About Us
Company History
The History and Evolution of our Company
MSP was founded in 2002 with a clear mission: to design and manufacture the best equipment in the roofing industry. We are a young, vibrant organization focused on quality, innovation, and design excellence. All four of our owners are degreed engineers and are active in the day-to-day operations of the company. Our culture of technical leadership defines MSP at every level of the organization.
Because of our relentless commitment to quality and innovation, we have grown to become the leading supplier of roofing manufacturing systems. In the past several years, MSP has designed, manufactured, installed, and commissioned 80% of the in-line lamination systems worldwide. We are grateful to our customers for the confidence they have placed in us and we look forward to the opportunity to advance the state of the art with each new machine.
Expansive & Convenient
Facilities & Equipment
MSP occupies 46,000 square feet of industrial office space just minutes from I-355 and I-88 in Downers Grove, Illinois. This location is convenient to both of Chicago’s major airports and just minutes from the METRA line to downtown. Most of the company’s employees work in this location and the facility also houses MSP’s Engineering, Research and Development, and Panel Design and Fabrication.
Innovation Is Our Passion
Patented Performance
MSP is passionate about innovation. Every MSP system upgrade or design is done with the intent of improving line speeds, quality, reliability, and ease of maintenance. Over the years, they have developed a great deal of proprietary knowhow in systems design and developed a number of unique products and systems.
Patents held by MSP include the following:
U.S. Patent No. 8,083,049 – Motorized Backstop
This patent describes a servo controlled “soft-stop” backstop that allows the strike plate of the catcher to move in a controlled manner to absorb the impact of the shingles. As manufacturing line speeds increase, one of the limiting factors is bundle quality and single catcher box speeds. The MSP Servo backstop incorporates state-of-the-art technology to create a repetitive and consistent cushioned catcher which improves both line speed and bundle quality. This technology will be in high demand in the coming years as line speeds increase.
U.S. Patent No. 8,919,530 – Short Gap Diverter
Another limiting factor in the manufacturing process is the ability to divert at high speeds. Traditional diverting equipment requires gaps to divert. This patent describes a design for a diverter that is capable of diverting shingles between two different conveyors at high speeds and with a minimal amount of space between the shingles. This enables the shingle line to run at higher speeds and with less space required for changing the speed of the shingles.
Moving Forward
Other Innovations
Over the years MSP has also developed manufacturing knowhow and expertise that cannot be easily classified. This knowhow coupled with a passion for innovation has also led to the development of proprietary products, tools, and equipment. Examples of such innovations follow:
ACD
Traditional Finished Product Looper accumulators hold process web while the cutting equipment pulls it out. The process remains continuously running and the cutter has the ability to stop and start without stopping the process. The ability to pull out of the accumulator without breaking the web is key to high speed line success. The MSP Anti-Cockling Device (ACD) has the advantage of minimizing breaks while simultaneously softening the snap of the web as it is pulled out of the accumulator.
DML
A newly design state-of-the-art Dry Mat Looper (DML) now has the ability to maintain web tension from the unwind stand through the coater. The Dry Mat Looper incorporates the latest servo technology and is designed to be a safe system able to maintain consistent tension as the web exits the equipment, even as the entry roll is stopped and started to allow for web slicing. The resulting process web now has more consistent quality, and overall machine downtime is reduced.
Dual Drive FPL
A longer Finished Product Looper (FPL) for machines is desired as the line speeds increase. MSP has implemented a dual-drive system to enable longer equipment (more storage capacity) without sacrificing machine operation.
Soft-Pull FPL Exit
High cutter speeds require higher pull-out speeds from the finished product looper. MSP has implemented soft-pull technology whereby cutter speeds can be increased without increasing the pull-out speed from the Finished Product Looper. This invention can reduce web breaks.
Short-Pull Granule Delivery Systems
The process of changing product colors has been improved by MSP’s ability to use the best technology and programming techniques to minimize waste, scrap, and downtime during color changes. The process provides a technically written and coordinated program such that raw materials are consumed at a rate designed to minimize the remaining old color raw material at a color change. This results in a more efficient use of raw materials.
Process End Line Drive Control Theory
Web handling success is measured by consistent quality product being manufactured without machine stops due to breaks. MSP proprietary programming techniques enable line speeds to be increased while at the same time maintaining quality and machine up time. Innovative tension control and regulating schemes as well as other proprietary technologies have set MSP apart from our competition