Custom Fabrication

The large machine guards shown here are on packaging machinery manufactured by Standard Knapp and used to automatically pack beverages. Standard Knapp produces the finest case, tray and shrink packaging machinery available on the market today. Merchandising Partners manufactures the guard doors from Polycarbonate panels and assembles the aluminum extrusions around the doors so they swing evenly on the equipment. 

We install the hinges and handles and occasionally other hardware. These could be full sets of door panels for new machines, or single panels to service an existing machine in the market. Most of our machine guards are made from clear Polycarbonate material, the same material as bullet proof windows. We can heat bend or cold bend, lengths up to 96”, and weld different pieces together to fit around any machine or object you need to provide guarding for. We also offer Polycarbonate in tinted colors if the application requires that.

Merchandising Partners can produce store fixtures for a variety of applications. We make bagel bins, with hinged lids. Clear acrylic shelves to fit over wire frames, with front and back lips to prevent slippage. Clear sign holders and item literature holders, can sit either on a counter-top or hang on slat-wall. The displays featured here are for a knife and cutlery company from England, looking to establish a presence in the United States. The clear locking cabinet is designed to hold knives against the magnetic rails. The white printed acrylic backer is designed to hold utensils from chrome hooks. Displays like these can be customized for specific brands or generic to hold a number of different items. Each of these hang securely on a slat-wall fixture with metal clips fastened to the displays.

We have two vacuum forming machines – one with a 30” x 40” forming area and a larger former that can accommodate sheets of 48” x 60”. Our vacuum formers are used for making single items such as replacement boat windshields or used for production runs in the thousands. Vacuum forming is an essential element in the fabrication process that allows you to mold the plastic into unique shapes. We mold ABS, acrylic, and Polycarbonate materials.

Drape forming is a process similar to vacuum forming, where material is heated and shaped over a mold. In drape forming the material is manually placed over a male mold and allowed to cool into the shape or form, while pressure is applied. These large frosted acrylic panels were drape formed and used in the renovation of the tunnels at the Union Station in New Haven CT. The panels were required to fit into a metal frame structure from 30 years ago and are each approximately 50” long.

These processes are all important in the fabrication process. Edge polishing puts a smooth finish on the edges of acrylic and it extremely important when flaming is required. The edge polish removes any swirls or tool marks from cutting the acrylic. When the acrylic is flamed it shows the base surface and any imperfections. A flame polished surface is safe to handle and will not result in cuts. All of our displays for retail stores receive a flame polish finish.

We can heat bend up to 96” length parts. It is more efficient to heat bend acrylic than it is to glue two pieces together at 90 degrees. We can make 5 sided cubes by heat bending 4 spots at one time, then welding on the base. This process is much more efficient than welding 8 seams on 5 pieces of acrylic.

Some parts form better if they are cold bent. Polycarbonate, often utilized in machine guards, would warp if a long run were heat bent. The process of cold bending is performed in a break press, where the material is pinched then folded to the desire angle. We can cold bend Polycarbonate up to 3/8” thick and 96” in length.