For food packaging

Canclear® is a transparent, aluminum oxide-coated, barrier polyester film for packaging applications involving fresh food, confectionery, snacks and dried foods. It provides for clearer laminates without chlorine content and offers a four-fold improvement over PVdC as a dioxide barrier at ambient temperatures. Available in 48- and 36-gauges, it uses less energy to manufacture than aluminum foil, is not sensitive to changes in humidity and offers a thinner barrier coating with better clarity in comparison to silicon-oxide films, co. says.

VACUMET CORP., 973/628-0400, www.vacumet.com

Self-calibrates, ensures proper setup

The new e-Knifeholder, reportedly the industry's first all-electronic knifeholder, eliminates guesswork in knifeholder setup and increases blade life, slitting accuracy and efficiency, says co. The e-Knifeholder self-calibrates to optimize critical blade geometry during setup, blade overlap and side-force. By ensuring the proper adjustments during setup, blade wear is reduced and changes are required less often, translating to greater uptime and reduced operating costs. Settings are entered via an easy-to-use interface, providing remote control of the knifeholders to reduce hands-on time during the setup and run process.

TIDLAND CORP., 800/426-1000, www.tidland.com

For tension measuring

The new EMGZ306A.CAL Analog Tension-Measuring Amplifier has a built-in auto-calibration button to simulate a 4.5m-V output that is used as the reference point for load-cell calibration without the need to hang weights. Co. provides a weightless load-cell calibration tool (FMS Gain Calculator) as part of its free downloadable tension calculator. This compact unit is DIN-rail mountable, powered by 24VDC, uses high-quality, accurate DC/DC converters and SMT components, and is said to be extremely easy to use.

FMS USA, INC., 847/392-7872, www.fms-technology.com

Adapts to multiple unwind and rewind applications

Co. releases its new MDI-1 Digital Interface—a compact digital operator interface to co.'s CB64 that connects via a CAT5e cable and offers remote access to the CB64's functionality. The MDI-1 features a four-line character display and LED indicators. It can be easily adapted to multi-unwind and rewind applications. Because of its compact size and versatile mounting system, it is said to be easy to install. The MDI-1 can be located up to 50 ft from the CB64, allowing greater flexibility to the operator in monitoring the moving web.

THE MONTALVO CORP., 800/226-8710, www.montalvo.com

Alerts operators to problems, maintenance needs

The new Smart Brake, a pneumatic brake that has been re-designed to improve efficiency and eliminate surprises on the unwind, indicates common problems before it's too late, helping operators avoid disasters, says co. Pad wear indicators call attention to brake pads only when they need to be changed, eliminating the common practice of changing all brake pads at regular intervals, regardless of wear. Heat-detection features identify signs of overheating and can automatically activate fans to dissipate heat, without operator intervention. Redesigned brake components enhance operator safety and simplify maintenance.

MAGPOWR, 800/MAGPOWR, www.magpowr.com/smart

For nut, coffee and dry-foods packaging

N-Coat® is a nanotechnology-based, high-barrier coating that can achieve a barrier three to four times better than PVdC-coated PET film at a lower weight and cost, co. says. Targeting the nut, coffee and dry-foods industries where high gas barrier is important, the coating is applied on 48-gauge polyester film which results in a clear film with a gas barrier that competes with most metallized structures. The nano particles help eliminate issues with flex or stress cracking and allows converters to move away from using chlorine-based PVdC.

MULTIFILM PACKAGING CORP., 847/695-7600, www.constantia-multifilm.com

With optional black oxide or EN coating

Co. introduces its newly expanded lines of shaft supports offered in various grades of steel, stainless-steel and aluminum, with either black oxide or EN coating as applicable. Flange-mounted supports feature an inlay or dowel hole as well as ones with slit-clamp supports. Shaft supports with built-in dampers, hinged clamp-style supports and chamfered-head design supports are also available.

MISUMI USA, INC., 800-681-7475, www.misumiusa.com

Environmentally friendly, uncoated

First to be introduced in the Envi line of environmental-packaging grades for folding cartons and luxury shopping bags is co.'s new Envi Folding Box Board (FBB). The 18-pt single-ply, uncoated paperboard is said to be ideal for fragrance, cosmetics, gourmet food and wine packaging applications. Envi FBB comes in a bright white shade and is made with 80 percent post-consumer waste, one of the highest recycled-content levels currently available in the marketplace for single-ply, high-caliper uncoated paperboard, co. says.

MONADNOCK PAPER MILLS, INC., 877/877-2098, www.mpm.com

Features enhanced tensile strength

With the V-Max® MDO (machine direction orientation) film, converters can achieve greater than 90 lbs/in. MD tensile strength in a 2.2-mil film. The film also features enhanced stiffness with low elongation. It can be used for a range of items: reinforcement, opening and other tapes; pressure-sensitive labels; and drawstrings for trash bags.

VALERON STRENGTH FILMS, 800/VALERON, www.valeron.com

Measures nip width

Sigma-Nip® provides instantaneous feedback on nip conditions through its sensors, which are deployed right on the nip surface. Linked on a plastic carrier sheet, the sensors measure and detect nip width at up to 30 discreet points across the web's cross-direction. It can tolerate pressures of up to 3,000 psi, making it potentially usable on calender rolls, co. says.

SENSOR PRODUCTS, INC., 973/884-1755, www.sensorprod.com

Available with five tank sizes

The M-series hot-melt units are available with 15-, 30-, 65-, 120- or 170-liter capacity tank sizes. Standard features include PLC-based control technology with full communication options to the production line network, a touchscreen-control panel and positive-displacement gear pumps for continuous output requirements. Optional casters for unit mobility are available (as shown).

SHURE-GLUE/MELTON SYSTEMS, INC., 513/874-5581, www.shure-glue.com

Tool for the global marketplace

The latest version of the TORI-FLEX data-tracking and maintenance software comes with a host of new capabilities and enhancements. Version 7.2 features multiple-currency capability, metric and imperial measurements, taxation and international address and phone number definition to better equip companies for the global marketplace. The inventory tracking component now incorporates cycle and end-of-month counting, and users can update or post data during any point of the production process.

PLASTISOFT CORP., 416/667-9292, www.plastisoft.com

Runs multiple webs without setup changes

The TruWide sensor gives converters the ability to run multiple webs and a variety of materials without time-consuming setup changes or sensor repositioning, says co. It complements an existing family of sensors for varying web widths, while using new technology to improve accuracy, reduce changeover time and simplify maintenance. Ultrasonic sensing “nodes” are active at all times throughout the entire width of the sensing area, eliminating the need to reposition the sensor between runs and optimizing web alignment in applications with high instances of web-width variations.

FIFE CORP., 800/639-3433, www.fife.com

Available in two densities

Known as crushed EPDM or EPT sealer, the 1410R series is a super-soft compound widely used in the automotive industry. This conformable, closed-cell product is available in two different densities, with or without pressure-sensitive adhesive. Its thickness can be formed to suit specific applications, and it's available in plain, with acrylic/rubber PSA or with butyl adhesive.

JACOBS & THOMPSON, INC., 416/749-0600, www.foamparts.ca

Co.'s Traction Roll sleeve provides a tacky surface that keeps rolls turning and prevents them from marking or scratching substrates. These coverings slide over existing idler rolls and are available in lengths up to 400 in. They can be cut to length in order to fit any idler with 1.5-, 2-, 2.5-, 3-, 3.5-, 4-, 5- and 6-in. diameters.

JEMMCO, LLC, 262/512-9559, fax: 262-478-1306, www.jemmco.com

Co.'s felt rolls come with custom-bearing housings that allow for upright or inverted configurations. The rolls arrive ready for installation with assembled bearings, reducing time required to change and install rolls. Installation does not require modification of existing machinery, framework or bearing lubrication hoses, co. says. The rolls can handle speeds up to 10,000 fpm. Bolt-on journals for easy maintenance and alloy steel journals for heavy-weight applications are available.

PFE ROLLS, 800/828-8482, fax: 978/544-7803, www.pferolls.com

Co. offers two types of laser-engraved anilox rolls: Laserflo™ and Thermaflo™. Laserflo uses traditional CO2 laser-engraving, offering 28- to 32-percent depth-to-opening ratios and industry-standard screen counts and volume ranges. Thermaflo uses the latest multi-hit thermal YAG system, offering a much wider range of screen and volume combinations. It is suited for converters wanting to move to high-screen and high-volume configurations.

PAMARCO GLOBALGRAPHICS, 800/53-FLEXO, www.pamarcoglobal.com

Uses sheeted adhesive rolls

The FastPad automatic cleaning station removes dry, unattached particles, down to 1 micron in size, from various substrates via sheeted adhesive rolls. Using co.'s Dust Cleaning Roller to clean the substrate, operators then place the DCR in FastPad to be cleaned. Because the system cleans the roll automatically, operators no longer need to use a hand roller to clean the roller, cutting substrate cleaning time by up to 50 percent.

TEKNEK, 44/141-568-8100, www.teknek.com

For water- or solvent-based fluids

Co.'s priming and coating units, for water- or solvent-based fluids, offer a dual-nip roll system for top- or bottom-side coating. The chambered doctoring system combined with precision nip adjustment enables precise fluid application across film or paper webs at speeds up to 3,000 fpm. The unit can be retrofitted into existing lines or offered as part of a complete priming or coating line. Co. also offers a two-sided coater that coats both sides of the web simultaneously.

RETROFLEX, INC., 920/532-4850, www.retroflex.com

Safe for cleaning aluminum anilox rolls

Co. introduces AltraWash Green™, an environmentally-friendly and aluminum-safe multi-purpose cleaner for water-based inks. The cleaning formula is non-corrosive to aluminum so it is reportedly ideal for anilox-roll cleaning on- or off-press. Designed to be safe for use in pressure washing systems, soak tanks, ultrasonic tanks or flushing through the entire ink syste, it does not use petroleum distillates, is biodegradable, has low vapor pressure and produces no VOCs.

HARPERSCIENTIFIC™, 866/588-8686, www.harperscientific.com