We would like to introduce our next interview of the series, featuring Roger Hultquist, President and Co-Owner of Orbetron LLC.
Orbetron LLC is a customer-focused manufacturer of precision low-rate feeding equipment, with the feed rate capabilities of 1-gram an hour and up to 20,000 pounds per hour. Orbetron offers made-to-spec and production-ready equipment.
What do you think sets your company apart from your competitors?
Orbetron’s niche in the manufacturing industry is low rate feeding technology, making some of the smallest feeders in the bulk feeding industry. The industries we serve range from plastics, food, pharmaceutical, chemical, energy, and more.
Are there any new technology developments that your company is working on at the moment?
Yes, Orbetron is always working on new projects or upgrading current systems. We are currently developing a loss in weight and batching technology for feeding bulk materials under 50 grams per hour. Other current innovations that are taking place are related to feeding poor-flowing materials. Orbetron is developing new powder-to-liquid mix systems that will utilize gravimetric technology. This is to dispense a regulated amount of two materials at one time, to mix together for a uniform mixture and dispersion.
What are the biggest challenges facing the industry today, and how can this be overcome?
Every industry has its own challenges they face each year, or month, or down to the hour of each day. We think it’s important to understand the challenges faced of newly created materials for the energy industry, specifically. Our goals are to utilize our testing facilities to better understand how certain materials react over a short term and long term periods of time for feeding requirements.
How do you see the sector developing in the next five to ten years?
Challenges consist of utilizing new technology to fulfil lower feed rates required for the industries we serve. In terms of the energy industry specifically, the large growth potential we see will be the requirement of lower feed rates. The growth area that we are currently seeing are in the materials of hydrogen and battery technology. With the introduction of our new compounding extrusion partner, Technovel (Osaka, Japan), we are excited to continue our feeding technology testing and processing capabilities.
What are you most looking forward to at this year’s show?
We are looking forward to the AMI Compounding Expo in Cleveland, Ohio this November. We will be introducing our new low-rate Twin Screw Feeder, our “OTS Feeder”. OTS integrates with our stepper motor technology for a better performance rate. We are also looking forward to promoting our new Distribution Partnership with Technovel Compounding Extruders. With this partnership, this offers Twin Screw, Quad Screw, and Octa Screw Technology for the plastics industry. Orbetron is excited to seeing familiar faces while meeting new competitors and future customers.
Orbetron are exhibiting at the Compounding World Expo.
