Practical Technology Needs for Coating Faster

Presented by Dr. Edward D. Cohen, Edward D. Cohen Consulting Inc.

A faster coating speed can improve the economic viability of a coating line by increasing productivity and reducing costs. In order to be effective the rate increase program requires improved and additional technologies in all of the coater elements. It must also insure that quality, safety and environmental requirements are not compromised.

Successful implementation requires several practical process technologies. In addition to the major process elements of coating, drying and web handling the coater peripheral technologies and hardware must be evaluated and improved if deficient. The importance of these peripheral technologies is often not appreciated and as a result they are often ignored and the desired productivity increases are not obtained. Rate increases impact on all process elements and they must all must be considered. Every process element must function at the higher speed for the program to be effective. Also technologies that are effective at a lower speed many not be adequate at higher speeds.

This presentation will discuss several of these technologies and their importance in a rate increase program. These technologies are important for both increasing the rate of an existing coater or building a new coating line.