Following a period of rapid growth in 2021, CFS reached a point where increasing customer demand and greater program complexity required a significant expansion of both facility space and manufacturing capability. As the company navigated ongoing supply chain constraints during the 2022 buildout, new equipment continued arriving through year-end—transforming both our Franklin, WI facility and our Houston location.
The expansion added 32,000 square feet in Franklin, including new and renovated office and production space, six additional production machines, and tripled the size of our Houston facility. Rather than simply increasing capacity, the investment was focused on enabling higher precision, greater automation, and expanded in-house processing across converting and molding operations.
Precision Laser Die Cutting & High-Speed Rotary Converting
A key addition to our converting platform is a Delta ModTech high-speed rotary press equipped with a FlexEdge® laser and MOD-Track® vision inspection system. This system represents a significant advancement in precision converting, enabling production of highly complex parts with tight tolerances uncommon in traditional die cutting environments.
Laser die cutting supports both rapid prototyping and production-scale manufacturing. It can operate as a standalone process or be integrated with conventional tooling to produce multi-layer laminations and complex geometries. This technology enables extremely fine features—including micro-perforations, small slots, and intricate patterns—that are not achievable with traditional methods.
Integrated optical registration and vision inspection provide continuous in-process feedback, allowing for real-time adjustments and consistent part quality. Critical dimension data can also be supplied for traceability and validation requirements.
In-House Silicone Molding Capabilities
To support growing demand for domestic sourcing and shorter lead times, CFS added a 50-ton compression/transfer molding press for custom silicone manufacturing.
“The past three years have highlighted many challenges in the supply chain. The number of requests for in-house custom silicone molding has skyrocketed—we listened,” said Henry Asik, VP of CFS.
This capability expands our ability to support custom silicone components produced in the U.S., while improving responsiveness for customers with urgent or specialized requirements. Additional molding capacity is planned as demand continues to grow.
Hook Lock Safety & Part Retention Components
The first products produced on this platform are our patent-pending Hook Locks. Designed to fit over coating hooks, they improve part retention and reduce the risk of part loss on automated overhead paint lines—enhancing both safety and yield.
Manufactured from high-temperature silicone, Hook Locks are reusable and currently available for wire diameters from 0.062” to 0.180”, with additional sizes available upon request. They are compatible with a wide range of hook types, including S, C, and V hooks, jam hooks, spring hooks, snap hooks, crossbar hooks, and other hanging systems where part retention is critical.
High-Speed Slitting & Lamination Converting
To improve throughput and reduce processing steps, CFS added a 72” Elite Cameron rewind slitter. This system enables high-speed conversion of master rolls into laminated “mults” at speeds up to 1,000 ft/min.
In many cases, this capability eliminates separate processing steps by combining slitting and lamination into a single operation, reducing lead times and improving cost efficiency. In one application, this allowed a customer to bring a new product design within budget through significant labor and cycle-time reduction.
Precision Narrow Web Rewind Slitting
The Siat narrow web rewind slitter expands our capability for challenging materials and specialty tape constructions.
Certain materials—such as 3M 468MP transfer tape—can be difficult to process using conventional single-knife slitting due to adhesive behavior during unwind and rewind. The Siat system is designed specifically to manage these challenges, enabling precise razor slitting and controlled rewind onto new cores.
While slower than high-speed methods, it provides exceptional accuracy and stability for difficult-to-handle materials where precision is critical.
High-Speed Flatbed Die Cutting
To support larger-format and high-volume production, CFS installed a Preco flatbed hydraulic press. This system adds capacity for parts that are too large for rotary converting or too high in volume for digital knife or steel rule punch press methods.
The Preco delivers up to 10x faster output than traditional flatbed processes while maintaining tight tolerances. It also supports matched metal (male-female) tooling, enabling extremely precise gasket production in thicker or more demanding materials.
Looking Ahead
As part of this continued investment in capability and capacity, CFS plans to host an open house in early summer to showcase new equipment and manufacturing processes. Customers, vendors, and partners will be invited to tour the facility and see these technologies in operation.
“We look forward to hosting an open house in early summer. We will be opening our doors to our customers, vendors, and suppliers for tours and demonstrations. Watch our social media platforms for more information as we get into spring,” concluded Henry.
