Nordson Now Available UniflowTM Extrusion Dies for Cast Film Manufacturers as a Replacement for Top Dies, such as the Widely Used Contour® Dies
Chipwa Falls, Wisconsin, USA May 29, 2018 Nordson Corporation has adopted an extrusion die technology that has been used worldwide for 15 years and now offers this technology under the new name Uniflow TM The UniflowTM die is the ideal replacement for cast film applications where the Extrusion Dies Industries Contour® die does not require extensive application.
Scott Smith, director of Polymer Die Business Unit, points out that the Contour die is the most technologically advanced cast film die on the market, and its unique 'sculpture' shape is the key to improving product quality, saving raw materials, and minimizing downtime.
The Uniflow die was originally developed by the Belgian company Verbruggen (acquired by Nordson in 2011) and is currently being marketed by Nordson under its famous Extrusion Dies Industries brand. Mr. Smith stated: 'Although the Uniflow die is a Contour die A low-cost alternative, but it can also bring real advantages to some important areas of application. It is a versatile die whose effectiveness has been proven in both single and multi-layer productions.
With the advent of Uniflow dies and recent innovations in plate thickness control and feedblock conditioning, Nordson's cast film technology portfolio has now become highly diversified, so that processors can choose to fully meet their performance requirements. A complete set of die system components.
Nordson's current cast film die replacement products include:
● Contour® die. The special configuration of this die can compensate for the difference in die width caused by die body deformation; elongated drop-shaped manifold cross-section can improve layer uniformity in co-extrusion; preformed section The non-linear interface with the manifold can greatly reduce or even eliminate the 'M' or 'W' material flow pattern. Compared to standard cast film die, the Contour die can reduce the thickness deviation across the entire die width. This significantly improves lateral product uniformity. In addition, it also reduces the time required to reach the qualified product and to blow the die between two product runs. It also avoids gels and degradation. For the use of heat-sensitive materials (such as Barrier Resins) or applications that change rates frequently, Nordson recommends Contour Dies.
The versatility of the Contour die in comparison to the standard die is clear: The time required from production start to production of the marketable product is reduced (10 to 15 minutes compared to 30 to 60 for the standard die) Minutes); Shorter product changeover time (10 to 15 minutes, while standard dies require 90 minutes or more); Shorter purge times (20 to 25 minutes, while standard dies require 40 minutes or more) .
● UniflowTM die. This die provides an economical alternative for high-speed production of thermally stable resins with very little change rate, such as stretch film. Its versatile runners can accommodate a wider range of resins and processing parameters. It has a slender, drop-shaped manifold cross-section that promotes the formation of a uniform layer structure in co-extrusion. The superior mechanical stability of Uniflow dies can reduce the conversion time between two product runs.
Multi-Manifold Dies. As an alternative to co-extrusion feedblocks and single-cavity dies, Nordson also offers multi-manifold dies that are specifically designed to accommodate different viscosities and different parts of the cladding. The required materials are capable of accommodating materials with different viscosities and different partial cladding requirements. These dies can produce a surface layer that does not exceed 10% of the overall structural thickness, and can produce coextruded structures with a temperature difference of up to 50°F (28°C). Nordson was the first to set up the first nine-manifold tube die. The number of multi-manifolds built by Nordson has surpassed that of any other manufacturer.
All of these dies can be supplied as part of an overall system including AutoflexTM Automatic Thickness Plate Control Systems, UltraflowTM Co-Extruded Feed Blocks, Dual Chamber Vacuum Boxes, and UltraSplitTM Online Die Separation Devices. Nordson recently System components incorporate a number of next-generation technologies. In the Autoflex VI-RE thickness plate control system, the stroke of the lip adjustment system was increased by 43% without increasing the response time, enabling it to correct wider process variations. Normally no manual intervention is required. The new Ultraflow VT feed block makes it possible to fine-tune individual layers and to adapt the ratio of layers, and the system can be adjusted without having to remove the feed block from the production line.