“Industrial Machine Manufacturing (IMMCO LLC) guarantees a 40 percent higher pump rate than any other drum unloader on the market”—a year ago, this was what grabbed a leading German-based tape manufacturer’s attention. They wanted to increase production on one of their hotmelt lines. Having come across IMMCO’s guarantee, the client asked Russ Martin, President of IMMCO, to schedule a test to demonstrate what they claimed. While the client was achieving a pump rate of 300 PPH with their existing drum unloader, they were hoping to increase it to 400 PPH with IMMCO's offering. IMMCO pumped the first drum with its low-cost pneumatic machine, the Model 4230, and consistently hit a rate of 600 PPH. The client was delighted by the outstanding results, much more so when the platen was pulled out of the drum. Unlike its existing drum unloaders that left behind 20 kg of adhesive in each drum, with IMMCO's Uniflow unloader, the client found virtually no adhesive left at the bottom of the drum. The client would have bought a Uniflow unloader because of the increased throughput it can achieve. However, the solution that IMMCO delivered enabled the client to get a two-month payback just from the reduction in material waste.

As a company that specializes in the designing and manufacturing of hot melt dispensing equipment for a wide range of industries worldwide, IMMCO has carved a unique niche for itself by delivering reliable machines that pump faster and backing it up with exceptional service. The company offers solutions for pumping hot melt adhesives into any production process with its 55-gallon, 5-gallon, and tabletop machines, along with customized solutions for feeding coating lines, stranders, insulated glass lines, or any other production need.

IMMCO’s Uniflow Drum Unloaders have always been known as the preferred choice for pumping extremely high viscosity materials or achieving unbeatable pump rates. The company's hydraulic ram machine, the Model 230H, can pump materials with viscosities as high as two million centipoise. Although Uniflow is renowned for performance, IMMCO previously missed out on most drum unloader opportunities because the hydraulic machines would cost 3X as much as a pneumatic ram machine.

Industrial Machine Manufacturing (IMMCO LLC) guarantees a 40 percent higher pump rate than any other drum unloader

That changed three years ago when IMMCO introduced its own pneumatic machine, the Model 4230. It is priced competitively and is guaranteed to pump 40 percent faster than any competing machine. Since introducing its Model 4230, IMMCO has witnessed interest and growth across diverse markets, whether it be tape, flooring, underground cable, insulated glass, woodworking, automotive, abrasives, specialty oils, or adhesive manufacturing.

Not just that, the company also reduces material waste by up to 95 percent since a Uniflow leaves two lbs or less of material in a drum, and can help customers save $20,000-$100,000 each year, depending on the material they are pumping and number of drums they use each week. The high pump rate and the reduced material waste are attributable to IMMCO’s unique platen design. While other manufacturers cast their platens, Uniflow platens are machined, which enables the company to obtain nearly twice the heat transfer area of any competing machine.

On the service side, IMMCO delivers exceptional lead time. The industry standard is 12-14 weeks, whereas the company typically ships pneumatic machines in 2-4 weeks. In some cases, IMMCO has even shipped a new machine in just one day. “When your production line is down because of your drum unloader, it is a big deal! Everything in our electrical panels is off-the-shelf so that our customers do not have to worry about long lead time or an exorbitant price for a proprietary board. We also keep an extensive inventory on hand so that we can meet almost any part-delivery request in one business day,” says Martin.

Having carved a unique niche, IMMCO’s goal is to be the leading worldwide supplier of hot melt adhesive application solutions. Martin mentions that delighted customers often would want to know what else his company brings to the table. IMMCO answered the question by becoming a distributor of Meler, a global manufacturer of a wide range of hot melt solutions, in December 2019. “Now we can offer customers everything from a tabletop hot melt unit to our high-performing Uniflow 55-gallon Hot Melt Drum Unloaders, plus customized solutions for any need,” he says. For the future, IMMCO’s strategy is to continually innovate to offer its customers the best-performing machines with the lowest cost of ownership.