DuPont Teijin Films UK Ltd. commissions a new multipurpose OptiLab vacuum coater at its Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) clean room in Wilton, England. Supplied by General Vacuum Equipment, Ltd. (Bobst Group), the bi-directional, roll-to-roll coater was chosen for its versatility and flexibility for both in-house and customer R&D work, DuPont Teijin Films says.

Able to run a range of coating technologies, the unit features several web-treatment techniques including medium-frequency AC plasma pretreatment on films from 12–250 microns. It processes webs up to 20 in. wide, with a roll diameter of 16 in., running at speeds to 65 fpm. The OptiLab also has up to four sputter zones, in combinations of single and dual cathodes, planar and rotatable magnetron sputtering, in reactive and non-reactive configurations. Its bi-directional winding lets multilayer coatings be deposited simultaneously, without breaking the vacuum.

The first samples of film for customer evaluation were produced early in November last year, says DuPont Teijin. The OptiLab coater forms a significant part of the "open access" Flexible Electronics Substrate Facility being developed by CPI. Located within a Class 1000 clean room, the system is designed for research on advanced, defect-free coatings for trials in the flexible electronics market.