- Coating die and deckle developments reduce edge bead & keep uniform coating weight
- Dies with shorter lip lands & smallest-diameter deckle rod in the industry.
- For linear polymers incl. LLDPE, PP, and copolymers such as EVA, EAA & EMA
Nordson Extrusion Dies Industries has developed further its extrusion coating dies and internal deckles that make it possible for converters to reduce edge bead with low melt strength polymers while maintaining coat weight uniformity, two goals that have often been mutually exclusive with such resins.
While standard internal deckles with edge profile control do a good job of reducing edge bead with the high melt strength resin LDPE, they have been less effective with linear polymers such as LLDPE and PP and with more expensive special-function copolymers such as ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), ethylene-acrylic acid (EAA), and ethylene-methyl acrylate (EMA). Trimming the larger beaded edges developed with these materials is a costly waste of material, since the combination of substrate and polymer coating cannot be reused.
Schematic shows the three independently adjustable edge profiling blades at one end of an internal deckle. The positions of the manifold quill (shown at top) and secondary blade with respect to the lip flag and deckle rod affect the thickness profile of the coating near the edge, as does the corner radius of the secondary blade. Nordson Extrusion Dies Industries can supply a set of secondary blades with differing radii (source: Nordson)
Research by Nordson Extrusion Dies Industries has led to development of a technology package that resolves the issue raised by low melt strength polymers. The trials were carried out at SAM North America’s Extrusion Technology Center in Phoenix, NY. Components of the technology are:
- Dies with lip lands that are substantially shorter than the industry standard. The lip land is the final portion of the flow channel leading to the die exit. In standard dies, a longer lip land plays an important role in maintaining coat weight uniformity, but it also makes possible more of the lateral movement of the melt that generates edge bead. The research has shown that the gauge profile of the coating can be effectively controlled if the shorter land has been engineered appropriately.
Extrusion coating station with an Autoflex EPC die (picture: Nordson)
- Suite of secondary internal deckle blades, sized for various polymers. Deckles are used to vary the width of the coating. An internal deckle consists of three independently adjustable components-located at each end of the die-that can be used to fine-tune the edge profile of the polymer as it exits, minimizing bead formation. Tuning is accomplished by varying the positions of the manifold quill and secondary blade with respect to the lip flag and deckle rod (see schematic) . In addition to the effects of these differing offset dimensions on the edge profile, the research has shown that the size of the radius of the secondary blade is another key determinant. While a short radius is effective for LDPE, longer radii do a better job of stabilizing the thickness profile near the edges with polymers having less melt strength.
Photo shows a wound roll from a test run in which edge profile control is employed at only one of the ends of the die. There is heavy edge bead buildup at right and barely any that is visible at left. At both ends the substrate is significantly wider than the coating (picture: Nordson)
- Smallest-diameter deckle rod in the industry. The “micro-rod” designed by Nordson Extrusion Dies Industries-half the standard diameter-permits less lateral movement of the melt and thus less edge bead formation.
The short lip land and micro-rod are available in new dies specified by converters focused on making substantial reductions in edge bead. The suite of exchangeable secondary deckle blades with varying radii is available from the company on a custom-designed basis.
