ICE expands as business is brisk

The snow may have fallen and the temperatures plummeted in Munich, but it didn't deter record numbers attending the International Converting Exhibition (ICE) at the MOC in November. Clearly pleased with the show, event director Michael Boyle said: "Attendees exceeded the magic 3,000 barrier. The final count after three days is 3,034 visitors - up 70 per cent on ICE 2003."

Spurred on by the growth of the European event and early signs of a success on its hands for ICE UK next year, the organizer, nimble shows & media, announced an expansion into Asia with a dedicated biennial event. ICE China is set for January, 2008, in Shanghai. It will be jointly organized by nimble and IMAG (Internationaler Messe und Ausstellungsdienst), a daughter company of Messe München.

Michael Boyle emphasised: "China is the market with the biggest potential for growth in the converting industry worldwide. IMAG and Messe München provide both the necessary expertise and infrastructure in carrying out trade fairs in Asia and this, combined with our knowledge of the market, creates an ideal synergy."

ICE '05 also saw the first ICE Innovation Awards. The team of judges, which included this reporter, presented the three awards to winners Applied Films, Mink-Bürsten and The Fraunhofer Institute at the exhibition's VIP dinner.

Applied Films took its award for the Topbeam electron beam evaporation process for producing cost effective colour shift layers on plastics film. It is known that a combination of two metallic layers and one of metallic oxide on polyester film generates an optical effect called the Fabry-Perot filter. The layers change colour when viewed at different angles and, depending on the thickness of the middle layer, the light is reflected in different colours. It makes a film of this type ideal for use in security labels or decorative applications. Said the judges: "Our winner has used an electron beam evaporation process to produce these layers rather than the standard sputter web coating technology. In so doing they have produced the colour shift reflection layers with a claimed productivity 20 times higher that of the sputter method. It's simply much faster." Importantly, new process control technology measures the middle layer reflected light spectra and makes the calculation of the necessary changes of EB power to achieve the required aluminium oxide thickness and uniformity.

It is also understood that Applied Films has recently sold what is believed to be the largest metallizer in the world. Capable of coating aluminium to OPP at 1,000m/min (60km/hour) the line has a 4.5m wide specification.

Conveying continuous webs and films presents several problems. Wrinkles can occur through tension, web elasticity and uneven web alignment. Second of the three prizes went to Mink-Bürsten for its innovative spreader brush roll design for eliminating these wrinkles. Some 500 rolls have been delivered in the first year. Significantly, the brush strips around the circumference have bundles angled outwards from the middle of the roller. When the web makes contact with these bristle bundles they move slightly outwards due to the web tension, so spreading and removing the wrinkles. A turning movement of the roll continually repeats the spreading action resulting in an "even and effective stretching. As the web only touches the tips of the bristles, the contact area is very small, so that marks are avoided. Even sticky films pose no problems." The strip brushes are inserted into a hollow aluminium profile with the bristles protruding to a height of about 1.5 to 2mm. This is claimed to prevent damage to the bristles and allows high web tensions that can occur at the start-up stage. The spreader rolls are suitable for films (including thin films), textiles, decorative products and paper webs.

An exciting new concept to produce antimicrobial polymer surfaces gave Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research an innovation award. Used in food packaging these materials retard germ growth on the surfaces of foods. Fraunhofer has developed and patented plastics surfaces modified with antimicrobial polyammonium salts, which operate using the contact principle. The salts are applied as an aqueous solution and are chemically bonded to the activated surface. Only a tiny amount of active agent is required – a layer of around two nanometres. Thermal stability depends on the substrate, but a coating on a polyimide, for example, will still be effective even after steam sterilization, says the institute.

Delpro caught the eye with its prototype of what is believed to be the first trailing blade doctor chamber for gravure. Said managing director Sarah Lowe: "Key to the design was to get the variable angle and the end seals to work." (The trailing blade angle is fully adjustable plus or minus 25 degrees). The development is claimed to compare favourably with the traditional reverse angle oscillating blade and open ink pan in that there is "a massive ink saving". Added Sarah Lowe: "Depending on the ink you need about five litres in the system compared with 15 to 20 litres in a pan." The chamber, which will most likely be produced in carbon fibre, is seen as a retrofit. It features micrometer adjustment of blade position to gravure roll to accommodate change of gravure roll diameter/repeat length.

Mario Cotta showed its new pneumatic knife holder for cutting flexible materials. The Gold Series can cut flexible materials up to 450g/m², at speeds up to 1,450m/min, claimed the company. The holder has a minimum slitting width of 50mm with a standard 150 x 80mm circular knife.