When a die for making shrink films yielded product that was often out of tolerance, Innovia Shrinkfilms GmbH in Schkopau, Germany, switched to an EDI Autoflex VI-RE H40 die from Nordson Corp.
Innovia, a specialty film maker, is a division of CCL Industries Inc., the big producer of labels. To supply the growing shrink sleeve segment, Innovia produces transparent film that is printed on the inside surface and slipped over a container, then heat-shrinked for a tight fit.
On the cast film line with with EDI die, Innovia processes a polystyrene blend into monoaxially-oriented film.
The automatic die uses data from a downstream gauging system to adjust the transverse thickness profile, making changes to the flexible upper lip of the die.
“In comparison with our previous die, the EDI Autoflex die from Nordson produces more uniform film with 30 percent better tolerances," Guiseppe Ronzoni, Innovia plant manager, said. “The automatic control of the flexible lip is faster and more accurate and startup[s are faster than before.”
Patrick Meinen, polymer dies product manager for Nordson, said the upper lip of the Autoflex die is more flexible that other dies because adjustments to the lip gap take place more rapidly.
Another feature is the length of the lip land — the lip surface just before the die exit.
“The lip land can be made longer or shorter to optimize product thickness, flatness and surface finish,” Meinen said. “Besides having a stiff upper lip, the older die had a lip land that was too short. In our Autoflex die, we optimized the lip land to control the product profile and manage die pressure.”
Nordson is based in Westlake, Ohio.
For information, visit www.nordson.com.