Extrusion International USA 1-2021

35 Extrusion International 1/2021 Here the inline coating technology offers decisive advan- tages for BOPP and BOPE applications. Brückner’s newly developed technology is installed between themachine fi lm orientation (MDO) and the transverse fi lmorientation (TDO) process: A wet chemical treatment applied there directly inline provides a tailored base-layer (primer) for the subse- quent AlOx / SiOxmetallizing step and canbe used at regular 3-layer BOPP or BOPE fi lm stretching lines. The metallization layer is a perfectly bonded, very homoge- neously distributed over the complete fi lmwidth and shows outstanding oxygen and water vapor barrier values – com- parable even to high-barrier fi lms such as metallized BOPET or aluminum foil. Since the coating material is water-based, transparent and in nanometer scale (typically < 100 nm), the environmental impact and effect to the recyclability is minor and thus within the strict laws and regulations. It is even su- perior from an economical point of view to any barrier so- lution with EVOH. Besides this, the treatment is long-term stable without decay. Bene fi ts of inline coating at one glance – Huge variety of possible applications and fi lm types – Cost ef fi ciency • Thinnest, very consistent coating layers in the nanometer scale (< 100 nm): Low coatingmaterial costs • No additional corona treatment needed on coated surface • Low investment costs due to the narrow coating width be- fore transverse orientation • Utilization of the transverse orientation unit’s pre-heating zone as dryer: energy optimized process without separate dryer • Low operation costs by saving expensive off-line coating processing steps - Enhanced fi lmproperties • Improved bonding of the coating to the fi lm in the virgin, not yet crystalline state – superior to of fl ine-coating • Improved printability • Signi fi cantly higher metal adhesion – perfect barrier im- provement after metallization (Al / AlOx / SiOx) • Antifog and antistatic layers • Long term stable surface energy • Improved recyclability due to lowest impact of the thin lay- er technology The inline coating technology is not only available with new Brückner fi lm stretching lines but can also be upgraded on used lines. Brückner Servtec has a complete concept for the line modi fi cation: – Tailored upgrade package for existing BOPP fi lm-produc- tion lines – Full integration in the existing control system – All necessary modi fi cations of existing components to run inline coated fi lm Filmproducers going that upgrading step pro fi t fromBrück- ner Servtec’s know-how of coating formulations and pro- cess, the experience of more than 40 installed Brückner in- line coaters for BOPET and BOPP, the ccomprehensive R&D resources at the Brückner headquarters as well as a network of corresponding partners in the industry. Brückner Group GmbH Königsberger Str. 5-7, 83313 Siegsdorf, Germany www.brueckner.com FILM COATING Driven by the discussions about recycling targets for plastic packaging, mono-material packaging structures are receivingmore and more interest: for example, biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) or polyethylene (BOPE) fi lms. Reasons for this are a better sortability of the packaging and an improved quality of recyclingmaterials. Withmono-material structures the question of barrier solutions and their role for recycling comes up. If one looks at traditionally used aluminummetallized fi lms or aluminum foil, future packaging designs demand a transparent barrier solution like AlOx, SiOx or EVOH BOPP and BOPE Inline Coating – Perfect Barrier, Improved Recyclability Brückner’s inline coating technology