Reifenhäuser extrusion coating line makes lightweight film composites for PPE

Ultrathin Coating Reifenhäuser’s new extrusion coating line produces very lightweight film/nonwoven composites for use in medical gowns, medical covers and backsheet for personal protective equipment. The line consists of an unwinder, two extruders, the company’s patented Reicofeed Pro feedblock, a Reifenhäuser flat die, a rewinder and the key element, a Lamicor-CL laminator with mechatronic nip setting. Using a PE-based material with a bonding layer for the coating and commonly available raw materials for the rest of the composite, the lines achieve throughputs ranging from about 440 pounds to 1,320 pounds per hour. 

What’s new? The line, and the very low grammage of the film/nonwoven composite that it produces. The company said that recipe and process optimizations, such as elongation of the melt curtain, allow significant downgauging of the film layer, for a 66 percent reduction in film grammage. 

Benefits Cost-effectiveness. The amount of material used in the composite can be reduced by 28 percent; total costs for the product can be reduced by as much as 34 percent, compared to conventionally made material. Reifenhäuser also achieved significant savings by eliminating the use of hotmelt adhesives, which also reduces maintenance requirements. The line provides a return on investment in less than a year, the company said. 

Reifenhäuser Inc., Maize, Kan., 316-260-2122, www.reifenhauser.com