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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThe centerpiece of the plant is the introduction of purpose-built infrastructure to produce NexGen screen media – a polyurethane material developed by FLS to deliver extended wear life, reduced maintenance and improved operational efficiency. In on-site trials, screen panels made from NexGen have demonstrated up to three times the wear life of conventional rubber and polyurethane products, making it a game-changer for industries that rely on high-performance screening solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Warren Walker, Head of Global Manufacturing – Polyurethane Operations at FLS, explained that Tucson is part of the company\u2019s five global polyurethane plants now expanding our capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have installed new, latest generation polyurethane machines, precision tooling and dedicated preheating ovens for inserts. This allows us to significantly increase our output while ensuring consistent quality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The facility now includes two trommel screen media stations and six screen media stations, each tailored to produce NexGen products. One of the standout technologies introduced is a programmable auto-calibrating polyurethane casting machine capable of adjusting material hardness to suit specific applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe flexibility to produce varying hardness levels is critical,\u201d Walker said. \u201cIt means we can tailor our screen media precisely to the customer\u2019s application, ensuring optimum performance and longevity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To complement this, a high-capacity polyurethane machine is in operation at the facility. This system is particularly suited to applications requiring large volume pours, such as flotation spare parts and vertical mill components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Energy efficiency was a key consideration in the new layout and equipment design. \u201cWe have incorporated smart energy-saving features like individual temperature control on each casting table station,\u201d Walker said. \u201cThis avoids the need to heat large surface areas unnecessarily and contributes to our carbon reduction goals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FLS\u2019s offering from Tucson extends beyond screen media manufacturing. The Tucson facility is equipped to handle warehousing, CNC machining, sandblasting, painting, assembly and product testing of the FLS pump, cyclone and valve product range. This vertical integration allows the company to deliver customized solutions with tighter control over quality and lead times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He noted that many older processing plants are treating materials that differ from their original design specifications. In these cases, screen efficiency can often only be improved by optimizing the screen media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is where NexGen makes a real difference,\u201d Shepherd said. \u201cCombined with the correct aperture design, it allows customers to get more life and better performance from their screens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unlike injection-moulded polyurethane, which can compromise the structural integrity of screen panels, FLS\u2019s proprietary process retains superior mechanical properties, resulting in a tougher more durable product. \u201cWe have never used injection moulding because it reduces the quality of the end product,\u201d Shepherd explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur process delivers a product that stands up to the toughest operating conditions and offers lasting value.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Walker adds that the expansion at Tucson not only supports FLS\u2019s global operations but also contributes meaningfully to the U.S. economy: \u201cOur commitment to local manufacturing is evident in the scale of our investment and the jobs we have created. We have expanded our workforce, prioritized local recruitment and significantly grown our skills development program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur investment during a period of economic uncertainty underlines FLS\u2019s long-term commitment to the United States and to our customers across North and Central America,\u201d says Walker. \u201cWe are not just building products \u2013 we are building skills, opportunities, and partnerships that will power sustainable growth for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Source: fls.com<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" FLS has completed one of its newest projects: adding a polyurethane manufacturing facility at its Tucson, Ariz., campus, positioning the site as a key global hub for the production of its advanced NexGen wear-resistant material. This development forms part of a wider modernization program by the company aimed at strengthening supply chains, increasing manufacturing efficiency and enhancing sustainability across its…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11258,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,495],"tags":[4077,4078],"coauthors":[1644],"class_list":["post-11093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-latest-news","tag-fls","tag-polyurethane"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/screening_media_fls_mining.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11093"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11093\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11095,"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11093\/revisions\/11095"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11093"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=11093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}