When flooring manufacturer Mannington Mills added a new vinyl floor covering to its line, the company ran into production troubles. During a test, the company realized that the existing production table could not handle the new product.

The final production stage requires the completed, printed linoleum to be pulled down a 100-foot long by 12-foot wide stainless steel topped table for inspection.

However, when the product was dragged down the table, the co-efficient of friction between the underside of the flooring and the table surface was excessive. As a result, the five horsepower motor drive on the take-up rolls was increased to 10 then 15 then 25 horsepower. But at 25 horsepower, the flooring began to tear and would not readily move down the table to the re-wind station.

Fortunately, the company was able to turn the production table into an air conveying system, greatly reducing friction. The air conveying system utilizes a seven horsepower blower and the take-up rolls use a three horsepower re-wind motor. The flooring now floats almost without friction along the tabletop and the plant uses less than half the power it had consumed before.