Extrusion International 5-2023

54 Extrusion International 5/2023 FILM EXTRUSION – CASE STUDY alternative to LDPE composites with BOPET and BOPP films, it is 100 per cent recyclable. "Due to its unique me - chanical properties, the film is suitable for both surface and interlayer printing in flexo, offset and digital print - ing," says Gwizda. In addition, the MDO technology gives the film several properties with explicit added value due to the specific arrangement of the polymer chains. Among these are higher stiffness, transparency and dura - bility, as well as lower permeability to water vapour and gases. Depending on the choice of raw materials, MDO- PE films can be produced in different versions, which are additionally characterised by a much higher temperature resistance. They are mainly used in food packaging. With the newMDO line fromHosokawa Alpine and its own laboratory for research and development of new film types, ERG currently sees itself as being ideally posi - tioned to meet the challenges of current future trends. "If you want to benefit from all the advantages of MDO technology and install a future-proof plant, there is no way around Hosokawa Alpine and its more than 25 years of experience," concludes Gwizda. Author Susanne Schwenk, Project Manager Marketing, Hosokawa Alpine AG Hosokawa Alpine AG Peter-Dörfler-Str. 13 – 25, 86199 Augsburg, Germany www.hosokawa-alpine.de The Hosokawa Alpine MDO technology is based on monoaxial stretching of blown film. The film is pulled between two rollers that rotate at different speeds. In addition to the positive environmental effects, Hosokawa Alpine's MDO line has increased ERG's production capacity by 30 percent Getting the Most from Your Extrusion Tooling Tooling maintenance improves extrusion efficiency, enhances quality and boosts overall productivity for your medical tubing applications. By: Glen Guillemette, President Guill Tool & Engineering By utilizing state-of-the-art production equipment and processes, machining tolerances are held extremely close on today’s multi-lumen and multi-layer medical tubing. It is important to note that any misalignment of the tools may be exaggerated in the final product output. Clean parts, especially with sealing and locat - ing surfaces, are key to product performance and suc - cessful end products. These surfaces receive the most care and attention during manufacturing and are the control surfaces that ensure uniformity throughout the tubing. Remember, precision-machined alignments are affected by even a speck of dirt measuring only a few thousandths of an inch. A human hair is about 0.003" (0.08 mm), and since there are many such surfaces in a quality tool, cleanliness is critical. Ch e c k - ing of the tools for any deformities is also i m - portant. Burrs, scratches and scrapes are usually a result of care- less handling and/or storage of equipment. Double and triple-layer extrusion heads pose an even greater challenge for maintenance. The number of sealing and centering surfaces multiplies and can mag- nify the results of dirty tools. During changeovers, the head may be disassembled in order to change com- pounds and/or tips and dies. Foreign matter is usually introduced at this point and residual materials must be thoroughly removed. Physical tool damage often oc- curs during this phase, due to mishandling and poor