Nordmeccanica and Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products held a joint technical conference focused on thin foil lamination at high production speeds from February 23-24 at Nordmeccanica’s corporate headquarters in Piacenza, Italy.

The invitational event was attended by representatives from every major converter in Europe and also featured the presentation of technical papers from industry experts such as Dr. Giuseppe Giordano, Studio Tecnico Giordano; Dr. Duncan Darby, Department of Packaging Science, Clemson University, USA; Günter Shubert, Hydro R&D Center; Giancarlo Caimmi and Vincenzo Cerciello for Nordmeccanica.

The program included demonstration runs of 5 µm (.00019 inches), which were introduced by Hydro to the market in early 2015, and 6.3 µm (.00024 inches) foil laminated to printed PET. Lamination was performed live, coating the unsupported foil and featured solvent base (both with semi-flexo and rotogravure coating heads) and 100 percent solid (solvent-free) adhesives laminations.

“This was the third event in the Nordmeccanica, Hydro cooperation and I am sure more will come,” says Giancarlo Caimmi, commercial director Nordmeccanica Group. “We are once again providing our customers with innovation as a proven ‘technology package,’ combining the know-how of leading suppliers.”

Moving from 6 µm to 5µm will allow a savings up to 16 percent in packaging material, yet, based on the right alloys and processing the unique, absolute barrier function that aluminum can offer is preserved effectively with benefits to all parties involved, not least the environment.

Demonstration runs have been performed on the Nordmeccanica Combi 3000 installed at its Piacenza R&D center. Attendees witnessed the machine set-up, job changeover and three alternative adhesive lamination technologies handling the thin foil with ease. The outcome of the workshop is the confirmation that thin foil, manufactured in the proper alloy and respecting proper quality standards, in safe to be used on standard equipment once equipment is state-of-the-art in design and engineering. Lamination runs have been demonstrated up to 300 meters per minute and attendees have been provided with GC analysis for solvent retention of the solvent-based adhesive runs and samples showing exceptional quality levels. The event proved once again that the cooperation between industry leaders is the best way to provide converters with cutting edge technology.

“The Nordmeccanica-Hydro partnership, as demonstrated in the workshop, enables suppliers and customers to achieve outstanding results. Tackling technical limits in order to do step changes in the packaging industry by further developing materials, machines and processes is a key success factor for the future,” says Markus Offermann, sales director for Hydro’s foil.

Nordmeccanica
www.nordmeccanica.com