Vacuum Web Coating

AIMCAL Fall Technical Conference Call for Papers

AIMCAL Fall Technical Conference 
and
20th International Conference on Vacuum Web Coating
October 22 - 25, 2006
Peppermill Resort, Reno, Nevada

   

CALL FOR PAPERS
DEADLINE: To assure consideration, abstracts must be received by May 15, 2006.

The AIMCAL Fall Technical Conference, October 22 - 25 at the Peppermill Resort, Reno, Nevada is an Industry forum for the global technical community involved in web coating processes.

Visit the AIMCAL Website to submit your paper.

If you would like to receive notification when the Fall Conference Registration is online, click here to sign up.

Topics of interest for this year's conference include, but not limited to the following:

Vacuum Web Coating Process optimization and preventive maintenance in the vacuum web coating processes Leading edge roll to roll technologies, products and markets including flexible displays, flexible semiconductors, superconductors, thin film battery, flexible solar cells, super barriers, film sensors, anti-counterfeiting films and papers, OLED, holography, and solar control  Machine and equipment accessories upgrade cost / benefit Advances in substrate technology Advances in process control and measurement Patterning and edging of vacuum coated films and papers New coating processes, tools and equipment Advances in barrier performance, process and measurement Atmospheric Web Coating and Laminating Web Coating Technology related to applications and fluid rheology Process Measurement including coating weight, defects, viscosity, process modeling Laminating processes including alternatives to laminations, process optimization, web variability, modulus, guiding and tracking Coating Operations: An overview that compares/contrasts various coating techniques, roll coating systems, slot die/curtain coating techniques, extrusion coating, coating thin on metallized films, toll coating Substrates and liners technology including new technology and performance, innovations, and applications Web coated product markets - technology and market overviews Specialty Web Coating Novel or developing web coating technologies Nano coating technology Photovoltaics technology Developing web coating technologies and markets Specialty substrates and coatings technology RFID technology A session on Market Trends in the Converting Industry is being scheduled. Topics of interest are global market and technology trends, future role of converting process in growth industries and integrating product development through the supply chain.

Presentations for the Fall Technical Conference are selected upon the following criteria:

• Applicability to the advancement of the manufacturing process

• Uniqueness and innovativeness of new technology and its contribution to the Industry

• Value to the technical/production community

The audience for the Fall Conference is Technical Professional personnel in R&D, Manufacturing, and Marketing. Presentations should be at a technical level of interest to this audience. Papers covering related subjects, not specifically addressed in the call for papers should still be sent for committee review.

Visit the AIMCAL Website to submit your paper.

Surface treatment of polymers.

There have been a number of questions asked recently regarding surface treatment, specifically of BOPP, such as these below.

Can you kindly advise the different methods of surface treatment we can use for treating BOPP film (e.g.: flame treatment, plasma treatment in vacuum....)?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of the treatments? At the right conditions (can you pls also advise the conditions), what is the rate of improvement for different plasma powers, gas flow rates, and web speeds when we compare it with no
plasma treatment BOPP film

1)What do we try to achieve with plasma treatment (in vacuum) on BOPP film.

2)How is BOPP film affected when treated by plasma treatment in vacuum? In other words, how is the structure of the surface altered?

3)If there are any disadvantages of plasma treatment (in vacuum) what are they?

I will briefly run through the different surface treatments that have been used and comment on any advantages or disadvantages.  What I cannot do is give process details such as power & speed for a particular treatment.  This depends on so many factors that are system and substrate specific.

Firstly I will explain in more detail why I cannot give these details.

Read on for the complete answer.

AIMCAL Fall Conference ‘The Old Bishop’s Almanac’

I know it seems like we have only just finished with the last Fall Conference but we are already preparing for the next one.  So if any of you have any papers you think would go down well at the next AIMCAL Fall Conference just e-mail (CABishopConsulting@cabuk1.co.uk) me with a title and short abstract that we can put into the pot for consideration.

I hope many readers of this Blog will be attending the AIMCAL Fall Technical Conference.  For those of you who have attended in recent years you will know I give a paper called ‘The old Bishop’s Almanac’ where I try to bring to everyone’s attention topics that I think ought to have a public airing.  This has covered topics such as talking about the low margins & the opportunity or threat from overseas markets, the lack of security of so called ‘security holograms’, the rising cost of Indium, problems of measuring ultra low barrier coatings, obsolescence, etc. All the topics have, in some way, an impact on the vacuum coating industry.

I shall be delivering another ‘Almanac’ and already have a few topics.  I would like the ‘Almanac’ to be fresh and interesting each year.  To do this I am on the hunt for new ideas.  With the initiation of this Blog it gives me the opportunity of inviting you all to suggest topics that might be of general interest.  Ideally they should be topics that have been a problem for some time that nobody seems to be addressing.  It would be useful if you have some information to back up your suggestions. I cannot guarantee that any/all suggestions will be included but if nothing else they will get an airing here on the Blog.

Latest questions relating to holograms.

Here are the questions

1. Resin system for holographic coating on Plain BOPET film.
2. What should be the Optical Density of Aluminium coating for best results.

And the Answers.

1.         It depends on the type of embossing you wish to do.  Embossing can be hot or cold embossing or UV cured embossing.  The different types of embossing can give different results in terms of the hologram performance. 

One of the easiest substrates to use is a co-extruded BOPET heat-seal grade. The amorphous PET that is used for the heat seal can also be hot embossed with a holographic shim. 

If you are wanting to do UV cured holographic embossing then it is common to use UV curable acrylates such as are available ready formulated from companies such as Sartomer, Henkle, or UCB.

2.         In terms of the Optical Density there again is no fixed answer.  Many of the holographic films that are used in 'cheap' packaging is quite transparent. The higher quality has much lower visible transmittance. For security applications they, on occasions, want a semi-transparent coating. Thus there is no one answer.  Usually the customer supplies the specification.  The usual rule of thumb applies, the cheaper the end application the faster and thinner the metal has to be applied.  Higher quality applications can generally afford a higher premium and so will have a thicker aluminium coating.