BUFFALO, N.Y., USA - Eastman Machine Company, manufacturer of cutting machines, automated cutting systems, material handling equipment, and software solutions is celebrating its 120th year in business. The company was established in 1888 and is a fifth-generation, family-owned business with a broad base of elite customers in the marine, composites, military, aerospace and industrial fabrics industries. The company will demonstrate its innovative history and range of cutting equipment at the 2008 International Boatbuilders’ Exhibition & Conference (IBEX) held October 6-8, at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida (USA).

For over 13 years, Eastman automated cutting systems have been a technological solution for increased productivity, quality, and cost control among a diversified list of customer applications. The company’s 2008 anniversary was accentuated with the release of a multi-ply cutting system, capable of cutting up to 5 cm (2”) of compressed material, and a new line of spreading machines for handling up to 2,200 pound rolls of material. The additions further enhance Eastman’s role as a complete resource for cutting, material handling and spreading equipment.

As an added value and support for investment purposes, the company offers complimentary test cut analyses on material and patterns/files, with video footage, to capture the machine’s cut speed, material efficiency and recommended system configurations.

On display in booth #1835, the Eagle-EC3 Conveyor is a low-ply CNC cutting system that automatically feeds and spreads material for cutting. Eastman's gantry and tool head design utilizes a precision servo-controlled belt tracking system, with a rack and pinion drive. The system is designed for cutting/plotting a variety of materials and thicknesses at speeds of up to 60 inches per second (152.4 cm/s). Additionally, the conveyor boasts a vacuum flow rate of 6000 cfm (170m³/min) with internal blowers; offering a savings in floor space compared to competitive systems with external vacuum blowers.

Eastman’s manual cutting machines will also be on display, configured for use with materials commonly associated with the marine industry. Some of these include the legendary 629X Blue Streak II Straight Knife, the Buzzaird Rotary Shear as well as the gravity fed Plastic Master and the pressure fed Micro Fog cutting machines.

About Eastman Machine Company
Eastman (www.eastmancuts.com) manufactures custom engineered solutions and innovative cutting technologies for soft-goods industries. Eastman’s world headquarters are located in Buffalo, New York, U.S.A. with sales offices, agents and distributors around the world. A dedicated staff of engineers, technical service and installation teams are readily available for training and support to guarantee immediate response to customer’s needs.