Ashland Inc. and Mark Andy Inc. have launched a film lamination technology that uses equipment advancements and new solvent-free adhesive technology to enable narrow- and mid-web converters to perform near-line slitting within hours of lamination.

The combination of materials and machinery will save converters time, labor cost and adhesive scrap, and will reduce line downtime, officials say. The technology utilizes Ashland’s newest laminating adhesive Purelam 9500/9240 in conjunction with Mark Andy’s in-line adhesive delivery solution to speed curing and processing efficiency on press. The technology enables in-line, solvent-free lamination without the premix of adhesive components. The solution is available on select Mark Andy Performance Series narrow-web and Versa Max mid-web press platforms.

“Ashland is excited to be working with an industry leader like Mark Andy to revolutionize the way narrow- and mid-web converters laminate films for flexible food packaging,” says David Hatgas, global business director of adhesives and coatings at Ashland. “Beyond just focusing on products, we are focused on delivering innovation that enables our customers to improve product quality and to achieve lower cost in use.”

John Howard, Mark Andy’s director of product management, says the development of the solvent-free lamination for an in-line package is a direct response to customer needs.

“This integration solution produces laminated product directly off the press and ready for post-processing in a short turnaround time, with no curing of adhesive occurring on press,” Howard says. “We are proud to deliver an unmatched turnkey solution for the industry, which will enable converters to acquire new business in a growing market segment, with no additional investment in offline laminators or crews required.”

Ashland is also working on the development of its next-generation adhesive system that will allow for in-line processing, including ultra-fast curing, slitting and pouching.

Ashland Inc.
www.ashland.com

Mark Andy Inc.
www.markandy.com