Vitex Extrusion expands capabilities with $1.5 million investment in state-of-the-art quench and profile stacking systems

Vitex Extrusion officially unveiled a $1.5 million investment in an Presezzi HECS high efficiency air and water cooling system and automated profile stacking system for its Franklin, NH, aluminum extrusion and fabrication facility. The state-of-the-art upgrades strengthen Vitex’s capabilities to produce greater, more consistent throughput and improved mechanical properties.

The installation of the new Presezzi HECS System provides Vitex with the most advanced aluminum extrusion quenching capability in the Northeastern U.S region. The system allows immediate quench of an aluminum extrusion profile using a high velocity, multi-sided air and water quench system that puts out over 600 gallons per minute of water at nearly 130 lbs. per square inch. Faster cooling preserves the extrusion profile characteristics, mechanical properties and tolerances while causing minimal distortions from one cycle to the next.

“The new quenching system is three times more powerful than our prior system, allowing us to cool profiles faster and accelerate our entire production process,” said Andrew Curland, Vitex Extrusion President. “Faster cooling also allows greater control over the mechanical properties of an extrusion, enabling us to meet more stringent requirements of certain industries, such as automotive.

In addition, Presezzi has supplied Vitex with a new, automated profile stacking system. The stacking system automates the company’s process of off-loading cut profiles to aging racks. By moving to a fully automated process, the potential for damage to extrusion surfaces is reduced and throughput is increased. The profile stacking line will be integrated into the company’s planned automation of its packing process, which is scheduled to be installed in July 2016. The pack line automation project will also be supplied by Presezzi Extrusion.

“Through ongoing investments in new aluminum extrusion, CNC machining and aluminum fabrication technologies, we’re continually advancing our capacity and capabilities to meet our customers’ aluminum extrusion and component manufacturing requirements,” said Curland.