Featured Stories
Show Preview | INFOFLEX 2018 Collocates with Forum in Indianapolis
More than 240 exhibitors from every facet of the package printing [ampersand] converting industries will meet more than 2000 attendees.
Read moreCoating Matters | The 6 C's of Roll-to-Roll Coating Systems
Develop a balanced approach to precision coating by understanding these six areas of concentration.
Read moreRDG Media Purchases Paper, Film & Foil Converter (PFFC)
PFFC will be the lead brand for RDG Media products.
Read moreLabel PRomotion | Too Little, Too Much 'Sticktoitiveness' Sully Label Appeal
In addition to preventing a negative experience, addressing adhesives can provide sales opportunities.
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News | New Products
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BALDWIN Acquires Digital Ink System
An agreement with Quad/Graphics results in the acquisition, allowing BALDWIN to continue development for packaging, corrugated, and more
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DowDuPont to Invest in Expansion
The company will invest $100 Million to expand manufacturing capacity of specialty materials at Sabine River Works
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Monadnock Announces Label Product
Envi 96 Label, part of company’s EnviPortfolio line of substrates, is said to offer high performance as well as graphics that “pop”
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New Era Partners with Adept Converting
New Era will service clients of Adept, a manufacturer’s representative, with both companies excited to bring their expertise together
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Flint Announces New-Generation Sleeves
The rotec Smart Sleeve and rotec High Performance Sleeve are said to provide easy mounting and superior performance
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Iggesund Invercote Paperboard Used for Jimmy Choo Perfume Box
Draeger converted carton for Interparfums
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Teknek Distributor Adds to Demo Facility
JK Innotion, company’s Korean distributor, adds a TWC web cleaner to demonstrate its benefits
White Papers
• Designing a Successful Retort-Grade Packaging Structure
• Hermetic-Seal Performance of BOPP Laminate Structures in VFFS Pouch Applications
• Methods and Design Considerations for the Application of Hot Melt Coatings
• BOPP Laminate Structures for “Over-the-Mountain” VFFS Pouch Applications
Expert Advice
Cylinders and rolls - a quiet revolution
- Published: August 01, 1995, By Mykytiuk, Andrew R.
In the past cylinders and rollers were considered less important than the web. However, the desire to produce more product faster, with less waste, and to make machinery last longer has forced manufacturers to look beyond the web and make improvements in other aspects of the process. During the past few years cylinders and rollers have been the beneficiaries of increased R&D, which has led to quantum leaps in their evolution.
An example is the highly abrasion-resistant tungsten carbide coating. Converters can adjust the degree of roughness through grinding. Once applied, TG coating can be finished from mirror smooth to a rough sandpaper-like surface to dial in the exact amount of traction desired and can be applied to nonmetallic surfaces such as composites.
Another innovation is Teflon coating applied to tungsten carbide, giving it a mechanical grip but an adhesive release. "You can have the best of both worlds," says Dr. David Rosium, president of Finishing Technologies, Neenah, WI, and author of the soon-to-be-released book The Mechanics of Rollers. "You have the necessary traction, but coatings and contaminants don't stick." (He adds that converters could solve 90% of their web-handling problems if rollers are properly aligned.)
Recent innovations in plasma coating and thermally applied coatings now give converters the ability to apply ceramics onto nonmetal surfaces. Today's ceramics are no longer brittle. In fact, they can be made more ductile than many machine tool steels. They also have the ability to take high temperatures and provide great resistance to wear and superior dampening. In addition, they're ecologically correct and, because they're so corrosion-resistant, are rapidly taking the place of flake- and crack-prone chrome plating.
Manufacturers have taken advantage of continuing advances in metallurgy as well. "GI30 cast iron wears much better, and increased rigidity and balance realized through new designs have all contributed to a new age in cylinder and roller technology," says Bob Zemaitis, graphic arts technical manager for American Roller, Bannockburn, IL. He reports that nylon has replaced copper plating on rollers, and rubber rollers are constantly evolving, with new robber compounds being developed to improve on-press performance, especially in the area of reduced heat generation.
According to Sean Ward, product manager for Max Daetwyler, Huntersville, NC, laser engraving is the single biggest innovation in cylinder technology in decades. Before lasers, cylinders were mechanically routed by hand, and it would take days, if not longer, for a skilled artisan to engrave a complex pattern.
With digital direct laser engraving, the pattern is first created in a CAD/CAM type of program. The file is then downloaded into a program that instructs the laser when it should fire, for how long and at what angle and width. The laser doesn't burn the rubber but turns it into dust. The result is a perfect, seamless cylinder that's press-ready.
"A mechanical process that used to literally take months to complete has been reduced to where our average lead time now is two and a half weeks," says Katheryn Morris, director of art and marketing for Luminite, Salamanca, NY.
What's next for cylinder and roller development? There appears to be a consensus among those we interviewed that sleeves offer a great potential for growth. Besides being seamless, they're lightweight and stable, combining the best features of D-mount and integral shaft technology.
Although it's true that cylinders and rollers are an old technology, predating the industrial revolution, savvy converters realize they are critical components, especially with the increased emphasis on faster and more efficient production.