Minimize core damage

This co. now offers shaftless applications said to improve the efficiency of an operation by minimizing core damage and reducing maintenance downtime. High torque, robust construction and toolless core adaptors help co's new 3-, 4-, and 6-in. torque chucks deliver the performance needed to keep an application running strong, reports co.

Tidland Corp., 360/834-2345, fax: 360/834-5865, www.tidland.com

36-pt solid fiber board

Forte™ is a new packaging substrate that offers converters a high-value alternative to mini-flute corrugated for the construction of small- and medium-sized packages. This 36-pt solid fiber board provides compression strength equal to or greater than F, G and N mini-flute. It combines a smooth and bright (GE 85) coated facing stock with a virgin kraft board to deliver graphic reproduction without washboarding, and supports demanding print production techniques, such as embossing and foil stamping.

MeadWestvaco, 804/327-6419, www.fortepaper.com

Resists flex cracking; easy to open

With the new downgauged structure, this enhanced film still offers customers a formable flexible packaging, says co. The film's structure allows thermoforming and provides resistance to flex cracking, while maintaining the benefits of clarity and peelability for easy opening.

Pechiney Plastic Packaging, Inc., 866/704-2379, www.pechineyplasticpackaging.com

For ease of assembly & disassembly

Co. offers assembly and disassembly tools that consist of a reception mechanism to loosen and tighten the ringnut of the knife head, and coils to safely remove slitter knives on converting machinery. These tools also include a pressure pin to push the knife out of the device after disassembly. The unlocking tools for slitting stations are available in both mechanical and pneumatic versions. They permit non-contact adjustment of the slitting tools in case of breakdown of the electrical system.

Dienes Werke, 49/2206-6050, fax: 49/2206-60511, www.dienes.de

Smoother tilt-and-move flexibility

The Easy Mover™ is now available with two larger rear wheels, which enable smoother tilt-and-move flexibility; repositioning of the air supply pipe; and improved access to the roller assembly for easier replacement. Easy Mover lets one person maneuver wheeled or rollable loads weighing up to 50 tons.

Revolving Technologies, 408/727-3101, www.easymover.net

Employs gravimetric blending

The main extruder on this 3-layer blown-film line is a 3-in. Grooved Feed Contracool® unit processing a blend of LDPE for the center layer. Two 2.5-in. smooth-bore Contracool units extrude the outside LLDPE layers. All material feeding and blending is done using the co.'s ultra-precise AcuraBlend® Gravimetric Throughput Control, and the resulting extrudate is well homogenized and consistent, reports co. The precision of the AcuraBlend feeding and blending is enhanced by the co.'s highly developed Extrol Control System, which has been developed from the ground up for plastic-extrusion processing.

Battenfeld Gloucester Engineering Co., Inc., 978/281-1800, fax: 978/282-9111, www.bge.battenfeld.com

Hazard- & chemical-free

PureScreen is a new line of UV screen inks with silicone-free and wax-free formulations. All hazardous and chemically suspect materials have been eliminated. For converters, this means a screen ink that is safer to handle and can be overprinted with the co.'s PureFlex UV inks or its Versifilm Plus water-based film ink, reports co.

Water Ink Technologies, 800-426-4657, www.waterinktech.com

For low-energy films

Grab-It™ splicing tape is designed for splicing low-energy films, including polypropylenes. The tape is said to eliminate both missed or failed splices, and it also offers quick grabbing adhesion to many hard-to-stick-to materials.

Specialty Tapes, 800/545-8273, fax: 262/835-0749, www.specialtytapes.net

At GEC Hall 14-D26

The 52-in. wide Emerald gearless flexo press on display at the GEC 2003 trade fair in Milan in June is configured as an 8-color CI system plus 2-color Inline also on a CI drum. The press comes equipped with the latest generation of UV lamps by Giardina, "Evergreen" plate sleeves by Rossini, and ceramic anilox sleeves by Praxair Technologies. Having already been print-tested at Uteco's faciltiy in Verona, Italy, the Emerald press will be delivered to its U.S. customer after the show.

Uteco Converting S.P.A., 39/045-617-4555, www.uteco.com

For pharmaceutical applications

Pentapharm® E646/91 PETG shrink sleeve film is a high-shrink transverse-direction oriented film. It has uniform shrinkage and ink adhesion properties for high-performance printing and application, says co., resulting in enhanced shelf appeal and superior tamper-evident packaging. Pen-tapharm film was developed to meet a special need in the label marketplace for a shrink sleeve or tamper-evident band.

Klockner Pentaplast of America, 540/832-3600, fax: 540/832-5656, www.kpfilms.com

With aluminum tubing

Co. now offers idler rolls featuring the patented Winertia™ engineered-profile aluminum tubing specifically designed for idlers. These idler rolls are available with standard outside diameters of 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 in. Special diameters are also available upon request. Face widths are offered up to 140 in. Standard roll finish is 30 Ra. Various roll coatings/coverings are provided in rubber, Teflon, plasma, anodize, chrome and nickel. Grooved roll face in many standard and custom-machined profiles can be supplied. These idlers come with low-friction bearings, which improve web handling by maximizing web traction with the idler roll face.

Converter Accessory Corp., 800/433-2413, fax: 610/863-7818, www.handleyourweb.com

Grip plates and dies

Permanent magnets embedded in the co.'s cylinders, and flat bases grip steel-backed plates and dies and hold them firmly in place so they stay in register even during high-speed press runs. Conventional plates can be mounted on steel carriers or held in place by the co.'s optional Fast-Lock cylinder lock-up system. In these carbon-steel bases and cylinders, the magnets are mounted in an isolated nonmagnetic channel. The isolation channel serves both as a spacer and as an insulator between the magnets and the base or cylinder shell. It separates the magnets from the metal substrate, which allows the base or cylinder to be made of economical ferromagnetic carbon steel without draining magnetic energy needed to hold the printing or diecutting plates securely.

Bunting Magnetics Co., 800/835-2526, fax: 316/283-4975, www.buntingmagnetics.com