Delivering Efficient Asphalt Shingle Manufacturing Processes

Increasing Efficiency and Cost-Effectiveness through Retrofit

control system for building product production

Responding to the challenges of the asphalt shingle manufacturing industry is constant. An increase in global competition along with shortages in raw materials and technical staff requires a careful balance. You also need to stay on top of strict environmental and safety regulations. Then there are the replacement or upgrades of your equipment while managing costs and meeting production numbers.

You need to increase efficiency and productivity while keeping costs and downtime low. The seamless engineering retrofit solutions that Quad Plus delivers are the answer.

Why Quad Plus?

You need to maximize your operating time. Still, you know it’s time to implement changes that will boost the efficiency of your current roofing equipment. How can this be achieved?

The answer lies in a trusted partner with the right knowledge and experience. We will accurately evaluate your processes and design improvements through process performance and control automation. When you choose Quad Plus to be that trusted partner, you can expect an expert level of asphalt roofing production process experience.

We will analyze your current operations to provide a customized retrofit solution designed with your roofing shingle productivity target in mind. We use advanced process control technologies during the design phase to verify system behavior before we implement your solution.

The same engineers who designed your solution will also perform the onsite commissioning of your entire system. This consistency is crucial for ensuring that new technology and controls work as intended with your existing equipment.

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Asphalt Roofing Application Challenges

Equipment Obsolescence

Old equipment can significantly limit your production capacity or overall machine utilization. Production machine limitations can take the form of outdated control technology, equipment capacity limits, process control issues, and unsupportable drive systems. Such problems need to be identified through machine data analysis. The next step is to address the problems through automation design with the machine control process in mind, replacing legacy equipment where necessary.

Web Handling Defects

Avoiding web breaks, process control shutdowns, and off-spec products means stopping them at their source. Analyzing the web tension and process control can help identify and then later prevent excessive machine downtime. Web breaks and process issues have consequential production time and material waste loss. For example, consider the time lost when rethreading the machine. Poor web handling and control can lead to your final product being outside of its specification.

Quality Inconsistency

On the back (process) end of the machine, gauge control over the thickness of asphalt on the shingle during the saturation process is critical to maintaining consistent quality. Precise temperature control is also essential for coating applications. Proper control of granular batching and filled coating must be taken into account, along with servo blending of the granular material onto the shingle. At the front end of the machine, proper cut-to-length controls must perform within the specification.

Asphalt Roofing Line Optimization

line optimization of a asphalt manufacturing production control system

Over the years, changes in production needs will lead to changes in mechanical, automation, or electrical systems. The result is often bottlenecks and slowdowns of successive segments down the line. In some cases, the machine may not have been properly optimized from the beginning, but now needs to run at a higher quality or capacity. Because of this, the entire web handling process should be evaluated.

This process evaluation starts with an examination of the current control systems and capabilities including a study of the power capabilities of the existing motor drive train. The material characteristics as they feed through the machine are observed. along with new technology potential.

On a speed increase, determining the required power to account for the new speed means understanding the capabilities of the sectional motors, associated drive train, and the limits of process variables such as dryers, coolers, flow, etc.

Quad Plus has performed many line speed increases and line optimizations throughout the years to improve tension control, process control, and position or length control. Line optimizations of your production machine will guarantee the highest production output as well as product quality.

Statistical Process Control (SPC) Method and Quality

Your base material and the final product must meet specific quality requirements. With online web gauging system integration, the material can be monitored in real-time throughout the entire manufacturing process.

During asphalt coating and mineral granule applications, the web should be monitored for thickness, uniform distribution, and particle embedding. Final products must also be the correct weight, size, and color.

By monitoring for profile disturbances, controls can be fine-tuned to accommodate appropriate settings for the material. Real-time monitoring can minimize waste and reduce product variances. Based on these measurements, improved coating coverage and thickness can improve back end stability and allow for running closer to target, saving on material costs.

Additionally, as the quality measurements are scanned, data is stored in a database for further reporting and analysis after production. The reporting tools allow identification and comparison of product qualities to determine the root cause of issues.

Operations and Performance Assessments for Asphalt Shingle Production

Risk Assessment and Safety Validation

analyze and engineer your asphalt shingles manufacturing control system

High temperatures, sharp edges, wet and slippery conditions, high speeds, and rotating machinery. These all contribute to the dangerous nature of shingle manufacturing operations. Safety audits are critical for new installations, rebuilds, and following an accident.

Identifying and solving safety issues can mitigate the exposure operators have to hazardous conditions. Automation can also manage protection systems and prevent unauthorized programming changes that can lead to unsafe operations. Then, validation that includes physically testing the operations will ensure that predicted outcomes are met.

Remote Support and Onsite Repair

fiber cement siding control system cabinet

When facing unexpected downtime, the right support is critical to minimizing the effects. Our support options allow you to get the help you need when you need it. Secure digital access allows for remote diagnosis and adjustment for fast troubleshooting and less downtime.

When onsite support is necessary, our service team will be dispatched to your location. We will arrive equipped with the tools and parts needed for a speedy repair. When you need coordinated drive repair and industrial circuit breaker repair, our in-house lab has you covered. Plus, we work directly with the manufacturers of control system parts to help save you time and money.

Electrical Power House (eHouse) Packaging

repair service on control system for building product manufacturing

Mitigating the risk of downtime when obsolete equipment and devices break down is critical. Pre-manufactured, modular buildings constructed by a single source of responsibility can provide the solution. Ehouses are pre-engineered and built to meet your project requirements and space limitations. They can contain any control system equipment, from VFDs, MCCs, and prewired panels to entire electrical systems.

Because ehouses are constructed off-site and are modular, turnkey integration requires minimal onsite work. The result is faster and easier commissioning to modernize your line and remove the risks of outdated equipment.

Building Products Case Studies

case study building products manufacturer automates changeover process to increase efficiency

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case study building products manufacturer shingle manufacturer struggling to keep liquid temperatures steady

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case study TPO Roofing manufacturer needed an upgrade for its existing gauge system

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case study gauging solution for roofing materail manufacturer non-nuclear gauging solution needed to replace costly nuclear system

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Services Available

Quad Plus offers a wide variety of services to assist you no matter where you are in the system integration lifecycle. For new builds, we offer design and project management services. For existing plants, we can make your operation run smoother and more efficiently. For plants with obsolete control systems, we can assist with retrofits and upgrades. No matter your business need, we have you covered!

Prevent Unscheduled Downtime on Your Manufacturing Line

Modernize Your Asphalt Roofing Manufacturing Equipment

Unreliable and obsolete components can shut down your line entirely. Avoid long production delays through preventive retrofit solutions. Pre-engineered, modular solutions can be integrated into a phased installation or during regular maintenance times to minimize scheduled downtime.

Quad Plus can restore reliability, return your operations to profitability, and add new features—even if your project has the most challenging constraints.

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