Coatings and adhesives provider Archroma Packaging Technologies has taken delivery of three VCML pilot coaters designed and developed by RK Print Coat Instruments, saying the equipment will support research and development activities focused on sustainable materials and packaging solutions.
They are installed at the company’s global Centers of Innovation (COI) in Mumbai, India; Prat, Spain; and Charlotte, North Carolina, USA – regions with growing activity in sectors including fibre and board packaging, biobased materials, tapes and labels, specialty and graphic papers, flexible packaging, and wood applications.
Dinakar Gnanamgari, vice president innovation and portfolio expansion at Archroma, said: “Archroma Packaging Technologies partnered with RK Print Coat Instruments because it underscores our commitment to provide reliable and scalable R&D solutions – helping brands, converters and mills trust our chemistries to deliver consistent results at scale.”
According to the company, the Mumbai Center of Innovation will focus on providing sustainable and value-added solutions for markets such as flexible packaging and wood, primarily serving the Asia Pacific region.
The Center of Innovation in Prat, Spain will concentrate on tapes and labels as well as specialty and graphic paper sectors. The site is equipped with laboratory facilities and pilot-scale equipment, including the VCML coater, to support customers in developing packaging solutions with improved performance, circularity, and sustainability.
At Charlotte, North Carolina, the Center of Innovation will focus on fibre and board packaging and biobased materials, supporting continued product development related to circularity and sustainability.
The VCML pilot coaters installed at the three locations share common technical capabilities. They are designed to operate with direct gravure, meter bar, and air knife coating methods, and can also be used for lamination when applying pressure-sensitive adhesives. The machines have been configured similarly to allow results achieved at one Center of Innovation to be replicated at another.
Each coater is equipped with closed-loop web tension control using load cells, edge guiding systems, two hot air impingement dryers, and a 2.5kW infrared dryer. The short-run capability of the VCML systems allows for the application of a range of barrier and functional coatings.
Packaging development activities using the pilot coaters take into account requirements such as moisture control, oxygen permeability, heat resistance, and air tightness, depending on the intended end use. The VCML systems supplied to Archroma Packaging Technologies include reverse gravure coating technology, which offers a wet coat range and uniform coating characteristics with reduced risk of pinholes. The absence of pinholes is considered critical for maintaining barrier performance, explained Achroma.
In addition to reverse gravure, the VCML platforms support multiple coating methods. The company noted that the selection of an appropriate coating technology typically involves experimentation and evaluation based on cost, end-use requirements, and performance characteristics, as each coating method presents its own advantages and limitations.
