20. Aug 2026
Edge-Sweets expands polymer development capabilities
Edge-Sweets Company (Esco) has expanded its in-house polymer development capabilities to help manufacturers take new materials from formulation through to commercial-scale production.
The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based company, which specializes in custom polyurethane processing equipment, has added polymer chemistry, applications development and process engineering to its existing equipment design capabilities.
Esco said combining these disciplines would allow its chemists and engineers to address formulation and manufacturing requirements as part of a single development process.
Variables including viscosity, filler content and flow characteristics can determine how production equipment must be engineered. Esco said manufacturers sometimes begin investigating equipment before these parameters have been fully established.
“Customers don’t always come to us with a finished formulation,” said Rick Speas, applications engineer at Esco. “Often they know the product they want to manufacture, but the chemistry, processing requirements and production equipment are all evolving at the same time. By bringing chemists and engineers together, we can solve those challenges as one development process instead of several separate ones.”
The company recently worked with Colorado-based bio-based materials developer Flora Materials on formulation development, rapid prototyping, process engineering and the production of large-scale samples. Esco is now helping Flora scale up its manufacturing process.
Other development projects have included specialized aviation foam and composite panels incorporating materials that are difficult to recycle.
“Some of the most rewarding projects are the ones that don’t fit a standard process,” Speas said. “Those applications require chemistry, engineering and manufacturing expertise to evolve together. That’s where we believe we can create the greatest value.”
Esco supplies polyurethane processing equipment and polymer engineering services to industries including furniture, bedding, construction, automotive, aerospace and medical products.
Photo: Esco's Filler Fed Dynamic Mixing System uses patented technology to precisely meter and mix dry fillers directly into multi-component liquid systems, supporting a range of polyurethane, epoxy and polyester applications.