History
In 1955, Hugh Archer, with the help of Harold McDonald, founded The Spiratex Company, an electrical/mechanical contracting company in Dearborn, MI. Some of the products being produced at that time were meters for measuring the clarity of glass for the automotive industry and a blood plasma shipping container.
One of the special project contracts undertaken was the development of a machine to continuously coil plastic strip extrusion into a spiral wrap. Upon completion of the project, Spiratex ultimately used the new machine to produce the continuously wound spiral wrap. Tolerance control of the plastic strip was an important factor in being able to consistently produce quality spiral wrap. In 1958, because of this need for tight tolerance control, the company began screw extruding its own plastic strip for use in the coiling machine. Recognizing the need for closely toleranced custom thermoplastic extrusions, the Spiratex Company purchased additional extrusion equipment and the company began to grow as a custom thermoplastic extruder.
In the early 60's, the Spiratex Company began developing its own proprietary ram extrusion process. The new process enabled extrusions to be produced with tolerances previously unheard of in the thermoplastic extrusion industry. Within a few years, the new ram extrusion process was used to extrude ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), which proved to be an ideal marriage of process and material.
By 1980, both the screw extrusion and ram extrusion businesses had grown so large that a second facility was purchased in Dearborn, MI to house the Ram Extrusion Department.
As the business continued to grow, both Dearborn operations were consolidated in 1985, and relocated into a new 75,000 square foot facility in Romulus, MI.
In 1995, to once again allow for expansion, the Ram Extrusion Division was moved from the Romulus facility to it's own new 60,000 square foot facility at 1916 Frenchtown Center Drive in Monroe, MI.
Today, both the Romulus Screw Extrusion Division and the Monroe Ram Extrusion Division operate independent manufacturing profit centers within the Spiratex Company, with corporate headquarters in Romulus, MI. The Ram Extrusion Division has grown to over 100 production extrusion lines operating 24 hours a day. It is supported by its own quality, engineering, machine shop, material handling, office, shipping and receiving staff.
