
West Midlands B76 1XQ
ENGLAND
Contact: Barry John Davis, Managing Director
Phone: 44-121-240-4773
Fax: 44-121-240-4774
Email: info@strandexeurope.com
Strandex Europe is responsible for all Strandex technology licensing activities in Europe.
Silvadec SA
RCS Vannes 439 689 639
Parc d'activities de l'Estuaire
56190 Arzal
FRANCE
Phone: 33-614-31-46-65
Email: info@silvadec.com
URL: perso.wanadoo.fr/silvadec.com
Silvadec manufactures various components for the building products industry.
PROCESSES
Extrusion
The continuous manufacturing process of heating, compressing, and conveying a premixed blend of raw ingredients desirable for a characteristic of a finished product. The process encompasses the shaping of the material by the extrusion die, cooling of a product upon its exit from the die, and downstream handling including cutting, embossing, sanding or other surface treatment.
Co-extrusion
The process of placing a thermoplastic cap on the surface of the Strandex material with the Strandex die body, simultaneous to the extrusion of the Strandex product.
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FORMULATIONS
High Density Polyethylene
HDPE is a common resin used by the thermoplastics industry to make products from toys to packaging. This resin is selected for use with the Strandex process because of its high extrusion viscosity, dimensional stability, and compatibility with other ingredients in the formula.
Polyvinyl Chloride
PVC is a common thermoplastic used in the manufacture of building products. The material is selected for use with the Strandex process because of its high stiffness capability, mechanical strength, cost, and weather resistance.
Q. Are Strandex profiles being produced now?
A.For many years, Strandex licensees have been in full production of Strandex profiles in the United States, Canada, Japan and Europe serving primarily the building and construction industry with products such as window and door components, decking and railing products, window treatments, wall systems, fencing and other industrial components. We are glad to report that several licensees' plants have been significantly expanded in the last few years as the business has enjoyed significant growth.
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Q. How do Strandex profiles compare in cost to traditional millwork?
A. Strandex profiles are very competitive in cost with clear and No. 2 shop fingerjointed pine. The Strandex process allows for the extrusion of a net shape profile. Therefore, the design engineer may make the most efficient use of material by placing material where it is required for performance, and may remove material by designing hollow areas in the profile or removing material from an unexposed area thus achieving significant savings in weight and raw material usage. This design philosophy also provides saving in processing costs. For example, molding and milling operations may be eliminated along with fingerjointing and edge gluing. These operations may be very expensive, especially for larger profiles.
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Q. What wood waste sources may be used with the process?
A. Any wood waste source may be used as a feed stock for the manufacture of Strandex profiles. Hard wood, soft wood, even MDF waste and particleboard waste are being used today. Other cellulose sources may be used as well, including straw, flax, rice hulls, peanut hulls, bamboo, kenaf, etc. Particle size specification is 40 mesh (425 micron) or less. A high percentage of fines (200 mesh or finer) is also allowable. Sanding dust from MDF processing typically contains a high percentage of fines.
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Q. Can recycled thermoplastics be used in the process?
A. Recycled thermoplastics are encouraged for use. High density polyethylene regrind is readily available in flake form from a variety of recyclers. The material should be ground to a 20 mesh particle size for best results. This will allow for optimum dispersion characteristics and production of a smooth finished product. Virgin HDPE may also be used in a reactor powder form. Pellets should not be used in the process because of separation concerns.
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Q. Is there only one Strandex formulation?
A. The Strandex license provides our licensees with access to the development and process know how of the corporation. This includes the basic research that the company has been dedicated to for many years. The Strandex process includes formulations and process technologies ranging from very high wood waste loadings, to high stiffness and mechanical strength formulas, to processes for products very resistant to the elements and a combination of all the above. The process may employ up to seven ingredients in a formula, and as few as three. The type and specification of thermoplastic may vary greatly depending upon the application.
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Q. What are the costs and time frame necessary for developing a Strandex profile?
A. This greatly depends on the complexity of the design and application. Typically, a Strandex die development for a window frame profile or deck plank, or rail profile with multiple hollow sections will cost about $10,000 which includes a reasonable amount of samples for customer testing. Delivery is usually in the four to six week time frame.
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Q. Why is such a development so inexpensive and quick compared to other materials?
A. The Strandex process uses only a hot die mounted to the extruder. This eliminates the vacuum calibration and puller from the extrusion line. The profile is cooled by spraying water on the profile after it exits the die. This concept saves the cost of machining, fabrication, and tuning of the calibrators since they are not needed. Tuning of the die and extrusion line operation is greatly simplified resulting in lower cost development and time savings.
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Q. May Strandex profiles be coextruded with a thermoplastic cap?
A. Several Strandex licensees are capping their profiles where applications demand a maintenance free color fast surface. Bond strength between the Strandex substrate material and the capping material passes all adhesion standard tests as long as thermoplastic compatibility is maintained.
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Q. May Strandex profiles be worked with like wood?
A. Strandex profiles may be cut, tenoned, dadoed, mitered, molded, mortised, routed, sanded, etc. with the same tools, feeds, and speeds as with wood. The product may be fastened using nails, staples, and screws. Many times it is advantageous to design a profile with a screw boss or nailing slot which further increases flexibility and performance in fastening.
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Q. What about paint and glue?
A. Strandex profiles should be sanded prior to being painted with water based latex paints. PVA (poly vinyl acetate) glues adhere well to a sanded Strandex surface. Various hot melt polyurethane glues also perform well.
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Q. Can Strandex be stained?
A. All translucent and semi-translucent stains tested have performed well.
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Q. Can Strandex be tinted?
A. During the extrusion process, a color concentrate may be added to the mixture to provide a color tint. These materials are efficient in coloring the profile darker or a pastel tint. It is usually very difficult and expensive to make the product white since the fiber would require bleaching.
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Q. What is the weight of Strandex?
A. Depending on the materials and thermoplastics chosen, the specific gravity of Strandex is .96 - 1.23. Specific gravity is very critical when considering profile design since this factor defines, along with section design, the overall weight of the product. It is also important to understand the effect of specific gravity on the cost per foot of a profile. Please contact Strandex Corporation for further discussion.
