Suppliers push innovations

Smaller curing solutions

GEW has launched Jetcure, a series of miniature UV curing lamp heads for inkjet and digital printing applications. The Jetcure has a compact cassette-style lamp head of light weight (down to 0.4kg), purpose made aluminium components for high quality and reliability, and a quartz window to isolate the lamp from the curing zone to minimize heat build-up.

It also has an integral quiet running cooling fan requiring no exhaust piping, fast lamp warm-up and cool-down, and safe, cool outer surfaces. The lamp heads are available with arc lengths ranging from 2-30cm.

Jetcure power supplies are modular designs for easy configuration of single lamp or multi lamp systems. Features include simple control through text display panel, plug together for twin or multi-lamp applications, solid state power switching, three power steps, energy efficiency, plug and play socket connections, stackable power supply units.

Proportional shutters can be supplied to allow the UV dose to be reduced for partial curing of inks where inter-coat adhesion is important. Shutters can be progressively opened in 1mm increments.

GEW has also developed an infra red drying cassette that is interchangeable with its VCP and NUVAplus UV systems to permit IR drying of water based inks and varnishes.

Making medical products

The DMS dressing fabricating system from Doyen Medipharm provides medical and healthcare manufact- urers with high speed, flexible narrow web converting for any dressing. It fabricates up to 400 surgical dressings/min in pad, strip and island dressing format, using hydrogels, polyurethane and combination alginates. The dressings are produced and packed in a continuous motion single-lane configuration.

The DMS can also be used to fabricate transdermal devices or electrodes in strip, island or multi layered formats. Dressing size can range from 100x100mm to 300x300mm, with a complete product change-over time of 30min.

The equipment can automatically collate into a cartoner or be integrated with a packaging machine.

Faster perforating

At drupa, MGE Worldwide introduced the Epsilon VI automatic perforating film rewinder. This machine features an alternative braking system designed to improve production rates at different roll lengths.

Suitable for web widths ranging from 250-600mm, it will produce both short and long length rolls. At two to three rolls/min for the 300m size, it is faster than any competitor, the company claims.

Perforation is by a bladed cylinder driven from the main unwind roller, which is said to ensure a clean and consistent perforation throughout the roll. There is also a light indication system to aid the operator; and a sensor to stop the mother roll just before it ends, to facilitate change-over.

MGE says machines have already been sold to Russia and Singapore.

BRIEFS

Meech Static Eliminators solved a sticky static situation for manufacturer of double-sided adhesive tapes Technibond, based in Bourne End, UK. Meech pulsed DC static elimination systems fitted on its rewinders enabled Technibond to run the machines at twice the previous speed and eliminated potential quality problems - with the result that the bars had effectively paid for themselves in a very short time.

Ion Industrial has introduced a static neutralizing bar featuring a rugged fibre reinforced polymer body that can withstand even the toughest operating conditions. Up to three bars can be connected to a single, high voltage power supply. 'Plug-and-play' cable connectors reduce installation time and costs.

Carbonlite Converting Equipment has just sold its third NWC400 narrow web coating machine this year. The machines have gone to two companies in Minsk, Belarus, and both will manufacture security printed foil laminates. This follows an order for a 1.4m wide laminator sold to a start-up business in the UK in January. The customer is said to have expressed interest in a second machine.

The new ALS 400 STEC roll slitter has been developed to fit between the 300 and 500 models to meet the increasing demand for this size of machine. It has a capacity of 400mm diameter by 1,625mm width and is available with interchangeable mandrels ranging in size from 25-150mm. The first orders are from UK customers.