What I do

Several questions asking for quotations for film-manufacturing equipment from recent postings tend to make me think that it’s not completely clear what it is I do. So, I thought I might take a little time to explain myself and perhaps give my real business plug.

I started work in 1972 as a synthetic Chemist at Sterling Drug in Rensselear, NY. As a bench chemist, I helped synthesize anti-parasitic drugs for schistosomiasis, other human internal parasites, anti-malarial and anti-inflammatory compounds. I left there after two years and went to Rensselear Polytechnic Institute, where I studied the extrusion-melting mechanism, performing melting measurements and developing an analytical melting model. I also studied the principles of screw design and polymer processing. I graduated in 1978 with a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and went to work for ICI Americas to do screw design for oriented-PET lines. I also did process development and design for the oriented lines and had a pilot line with a 4.5-in. extruder and a casting and forward-drawing unit. I was able to do quite a few process experiments for extrusion, casting and drawing, which I was able to scale-up into the plant. I really liked the process of orienting films. So, when I left ICI in 1981, I looked to stay in the process of oriented films. That led me to Mobil Films (now ExxonMobil) where I worked until 2000 designing film products (high-barrier metallized films as well as others) and process modifications for the Mobil Films manufacturing plants around the world. All my technical work has been focused for incorporation into the manufacturing environment with a goal of “Better, Faster and Cheaper” products and processes.

Since 2000, I was retired early and have been making my living as a consultant in film and polymer processing. I also measure capillary-melt rheology and have several microscopes, ovens, a heat sealer and my thesis equipment in my home lab. I help those with processing problems in film and sheet products for packaging, thermoforming and other uses as well as metallized films, flame treater specification, startup and operation. I also have several training classes in coextrusion, extrusion, film making metallization, extrusion lamination and coating, etc.

In the course of things, I have prepared several articles for Converting Magazine, which then asked me to start this Blog. So, that’s Eldridge M. Mount II and EMMOUNT Technologies in a nutshell. I do not sell equipment but do help in the specification and startup of extrusion systems, coextrusion systems, metallizers, film and sheet lines, etc. I am an on-demand technical resource.

For my personal information, I’ve been married for 37 years to Nancy, have two children and six grandchildren. I am a Boy Scout and outdoors man living in Canandaigua, NY.