Chippewa Falls, Wis. — Nordson Corp. has debuted a new EDI Ultraflex multi-manifold sheet die that improves the thickness of capstock polymers, making it possible for the makers of vinyl siding and other products to reduce their raw material costs.
The patented device is located in the flow channel of a capstock, before it comes with the base polymer, allowing for improved material control.
A vinyl siding maker using the die reported up to an 11 percent reduction in its use of ASA used along with a PVC base polymer to improve UV protection, Nordson said in a news release.
That improvement adds up to an annual saving of nearly $56,000.
“An EDI Ultraflex sheet die with the new dual-stage flexible lip feature enables vinyl siding manufacturers to produce cladding that provides long-lasting weatherability and good looks, while avoiding the high scrap rates and downtime that can be caused by inconsistencies in the cap layer,” said Patrick Meinen, global product line manager for Nordson’s EDI dies. “In addition, the device eliminates the need to run unnecessarily thick cap layers to compensate for such inconsistencies.”
Nordson said while the technology is currently being used in a vinyl siding application, it is appropriate for other uses involving cap layers such as for hot tubs and refrigerator panels.