Imagine a coating line running via remote control, in complete darkness, where operators watch the process using infrared TV cameras. Polaroid's (www.polaroid.com) New Bedford, MA, plant features such a line, coating photo negatives for instant film. It's one of two major coating lines at the New Bedford plant, which also produces ink-jet photo paper.

Just because the coating line is in the dark, however, doesn't mean Polaroid managers are. In 1989 the winder was upgraded from its early 1970s configuration to a first-generation automatic Kampf unit (www.kampfusa.com). Then, in 2003, the winding operation received another upgrade, to a Kampf Ecomat dual-turret winder with complete Rockwell Automation (www.automation.rockwell.com) digital controls.

"Between the 1989 and 2003 upgrades, the Kampf winder design had been much improved," says Matt Cohen, senior manager of engineering and trades for Polaroid. "The design of the lay-on (contact) roll is better, the winding is faster and better, with better tension control. It also accommodates bigger rolls, and we now have far fewer defects." Cohen estimates that the previous rate of telescoping defects, from 10 to 15 percent, is now down to near zero. Losses due to machine downtime are also greatly reduced.

The Kampf winder runs in complete darkness and features fully automated roll handling, core handling and web cutting. It makes a tapeless transfer to a new core at the end of each coated roll. Operators monitor the darkroom coating process using remote-controlled IR television cameras.

An automatic splice-detection system triggers a robotic core handler and transfer cart to exchange an empty core for a completed roll—again, all in the dark. The web is attached to the core at full speed by an enveloper system, which eliminates the need for tape. After coating, the web is allowed to equilibrate to ambient temperature and humidity in a zone located between the drying process and the winder. An automated defect-detection system uses an infrared laser for 100-percent inspection of the web.

The winder was fabricated and mechanically assembled at Kampf's plant in Germany, according to Cohen. It was then shipped to Kampf's US facility in Windsor, CT, where Rockwell technicians installed the electrical components and drive system. "We conducted a performance trial in Connecticut, then disassembled the winder, installed it in our New Bedford coating plant, and commissioned it for production," says Cohen. The whole project took about 12 months to complete, cost approximately $3 million and was carried out in two phases.

Phase 1 comprised the unwind and drive system, and Phase 2 dealt with the winder upgrade. "It was not without its complications," says Cohen. "Polaroid declared bankruptcy during the project, and has since been taken private by Petters Group Worldwide." (www.pettersgroup.com)

On September 11, 2001, Polaroid's engineering manager David Kilpatrick and technical specialist Max Paronich were on their way back from Germany, where they had visited Kampf and seen the winder being built The two colleagues wound up being diverted to an airport in Newfoundland and were stranded there for four days before they could reach home. Four years later, they're able to laugh at the experience. For now, under the new corporate parent, Polaroid managers are reaping the rewards of their farsighted decision to upgrade the coating line.