Rethinking Technology: Reifenhäuser Blown Film at NPE

Around the globe there are three major market trends visible:

1. Mono layer films are still demanded and still maintain their market share when it comes to HDPE long neck production for fresh produce bags, refuse bags, masking films, etc., also LD/LLDPE is still used for mono applications.
2. High output 5-layer Polyolefin blown film systems are substituting step by step the standard 3-layer systems. A 5-layer line enables the film processor to down-gauge, achieving raw material savings and maintaining or even improving film properties. This technology is being used for Collation shrink films, Stand-up pouches, Compression bags, Stretch Hoods and other general packaging products.
3. The meat and cheese packaging market as well as the convenience food market are demanding more and more layers. 9- or 11-layers are becoming a markets standard.

New Technologies from Reifenhäuser Blown Film: 

• ULTRA FUSION – Imagine a fusion of compounding and blown film extrusion in a single process. Advantages are cost reduction, increased output, energy savings and reduction of carbon footprint. A unique technology for the flexible packaging industry.
• ULTRA COOL - Imagine you could double the output of your blown film line with any operator. ULTRA COOL is the operator friendly high capacity cooling system which stands for the highest possible output rates due to its unique design, the excellent match of controlled melt temperature at perfect homogeneity, and low pressure die heads. This system is already installed all over the world and the overwhelming customer feedback is an incentive for us to continue with our slogan “Rethinking Technology”.
• ULTRA COOL FFS – It was especially designed for 21,6” wide tubular Heavy duty shipping bags - ULTRA COOL is dominating this market due to its output. The output rate of up-to 1.000lbs/h from a 6.9” die with LL rich recipes represents the market leader in high output FFS lines. Now Reifenhäuser Blown Film has supplied a 6.3” die for the tubular production of 15,3” wide salt bags and the outputs achieved are just as impressive.
• ULTRA FLAT - Imagine you could run your press at full speed with perfect print quality. No, Reifenhäuser is not building any printing machines, but the German engineers have developed a unique inline flattening system which is installed after the primary nip roll but before the air turning bars to improve flatness and in return increase the speed of converting systems while reducing waste. It works not only for companies that print and convert internally; it also significantly improves roll quality and hence is increasing the sale of film rolls.

The exhibit on the NPE show:
At the NPE booth of Reifenhäuser visitors will have the chance to play around with the unique and intuitive EVOLUTION C control panel. The 24” color touch screen combines ergonomic and intuitive functions. It is based on a smartphone like interface and operators all over the world like it, but more important, they easily and quickly understand it. As a result the extrusion line will run at a higher efficiency rate. Intelligent assistants such as Job Size Control, Job Change Assistant, Start-up Assistant and Profile Speeder make the life of the operators easier and increases the economies of scale of each EVOLUTION Blown Film system. 

Source: Reifenhäuser