Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics and Nordmeccanica SpA have launched a new lamination technology, allowing conversion to take place just 90 minutes after lamination.
The technique combines both adhesive and machinery hardware advancements Symbiex solventless adhesives, Dow’s new fast curing adhesive technology, combined with the Duplex SL One Shot lamination line from Nordmeccanica, offers conversion efficiency improvements, shorter time-to-market and total conversion cost reductions.
‘We are excited to launch this breakthrough technology at drupa, just 18 months after the signing of the joint development agreement with Nordmeccanica.’ commented Greg Bunker, global business director for Dow Adhesives for Packaging, Textiles and Hygiene, ‘By combining Dow’s adhesive development know-how with Nordmeccanica’s machine pioneering, we succeeded in introducing the biggest innovation in packaging lamination in 50 years.’
‘Dow and Nordmeccanica worked together to reimagine the current conventional lamination process and address some of its fundamental limitations, namely combining fast curing, which requires a fast-acting adhesive, with outstanding pot life, which requires a slower-acting adhesive,’ added Vincenzo Cerciello, vice president technology at Nordmeccanica Group, ‘With Symbiex and the Duplex SL One Shot laminator, we are able to slit just 90 minutes after lamination compared to today’s 24 hour standard. This is an exciting development and game changing innovation for the lamination adhesives market.’
Compared to a conventional lamination line, the Duplex SL One Shot laminator enables the two adhesive components to come into contact as late as possible in the lamination process.
With two independent high-precision coating stations, the two films are pressed together only in the lamination nip station where the curing of the adhesive takes place. This process eliminates the need of a mixing unit and any pot life concerns, and offers reduced line downtime and easy cleaning.
‘We were able to overcome the pot life constraint by moving the start of the chemical reaction to the lamination nip, and to develop the fastest two-component solventless adhesive seen in the market today,’ said Marco Re Fraschini, technical service & development leader EMEA, Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics.
‘Prior to this technology development, if a converter needed to supply laminates with fast turnaround, they would have had to use solvent-based, water-based, or another alternative cure method. Symbiex adhesives and the Duplex One-Shot provides excellent bonding with no VOCs, much reduced energy consumption, and fast-curing enabling just-in-time delivery,’ emphasised Mr Cerciello.
