Gloucester Engineering (Booth W6744) claims its new, retrofitable bubble cooling technology can boost blown film output by as much as 20 percent, promising a return on investment in fewer than four months.
The UltraCool III system allows less downtime and tighter film tolerance, Gloucester President Carl S. Johnson explained in an interview at the company's booth. Internal bubble cooling with four, individually adjustable lips can be achieved easily in a retrofit that doesn't entail replacing the cooling system bottom.
“With this retrofit you get better film faster,” according to Johnson. Retrofitting an older blown film line costs a fraction of a new system to deliver state-of-the-art performance
The UltraCool III's design improves overall stability of the bubble and allows more cooling air to be applied, increasing output and speeding up quench rate.
Gloucester Engineering also featured its ExtruTouch controls for blown film. The firm said the new controls combine the robustness of its previous generation of controls with the latest technology and enhanced graphics. ExtruTouch promises seamless and fast installation and doesn't rely on proprietary hardware.
Johnson said his company has patented a new blown film spiral design especially suited to temperature-sensitive materials like ethylene vinyl alcohol and nylon because it minimizes polymer residence time.
Gloucester Engineering displayed several new products in its Pearl Technologies business acquired about two and a half years ago. Pearl focuses on consumable parts for converting and extrusion capital equipment.
New offerings from Pearl include the Blue Slat for collapsing frames, turning bars and other components where film contacts a surface. The slats provide low friction for blown and cast film systems, reducing stress in the bubble for better gauge control.
The new Sail Away collapsible gusset allows for running full gussets or full layflats without having to remove them due to tower obstructions during retraction. Operators can change from gussets to layflats with the flip of a switch. Also new are gusset actuation controls that allow automation of gusseting process adjustments, changes that traditionally have been done manually and mechanically.
Not in evidence was the Future Design brand acquired three years ago. Gloucester Engineering absorbed Future Design's air ring technologies into its own and discontinued use of the brand name.