Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Meeting Agenda…
• Discussion, Q&A
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Who Is Aurizon?…
• Business Focus
Design, develop, manufacture and service high power ultrasonic systems that
offer customized solutions for industrial processes and applications
• Team experienced not just with ultrasonic equipment, but also with
process development, process integration, training, service and
support of ultrasonic systems in commercial production environments
A manufacturer of high power ultrasonic processing equipment, Aurizon is number 3,102 on the list after debuting at number 4,412 in 2014. Over
the past three years the company has experienced a 112% growth rate.
“Making this list for a second year represents some great work by a dedicated group of employees,” said Greg Benrud, president. “We’ve
worked hard to become a leader in ultrasonics. We not only offer a better product, but a better experience for our customers who are looking for
an ultrasonic solution to their industrial process challenges.”
Aurizon’s has two primary technology platforms, their rotary systems for bonding and sealing materials, and their nozzle systems for enhancing
the atomization of viscous liquids. In each case these systems use high-frequency mechanical vibrations to deliver energy to the materials they
are processing. With the rotary technology, the vibrations cause materials, typically nonwovens or films, to heat and melt from the inside to join
together without the need for heat or adhesives. This technology offers a variety of advantages, including faster processing speeds, better
process control, and increased energy efficiency versus other conventional bonding and sealing methods. End use applications where this
technology is common include high speed personal care product converting and sealing flexible packages containing food and other products.
Aurizon’s ultrasonic nozzle technology utilizes high frequency vibrations to enhance or enable the atomization of highly viscous liquids. This
technology can be applied across a broad range of market applications, including spraying/spray drying of foods, chemicals, and other end uses
where improved atomization of viscous liquids can add value.
Aurizon Ultrasonics was created in 2009; however, its research team has been developing and expanding ultrasonic technology for more than
30 years with its origins dating back to the early 1980s as a technology team at Kimberly-Clark Corp.
The Inc. 5000 list is compiled by ranking each business’ percentage revenue growth over a three-year period. To qualify, companies must have
been founded and generating revenue by the first week of the starting calendar year, and therefore able to show four full calendar years of sales.
Additionally, they have to be U.S.-based, privately held, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31
of the last year measured. Revenue in the initial year must be at least $200,000, and revenue in the most recent year must be at least $2 million.
Aurizon is one of only five Northeast Wisconsin companies to make this year’s list. Fifty Wisconsin companies are among the top 5,000.
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Ultrasonics Fundamentals
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Ultrasonic Vibration… Peak-to-Peak
Inches
Power Generator
Amplifies voltage and adjusts the
frequency to match the targeted
resonant frequency of the system.
Converter / Transducer
Changes electrical energy to mechanical
energy at a specified frequency.
Waveguide / Booster
Transmits motion from converter to horn
and either amplifies or attenuates that
motion.
Horn / Sonotrode
Delivers the ultrasonic motion to the
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material being processed.
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• Time
Usually determined by desired process speed
• Amplitude of Vibration
Determines level of energy available for bonding
• Metals
Not addressed today
• Thermoplastics
Amorphous
o Random molecular structure
Crystalline
o Orderly molecular structure
Degree of Crystallinity Dictates Rate at which Vibrational
Energy is Converted to Heat
Other Properties Including Melt Flow Characteristics Dictate
What the Material Does as it is Heated
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Radial
Peak-to-peak amplitude is
the displacement of the horn
during the expansion and
contraction
Extensional
Amplitude impacts both the
effective horn diameter/length and
velocity of the horn surface
Radial
Peak-to-peak amplitude is
the displacement of the horn
during the expansion and
contraction
Extensional
Amplitude impacts both the
effective horn diameter/length and
velocity of the horn surface
• Input Energy
Axial
• Primary Output
Motion Axial
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Rigid Frame
FORCE
FORCE
FORCE
FORCE
FORCE
Impact force to radial surface of horn does not FORCE
transmit axially to the converter. No damage.
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Adhesives
• Offer the most substrate flexibility
– Ultrasonic attachment is dependent on the properties of the thermoplastics
• Ongoing cost of raw materials usage, storage, transportation, etc.
• Higher system energy costs
• Process delay associated with system heat-up/cool-down cycles
• Process delay to clean adhesives from process equipment
– Due to overspray, bleed-through, etc.
• Negative product effects
– Stiffness, tackiness, bleed-through, blocking, etc.
• High-speed, intermittent spray limitations / challenges
• Safety
– High temperature raw materials, applicators, hoses, pumps, melters, etc.
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Thermal Bonding
• Capability impacted by material properties
• External application of heat can reduce speed capability
– Ultrasonic causes heating of the materials from the inside out
• Higher system energy costs
• Process delay associated with system heat-up/cool-down cycles
• Potential product damage due to over-exposure to heat
• Safety considerations due to high temperature equipment
Applications in Elastic
Attachment
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Aurizon Signs Exclusive License Agreement to
Manufacture and Market Elastic Technology
Patent, owned by CERA France, used to secure elastics to nonwovens for disposable absorbent products
KIMBERLY, Wis. (Nov. 17, 2014) – Aurizon Ultrasonics has entered into an exclusive license agreement with CERA
France to enable the manufacture and sale of its patented rotary ultrasonic bonding technology to secure elastic
strands into nonwoven structures used in articles such as diapers and adult incontinence undergarments.
Personal Care and Hygiene products often use elastic strands secured in nonwovens to prevent leakage or improve fit.
Most manufacturers secure these elastics with adhesives; however, adhesives have several drawbacks including being
expensive, messy and creating a stiffness that can make the garments uncomfortable to wear. Adhesives are also
under increasing scrutiny as being environmentally unfriendly.
“Rotary ultrasonic bonding systems can be a great solution to improving the products in this category,” said Bob Cool,
executive vice president of marketing at Aurizon. “The challenge has always been securing the elastics so they don’t
detach from the nonwoven causing the products to lose their stretch, otherwise known as ‘creep.’ Aurizon’s rotary
ultrasonic systems can solve this challenge and enable high speed entrapment of the elastics in a variety of product
executions.”
According to Cool, Aurizon’s engineers are completing an upgrade to their pilot process that will enable demonstration
of elastic processing in nonwovens at speeds up to 2,000 ft/min (610 m/min.) This license agreement with CERA paves
the way for Aurizon to work with OEMs and end users to enable faster commercial implementation of the technology.
“We are very excited to have partnered with CERA France through this agreement. The industry today is motivated to
reduce or eliminate the need for costly adhesives. We feel we can leverage our expertise in ultrasonic bonding of
nonwoven structures to enhance both the process speed and the quality of the elastic articles being produced,” said
Cool.
The agreement gives Aurizon access to customers in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Switzerland, the
United Kingdom, Liechtenstein, Sweden, France and Italy.
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Bond Pattern
• Multi-crevice pattern
• Soft feel bond
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Key Advantages of Ultrasonics over Adhesives…
Saves on material costs
• No costly adhesive materials and complex adhesive delivery systems
• Can utilize lower cost nonwoven/film substrates
– No adhesive bleed-through
• Can utilize lighter weight elastic materials without compromising performance
Increases production line efficiency
• Can increase your process uptime while lowering your process waste
– robust to process and web upsets such as substrate splices, elastic splices, machine
stop/start events
– Automatically re-threads during full speed run if strand breakage occurs
• Can be retrofitted to your existing capital asset bases
Improves product comfort and performance
• Maximizes elastic performance
– Near pure elastic response without adhesive creep
• Maximizes fabric softness
– Eliminates the stiffening effect of adhesive
• Enables customized aesthetics
– Size, shape, frequency of gathers is selectable
– Continuous or intermittent attachment of elastic to substrate
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#1 – Elastic strand
entrapment /
Intermittent
#2 – Elastic cuff
construction and #3 – Cuff tack down
attachment to core / core / intermittent
continuous
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Aurizon Ultrasonics and INVISTA
Announce Joint Development
Aurizon Ultrasonics and INVISTA announce joint development of bonding equipment
and stretch fibers for the construction of stretch laminates
KIMBERLY, Wis. (Sept. 17, 2015) – Aurizon Ultrasonics – a leading supplier of ultrasonic processing equipment to the
hygiene industry – and INVISTA – one of the world’s largest integrated producers of polymers and fibers, and owner of the
LYCRA HyFit® brand sold into the hygiene industry – have announced they are cooperating on a new joint development
project.
This project will focus on the collective development of novel ultrasonic bonding equipment and novel stretch fibers for the
construction of stretch laminates, without the use of hot melt elastic attachment adhesives. The desired outcome of this
collaboration is a step-change advancement allowing hygiene producers to improve product fit and comfort without the cost
and complexity of glue.
“We are thrilled to join efforts with INVISTA, the market leader in stretch fibers, to further advance next generation stretch
materials for the hygiene market,” said Greg Benrud, Aurizon president. ”Our current technology to ultrasonically secure
elastics in nonwovens without the need for adhesives can enable lower material costs, increased operational efficiency and
improved product comfort and performance. We believe this collaboration will provide an opportunity to leverage the
strengths of both companies and accelerate further development of exciting new materials and processes for our
customers.”
“INVISTA is excited to explore the combination of Aurizon’s cutting edge capabilities in ultrasonic bonding with our market
leading research and development team that has delivered continuous innovations to our LYCRA HyFit® fiber offering,” said
Scott Blackadar, INVISTA global vice president. “We believe that step change innovations in diaper design and cost
reduction will result from this joint effort. We look forward to collaborating with Aurizon and discovering the potential synergy
between our new fiber innovations and Aurizon’s high speed rotary ultrasonic bonding technology.”
About Aurizon Ultrasonics
Aurizon Ultrasonics was created in 2009; however, its research team has been developing and expanding ultrasonic technology for more than 30 years with its origins in Kimberly-Clark Corporation. Aurizon’s expertise and patented technology
make it a leader in high-power, high-speed ultrasonic processing and provide a solid foundation for creating customized solutions to meet the needs of the hygiene industry. By partnering with each customer and working together to develop a
comprehensive, customized solution for their manufacturing challenges, Aurizon invites companies to “experience better” by increasing their productivity, reducing their costs and improving their outcomes. Aurizon is an INDA member and has
been named one of Inc. magazine’s 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in America in each of the last two years.
About INVISTA
INVISTA is one of the world’s largest integrated producers of polymers and fibers, primarily for nylon, spandex and polyester applications. With a business presence in over 20 countries, INVISTA delivers exceptional value for its customers
through market insights and technology innovations, along with a powerful portfolio of some of the most recognized global brands and trademarks in their respective industries including: COOLMAX®, CORDURA®, LYCRA®, POLARGUARD®,
SOLARMAX®, SUPPLEX®, TACTEL®, and THERMOLITE®. More information on INVISTA can be found at www.INVISTA.com and on personal care offerings at HyFit.INVISTA.com.
Simultaneous Cutting/Bonding…
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Embossing Examples…
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Max Speed (SU/Hr): 1.800 1.800 - 0.0% Assumes 300 bars/minute and no speed increase with ultrasonics
Delay-Sealing (%) : 4.00% 1.00% (0.03) -75.0% ~5 minutes every 2 hours; 75% reduction possible vs. heat seal
Direct Materials UOM $/Unit Net Units/SU $/SU $/Unit Net Units/SU $/SU $/SU
Product Ounce $ 0.50000 1,000.00 $ 500.00 $ 0.50000 1,000.00 $ 500 $ - Assumes a 1.0 oz product weight
Film MSI $ 0.15000 22.50 $ 3.38 $ 0.15000 20.00 $ 3 $ (0.4) Able to reduce fin size by 0.5" total
[Material 3] $ - - $ - $ - - $ - $ -
[Material 4] $ - - $ - $ - - $ - $ -
[Material 5] $ - - $ - $ - - $ - $ -
Total Materials $ 503 $ 503 $ (0) -0.1%
Direct Conversion UOM $/Unit Net Units/ Process Hr $/ Process Hr $/SU $/Unit Net Units/ Process Hr $/ Process Hr $/SU $/SU
Labor Man-hour $ 70.00000 1.00000 70.00 $ 45.22 $ 70.00000 1.00000 70.00 $ 43.70 $ (1.524)
Energy-Sealer kWh $ 0.14000 5.00000 0.70 $ 0.45 $ 0.14000 0.25000 0.04 $ 0.02 $ (0.430) 95% reduction in energy vs. heat seal
Energy-Other kWh $ 0.14000 10.00000 1.40 $ 0.90 $ 0.14000 10.00000 1.40 $ 0.87 $ (0.030) No additional impact on energy??
Maintenance-Sealer Month $ 2,000 0.00137 2.74 $ 1.77 $ 500 0.00137 0.68 $ 0.43 $ (1.342) 75% reduction
Maintenance-Other Month $ 2,000 0.00137 2.74 $ 1.77 $ 2,000 0.00137 2.74 $ 1.71 $ (0.060) Other impact?
[Other 1] $ - - - $ - $ - - - $ - $ -
[Other 2] $ - - - $ - $ - - - $ - $ -
Total Conversion 77.58 $ 50.12 74.86 $ 46.73 $ (3.387) -6.8%
Value of Annual Production Increase: Enter value of $500.00 $ 242,352 $0.50 profit on each bar
incremental capacity
($/SU)>
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• Please see our tabletop display and take the opportunity to speak with
us!
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Contacts…
Dan Sorensen
Sales Director
Dan.Sorensen@AurizonUltrasonics.com
+1 (920) 750-5087
Tom Ehlert
VP Research, Development &Engineering
Tom.Ehlert@AurizonUltrasonics.com
+1 (920) 750-5083
Greg Benrud
President
Greg.Benrud@AurizonUltrasonics.com
+1 (920) 750-5082
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Thank You!
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Questions?