LINCOLN, R.I. — Lincoln-based Windmoeller & Hoelscher Corp. said two air rings, instead of a single ring, help boost output of its Varex blown film line to 80 percent more than a similar-size system.
At K 2001 last year W&H ran a Varex three-layer coextrusion film line, which it sold to Charter Films Inc. of Superior, Wis.
Andrew Wheeler, vice president of sales, said the big output boost comes from the Multicool D, double air-ring arrangement. Immediately after the melt exits the die, the initial cooling happens through a Multicool mono-lip air ring. Special features of the air ring include constant film monitoring and, if necessary, cleaning of the die lips during production.
Then the film passes through a second Multicool air ring positioned above the first ring. The second ring can be adjusted up or down to handle different sizes of film bubbles.
At K 2001, W&H was running three-layer film through an 11-inch die. With the double air ring technology, film lines of that size can run 1,166 pounds an hour — or 34 pounds per inch of circumference, an hour, Wheeler said.
“Twenty [inches] is considered high,” he said in an interview at W&H offices in Lincoln.
The Varex with Multicool D also employs W&H's internal bubble-cooling system.
Also new is the Filmatic T dual-stacked turret wind-er, with reverse winding. The ability to wind in either direction is useful when doing in-line printing directly on a blown film line, W&H said. Other benefits include a compact footprint and a low price.
Tel. (401) 333-2770, fax (401) 333-6491, e-mail [email protected] corp.com.