ICE over the Atlantic

An ALS 425 S-Tec automatic roll slitter incorporating new features will be demonstrated on booth 1429. ALS has already sold this machine to an existing US customer based in Pennsylvania, adding to the company’s previous order for a large diameter 600 Sibtec model. This compact 425mm diameter slitter will handle materials including foam, rubber, graphite, technical tapes, and pressure sensitive tapes.

Visitors to Ashe Converting Equipment’s booth (1129) will see the company’s latest slitting and rewinding machinery: the Diamond series. The Diamond is ‘hydraulic-free’, an important consideration for hygiene-sensitive products, and features an integral unwind with an electric reel lift. Top speed is 500m/min and it is able to run a wide range of substrates, such as paper, film, foil and laminates, in widths between 1,000mm –1,800mm.

Since its MBO from the Bobst Group last October, Atlas Converting Equipment (UK) has established its Charlotte, North Carolina-based subsidiary, Atlas Converting North America, to support its sales and customer service operations throughout the continent. On booth 729, it will demonstrate a 1,650mm wide Titan ER610 compact, ‘more environmentally friendly’ twin-shaft cantilever slitter. This has reduced power usage via an all-electric, oil-free operation without hydraulics, a CCD edge-guide camera for reducing waste, a running speed of 450m/min and an option for slit widths as narrow as 35mm.

Swiss company Berhalter (booth 605) will introduce its latest innovations in the field of high precision diecutting technology. Berhalter claims to be the world’s only manufacturer of flatbed diecutting machines with its own toolmaking shop, and says its highly advanced punching process, and the handling of the punched lids and labels on its systems ‘is second to none’. The company’s equipment is in use around the globe for the production of flat and deep-drawn packaging lids, labels and in-mould labels. RFID technology is used to increase production reliability and ensure greater efficiency when changing over to different punching tools and lid formats.

On booth 115, Comexi will be demonstrating its most popular solventless laminator, the Nexus Evo. John Ferreira, Vice President of Comexi North America, says: “We decided to bring a laminator because this process has become one of the key factors in the food packaging industry. Solventless adhesives are pushing hard to be the most widely used in the market worldwide. This technology appears to be experiencing a growth spurt.”

Double E’s (booth 929) latest range of rollstands extends from a simple A-frame with brakes, safety chucks and a shaft, to more complex systems with closed or open-loop tension control, as well as motorised rewind stands. These units are configured for various web widths and roll sizes.

Exhibiting on booth 101, Doyle Systems will present its range of sheet and web cleaning, surface inspection, dust control, static neutralising and UV curing systems. The range includes a multimodal web cleaner designed to remove dirt, dust, lint, spray powder, loose paper particles and other contaminants from stocks used in printing plants, label operations, box plants, paper mills and converting facilities.

On booth 305, ETI Converting Equipment will promote its multifunctional offline and inline printing equipment along with silicone and adhesive coating systems for the pressure-sensitive (PS) labels market. The company’s Cohesio computerised, multi-functional printing and coating equipment provides the choice of converting PS material and/or printing labels in one pass. Servomotor driven, inline coat weight measurement, auto peel-off, sliding cassette, self-aligning pressure setting systems, horizontal diecutting, and automatic registration control are all part of the Cohesio technology.

A new generation of the EPC extrusion coating die from Extrusion Dies Industries (EDI) is said to increase productivity by simplifying changes in product width and eliminating much of the deckle disassembly involved in cleaning and maintenance. The new die includes innovations that reduce downtime in four ways: rapid and accurate changes in width; an easily inserted scraper to remove buildup; ready access for replacing seals and adjusting die gap; and fast removal of the deckle system for ‘split and clean’. Another innovation is optional external cooling by forced air. EDI will exhibit the new die on booth 915.

For the first time, Italian manufacturer Laem System is attending a US show to introduce the ‘innovative design and the experienced technology’ of its slitter rewinders. The company already has several machines in the USA and central America, and has closed important contracts for delivery in North America within the first half of 2011. Laem’s sales team will be available on booth 709.

LasX Industries offers digital converting technology and contract services for the medical, industrial,commercial print and flexible packaging industries. On booth 959, it will be showing the recently updated multipurpose LaserSharp Workstation XY. This system combines a gantry laser assembly moving in the X direction, with a work support table that moves sheet material in the Y direction enabling a single part or matrix of parts to be processed much more quickly than traditional XY laser systems. The LPM-100GT Flex Series is able to process easy-open, breathable, and anti-counterfeit

Mahlo America, subsidiary of the German manufacturer of on-line automation and control systems, will display several new measurement products on booth 508. They include the DFI Beta transmission sensor, which eliminates measurement error due to web flutter, edge curl, ripples or sag; and ensures the highest measurement accuracy by using smaller beta sources and ultra narrow defect/streak detection (down to 1/32 inch). The IMF infrared sensor offers high-precision measurement of thin film/non-woven basis weight, coatings and moisture; and a rugged, single-sided, non-nuclear, low-cost solution that can be easily integrated into existing manufacturing lines.

With its exhibit on booth 315, Meech International will launch into the American market the 904CM monitoring unit for its AC ionising systems of which many thousands are in use in the graphic arts, packaging, converting, plastics and pharmaceutical industries. Visitors to the booth will hear about a wide range of recently developed static control products, and the company will also show the new ShearClean non-contact web cleaning system together with the Tornado F5 contact web cleaning system.

New from Miltec (booth 725) will be two high-powered UV curing systems designed to increase productivity and decrease costs in wide web printing and coating applications. The HPI UV system uses Miltec’s patented reflector design to produce extremely high UV peak irradiance for maximum cure speed efficiency. The company’s new microwave powered UV Curing System is said to enhance the curing speed of a variety of UV inks and coatings.

The new TCHP TrueCoat slot applicators from Nordson are claimed to provide ‘exceptional stripe or full coating application accuracy’ in continuous web coating processes. Streak-free coverage and excellent edge control are said to make the TCHP particularly beneficial for labelling and tape applications.

TS Converting Equipment/Elite Cameron (booths 1002 and 525)will be displaying the CW600 ‘low-cost, high-performance’ slitter, equipped with shear, razor and score slitting, differential rewind shafts, laser core and knife positioning. TS vows to issue a custom specification unit ready for delivery ‘in less than 12 weeks’. It has signed an agreement with Schlumpf USA, which has begun to manufacture its ancillary products and core cutter range under licence.

Conference programme

Alongside the ICE USA exhibition, AIMCAL, the Association of International Metallizers, Coaters and Laminators, is organising a multi-faceted conference programme divided into three tracks: Web Coating/Laminating; Web Handling/Winding; and Package Printing and Converting. In addition, CEMA (the Converting Equipment Manufacturers Association) is offering two educational programmes and TAPPI is holding a full-day flexible packaging symposium the day before the show opens.