Cloeren Incorporated

The market for high-tech film or sheet used in solar modules represents a considerable opportunity for specialty extrusion processors looking to expand into high-end industries and capitalize on the global shift toward alternative energy.

Sixteen winners honored in 23rd annual awards ceremony.

One wouldn’t expect a Colombian packaging giant to come to Virginia for a cup of coffee, but that’s sort of what happened.

New technology to process nano blown films unveiled by Dow at Antec. Nano cast film, sheet advances too.

Flat film and sheet toolmakers are focusing on technologies for nanolayer systems.

Advanced microlayer feedblock technology, used for over a decade to put dozens or hundreds of alternating layers into specialty films, has passed a new milestone.

This NPE show won’t have a lot of extruders on the floor, either running or static. Instead, look for videos and announcements of new technology. You will also find lots of ingenious peripheral devices to improve output and quality and save resin. Some will do all three, and cost less into the bargain.

Dramatic production demonstrations of cast and blown film set throughput records on the show floor in Dusseldorf.

If high-barrier cast film is more easily thermoformable with three nylon layers rather than one, wouldn't nine or 11 nylon layers be even better?

The new factor in extrusion machinery at this NPE is the influx of Asian suppliers.

Early microlayer films gave an iridescent shimmer to decorative packaging. The newest films with hundreds and even thousands of layers are designed for gas barrier, uv blocking, electronic displays, and high-strength window-glass laminates. As applications grow, more processors want in on the action.

In the hyper-competitive stretch-film market, more layers often mean more market share. Moving from five layers to seven or nine can give an edge through higher performance or reduced cost.

NPE will show higher outputs of practically everything, as advances in grooved feeds, servo drives, screw torque, mixing screws, dies, and downstream cooling, cutting, and handling make everything run faster.

Probably the most intriguing news in extrusion at K 2001 will be a novel way to extrude clear film that differs from standard blown and cast methods.