Converting Magazine

Ask AIMCAL

• Focus on Coating, Laminating & Metallizing
  Edward D. Cohen, AIMCAL Technical Consultant, 11/01/2004
  A coating applicator is a very reliable process and can effectively coat a variety of products over a range of process conditions, i.e., line speed, viscosity, coverage. The applicators are durable, and with appropriate maintenance and optimization the hardware can have an extended lifetime—over 20 years. More
• How do I insure success in my coater upgrading program?
  Edward D. Cohen, AIMCAL Technical Consultant, 302/234-2796, cohened146@aol.com, 07/01/2004
  The upgrading or retrofitting of an existing coater can be accomplished by replacing obsolete or inadequate process components with improved technology. This modernizing can be an effective method to improve productivity, costs and quality. It is often a cost-effective alternative to a new unit and should be actively considered whenever new capacity or improved quality is needed. More
• I want to add electric radiant heaters to an old forced-air dryer. How is feasibility determined?
  By Neil L. Steinberg, 04/01/2004
  Here are some considerations: Safety Requirements: First we make sure there are no obvious safety problems. To even consider radiant heat, we must be sure the coatings do not contain solvents that are flammable, or that react badly to temperatures of several hundred degrees-C; e.g., decompose to become corrosive or toxic. More
• How do I locate sources of new technology?
  Edward D. Cohen, 01/01/2004
  Locating new technology can be complex, because there is a vast body of technology from many sources, not all of which is appropriate for a specific business need. Therefore, the effort to locate appropriate technology needs to use a systematic approach, or considerable time and resources will be expended with no useable business results. More
• Why do I need a pilot coating line?
  E. Lawrence Gogolin, 12/01/2003
  There are any number of reasons why a company might set up a pilot coating line. These reasons typically include a need to: The first question to ask yourself is the intended use. The objectives for the pilot line must be clearly understood before the unit is specified and installed. Will it be strictly for process/product development? If so, should it be flexible and easy to retrofit as new ap... More
• What problem-solving skills do I need for the coating process?
  Edward D. Cohen, 07/01/2003
  Problem-solving skills are needed to overcome the wide variety of problems that frequently occur in R&D, pilot and manufacturing coaters. These problems can cover a wide range of deficiencies, such as: physical defects from contamination, coating instability defects, support induced defects, non-uniform coverage, poor drying, installing an additional coating method, and the inability to app... More
• How do I upgrade the laboratory coatings process?
  By Edward D. Cohen, 03/01/2003
  The development of laboratory coating technology has not kept up with the significant improvements that have been made in the manufacturing coating process. The methods used in the laboratory have been virtually unchanged for many decades. Typically, sheets are coated in the laboratory using some form of doctoring device and are dried with ambient air. More
• What is the metal layer of metallized films really like?
  Eldridge Mount, EMMOUNT Technologies, 09/01/2002
  When we look at a metallized film, we see a bright shiny reflective surface, which seems very uniform. But what is the aluminum layer really like? How thick is it, and what is its real structure? If we start with a typical metallized film with an Optical Density of 2, we can determine its thickness in two ways: with an electron microscope picture from the side or with surface-resistivity measur... More
• Can a small coater benefit from Six Sigma?
  Jim Wheeler, 07/01/2002
  Six-Sigma performance is fast becoming the standard for world-class companies. Six-Sigma implies a manufacturing defect rate of 3.4 ppm; however, Six-Sigma is also an operating strategy that allows companies to greatly improve quality resulting in higher profit levels. On the surface, a Six Sigma program appears to be just another version of traditional quality management programs. More
• Is the air knife method still useful for precision coating?
  Neil I. Steinberg, Somerset Engineering, 03/01/2002
  It certainly is. While it may not be the coating of choice for many applications, it is a serious contender in a significant minority of cases. It is inexpensive to implement and maintain and it lends itself to rapid, inexpensive product changes.Precision air knife coating—as opposed to what I refer to as the air squeegee process—is routinely capable of controlling coating wei... More
• What is "dry point" and why is it important?
  Edgar Gutoff, 11/01/2001
  "Dry point" is the location in the dryer where a coating first appears dry, even though it is not yet fully dry. It is important, especially with aqueous coatings, because the dry point occurs toward the end of the dryer, after about three-quarters of the dryer length. It is therefore a useful location from which to control the overall drying process, so the final residual solvent in the ... More
• How do I create a window or a clear pattern in metallized film?
  Eldridge Mount, EMMOUNT Technologies, 09/01/2001
  Recently, there seems to be an increased interest in patterned metallized products. Indeed, one of this year's AIMCAL technical excellence award winners was for Graphic Packaging's patterned susceptor technology. Although metallized films are often chosen for their light barrier properties, many products do not require them. More
• What's an easy way of characterizing coating defects?
  Edward D. Cohen, AIMCAL Technical Consultant, 07/01/2001
  A reliable, rapid defect-characterization process is essential to eliminate defects in coating operations. The characterization procedure should provide useable information, be easy to use by everyone involved with the process, provide rapid results, and facilitate the storage of data for easy retrieval at a later date if needed. More
• Is there a quick and dirty way to measure the tensile modulus of a web?
  Neil I. Steinberg, Somerset Engineering 864/244-8829, 05/01/2001
  steinbni@aol.com When you have no convenient access to a tensile tester, and if your web is at least 1 mil thick, the age-old cantilevered beam deflection method may be just what you are looking for. This test is not recommended as a replacement for a good laboratory tensile tester, but it will usually give results to within ± 20% of the value measured with a tensile tester. More