Develop New Products with the Aid of a Pilot Line/Lab
- Published: November 01, 2000, By Edward Boyle, Contributing Editor
"Do it yourself, or let someone else do it?" For many converters this is a common, yet sometimes difficult, decision to make. With platemaking, for example, there is often a trade-off between "cost" and "control": Have a prepress or specialty house create your printing plates—with the accompanying mark-up and time constraints—or invest in the necessary equipment yourself and maintain better control over cost and scheduling.
But what about product development, materials testing, or any of the other tasks that aren't done on a regular basis? A number of converters have come to rely on vendors that operate lab/pilot lines with a range of converting/testing capabilities to help them develop new products, or improve existing ones, more cost-effectively.
Paper, Film & Foil CONVERTER recently conducted its annual survey of this unique segment of the industry and compiled a cross-section of the many companies that offer pilot line capabilities.
All information was supplied by the companies themselves and should be used only as a helpful guide to meeting your custom slitting needs. (For a complete listing of suppliers offering pilot line facilities, please see the June 2000 Buyers Guide issue of PFFC.)
So, the choice is yours. If your choice is to "let someone else do it," here are some of the resources you might use to get the job done.
