- October 31, 2005
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Nearly 230 guests taking part in a two-day High-Speed Symposium September 7¬8 at Kroenert’s Technology Center in Hamburg, Germany, witnessed world-record-breaking, high-speed siliconizing runs.
Kroenert Group companies Kroenert, BMB, and Drytec gave a series of practical demonstrations that showed how much more is achievable today in terms of both enhanced siliconizing speeds and improved siliconizing quality. This applies to virtually every sphere of release liner technology: self-adhesive label stock; single- and double-sided self-adhesive tapes; self-adhesive graphic arts films (including thermally cured silicone with aqueous acrylic adhesives); and “clear-on-clear” laminates with film liner using UV-curable hot melt adhesive.
What Constitutes “High-Speed” Siliconizing?
Until now, machine speeds to 3,278 fpm were considered high-speed operations for siliconizing and adhesive coating. Kroenert’s world-record run during the seminar—at 5,278 fpm—has proved there is still plenty of opportunity to optimize coating speeds without loss of quality, to improve productivity, and to reduce costs.
Corey M. Reardon, president and CEO of AWA Alexander Watson Assoc., who spoke at the seminar on the topic of innovation, outlined the challenges and opportunities in the release liner industry today and showed how its future health depends very much on “changing the rules of the game.”
The current industry-wide challenges—material cost inflation, exchange rate pressures (the weak US dollar), consolidation and globalization, capacity issues, packaging waste directives, linerless labels, emerging markets, and an evolving label market—demand real out-of-the-box thinking. He commented: “Kroenert’s initiative in setting new standards in high-speed siliconizing are an example of genuine innovation and an opportunity for other players in the industry to use Kroenert’s achievement to change the rules of their game, too.”