Engineering polymer compounder Oxford Industries of Connecticut Inc. dba as Oxford Polymers, is spending about $500,000 to expand capacity with the addition of a new twin-screw extruder.

“It allows all our lines to each specialize more on a type of compound, for example, glass filled or colored compounds” said Oxford President Nicholas L. DeFelice in a telephone interview.

Felice said the 72-millimeter twin-screw was installed in early June and should be in commercial production by the end of July.

“This additional 8 million pounds of annual compounding capacity will go a long way to support our growth into specified programs at our customers, and certainly will broaden the competitive advantages we can bring to market,” DeFelice explained.

Oxford bought the new twin-screw from Crown Machine Inc. of Addison, Ill. The machine boosts Oxford’s overall twin-screw capacity to 25 million to 30 million pounds per year. Oxford has three other twin screws and several single-screw extruders.

Oxford specializes in engineering and high-heat polymers such as nylons, polyesters, ABS, acetal, polyether imide, polyether sulfone, polyphenylene oxide, polycarbonate and alloys. Its additives include flame retardants, impact modifiers, lubricants, carbon fibers and stainless steel.

Key markets are automotive, medical device, lighting and safety, consumer, electrical/electronic, and post-consumer compounds.

Oxford operates in a 100,000-square-foot facility in New Britain, Conn.

DeFelice said another engineering compounder with a similar name, Oxford Performance Materials Inc., is a separate company that was spun off Oxford Polymer in 2000. Arkema SA bought Oxford Performance in 2008 and its former owners bought the firm back in 2011. It is based in South Windsor, Conn.