Polytype Converting's Competence Center in Fribourg, Switzerland, is a leader in the field of testing equipment for coating technologies. In today's world, where sustainability and optimization are at the top of the industry's agenda, the Competence Center is making an impressive contribution to achieving these goals. Customers include companies from the packaging, battery and electronics industries, as well as companies that produce coatings for labels and other self-adhesive materials.
The sustainability of materials, processes and machines is an essential part of new product developments, introductions as well as product improvements. The key to sustainable packaging in the paper industry is paper with a high-performance barrier coating for the corresponding application. Polytype Converting is the answer for innovative barrier coating on paper with the choice of over 50 proven coating methods. These dedicated processes for the paper industry, heat-sealed coatings and complex laminations, and aluminium. Battery and electronics customers are supported with products such as primer coating on battery foils and ceramic coating on battery separator films. Customers requiring release liner and label stock benefit from high-quality solutions such as silicone coating and PSA coating and lamination, while the Optical Film and Specialties Division offers innovative solutions such as thermal transfer ribbons (TTR), protective films, security films, UV protective coatings and optical laminates. With this comprehensive know-how and innovative technologies, the Competence Center has played a decisive role in the development and innovation of many areas in recent years.
The two state-of-the-art TECHMA 1 and TECHMA 2 pilot coating lines are the heart of the Innovation Center. Both have more than 50 different coating options, including dry and wet laminating as well as thermal drying. With a maximum speed of 1,000 m/min, a reel width of up to 800 mm and the possibility of precisely setting the drying parameters, the TECHMA 1 offers the necessary flexibility to meet the individual requirements of a wide range of materials and markets. In addition, the heat-transfer within the drying process can be precisely controlled by adjusting the the dryer nozzle blow-out speeds and the air temperature above and below the substrate. With TECHMA 1, the unwinder and rewinder are operated as a manual winder, i.e. the pilot coating line must be stopped to change the reel. However, depending on final application of the substrate to be coated, customers can choose from various options such as wet lamination and pre-drying with an adjustable IR emitter. Other options after the dryer include dry lamination, cooling, UV curing and remoistening.
TECHMA 2 specializes in radiation curing coating liquids and offers outstanding features such as adjustable medium pressure lamps, UV inertization and an adjustable electron beam curing unit that can operate in an oxygen-reduced environment. With an impressive web speed of 10 to 1525 m/min and a maximum reel width of up to 800 mm, it enables fast production with the highest quality. The automatic turret unwinders and rewinders of the TECHMA 2 work in continuous operation, enabling efficient and uninterrupted production i.e. an automatic flying splice can be performed at full production speed with reel change and wind-up function on new, prepared cores without having to stop the entire line. In addition to radiation curing, it also offers the option of cleaning and corona pre-treatment of the substrate prior to the coating station. The customer can choose between various options such as wet lamination and pre-drying with an adjustable IR lamp. After the UV lamp, other options such as dry lamination, cooling and edge control are available.
Modern technologies combined with customized and flexible solutions at the Competence Center ensure that the individual requirements of the numerous customer markets are optimally met.
