Press Releases

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI, U.S.A., April 18, 2013: Nordson EDI has appointed Scott Niedfeldt to the position of aftermarket sales representative for the upper Midwest and Northwest regions of the U.S., it was announced today by Bob Deitrick, director of sales.

Mr. Niedfeldt will provide sales and customer support, with a specific focus on remanufacturing of extrusion dies built by Nordson EDI or other suppliers, custom
engineering of die components, and stocking of a wide range of spare parts.

"Because rework extends the working life of a die and increases its productivity, Nordson EDI's aftermarket business has been growing rapidly," said Mr. Deitrick. "Customers looking to take advantage of these services will benefit from Scott's proven capabilities for sales and support."

Scott Niedfeldt joined Nordson EDI in 2011 as a sales coordinator for the company's Premier Coating Division, providing support to sales managers and completing specifications for new projects. Prior to joining the company, he spent five years in business development and sales positions with two business consulting and information technology firms.

Mr. Niedfeldt holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire and a masters of arts degree from TrinityInternationalUniversity, Deerfield, IL.

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Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., Nordson Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (Nordson EDI) is a leading international supplier of flat dies, feedblocks, and related equipment for film, sheet, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company operates plants in the U.S.A, Belgium, China, and Japan, including capabilities in all four countries for remanufacturing its own dies and those built by other suppliers. Visit www.nordsonedi.com. E-mail: sales@nordsonedi.com. Nordson EDI is part of the Nordson Corporation group of companies. Visit Nordson on the web at www.nordson.com

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI, U.S.A., February 27, 2013: Nordson EDI has appointed Kevin L. Bahr to the position of aftermarket and customer service manager, it was announced today by Godfrey M. Sandham, vice president and general manager.

Mr. Bahr will oversee customer service for both new and remanufactured dies and will be
responsible for furthering the growth of the company's extensive global aftermarket business, which provides services for customers' existing dies. Aftermarket services include remanufacturing or "rework" of extrusion dies built by Nordson EDI or other suppliers, custom engineering of die components, and stocking of a wide range of spare parts. The Aftermarket group focuses on maximizing the value that die users can obtain from their assets by reducing production downtime during rework and enhancing die performance.

"In this new position, Kevin will apply his extensive knowledge of Nordson EDI's engineering and manufacturing processes and his deep experience serving aftermarket customers," said Mr. Sandham. "By combining our aftermarket and customer service functions and placing them under Kevin's supervision, we are taking another step forward in our mission to enhance the value that our customers can derive from their extrusion processes."

Kevin L. Bahr joined Nordson EDI in 1979, starting out on the shop floor and progressing through a wide range of positions in die manufacture before being promoted to a position in rework engineering in 1998. He has spent the last three years in charge of the aftermarket engineering department.

He holds an associate degree in mechanical design from Chippewa Valley Technical College, Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

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Nordson EDI is a leading international supplier of flat dies, feedblocks, and related equipment for film, sheet, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company is part of the Nordson group of companies. Subsidiaries of Nordson EDI are based in Europe and Asia.  In the U.S.A., Belgium, Japan, and China, Nordson EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers.  Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., Nordson EDI is focused on supplying the global market. Visit www.nordsonedi.com.  E-mail: sales@nordsonedi.com.

Visit Nordson Corp. on the web at www.nordson.com, www.twitter.com/Nordson_Corp or www.facebook.com/nordson

Nordson EDI's Premier Dies™ Coating Station Is Self-Contained System; Nordson Corporation's TCHP TrueCoat® Slot Applicator Has Slot Nozzle and Rotating Bar Options

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI, U.S.A., January 22, 2013: In a joint exhibit at ICE USA, Nordson Corporation and its recently acquired Nordson EDI business will highlight the versatility of two slot coating systems, Nordson announced today. The company will exhibit at Booth 105, which will also feature another recent Nordson acquisition, Nordson XALOY.

Nordson EDI will present the Premier Dies™ Coating Station, a self-contained slot die system that combines robust construction, versatility, and consistent accuracy. 

Custom-built to accommodate a wide range of die sizes, the Premier Dies coating station includes flexible- or fixed-lip coating head, die support, fluid delivery unit, and coating rolls. Precision engineering and heavy-duty stainless steel construction contribute to the high degree of accuracy and repeatability achieved by the coating station. As an example of the system's repeatability, Nordson EDI points out that the positioning of the die relative to the coating roll is held within a range of only 2.5 microns.

Nordson EDI can build the coating station for installation in either new or existing coating lines. A modular version of the station can be moved on- and off-line, providing versatility and helping to reduce downtime for die maintenance or job changes. The movable station can be used to alternate between slot die and conventional roll coating or for switching among several coating stations, each with a different slot die.

The Premier Dies coating station is designed to accommodate supported-web and unsupported-web configurations. Four axes of die adjustment are available. Coating rolls may be either stainless steel or chrome-plated. The station can include a built-in vacuum box to help control the coating bead.

Nordson Corporation's TCHP TrueCoat® slot applicator provides exceptional accuracy for stripe or full coating application in continuous web processes. Streak-free coverage and excellent edge control make the TCHP particularly beneficial for tape and label applications.  The compact, configurable design is ideal for coating a wide variety of substrates including papers, foils, films, and nonwovens.

The TCHP TrueCoat applicator is simple to use.  A V-shaped body design provides flexible setup of web routing and guidance. Fast  pattern changes are achieved with  quick-change, replaceable slot  nozzles. The flexibility and  functionality of the TCHP slot  applicator is expanded with  capability to quickly, easily change  between traditional slot nozzle and  rotating bar nozzle technologies.

TrueCoat slot applicators are easy to maintain, featuring quick-change filters and modules as well as flange-on solenoids.  A new nozzle clamping design provides quick removal of dies for servicing. Optional anti-stick surface coating eases cleaning.

 

 

 

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Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., Nordson EDI is a leading international supplier of flat dies, feedblocks, and related equipment for film, sheet, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company operates plants in the U.S.A, Belgium, China, and Japan, including capabilities in all four countries for remanufacturing its own dies and those built by other suppliers. Visit www.nordsonedi.com. E-mail: sales@nordsonedi.com. Nordson EDI is part of the Nordson Corporation group of companies.

Nordson engineers, manufactures and markets differentiated products and systems used for dispensing and processing adhesives, coatings, plastics, sealants and biomaterials, with related technologies for managing fluids, testing and inspecting for quality, and treating surfaces.   These products are supported with extensive application expertise and direct global sales and service.  The company serves a wide variety of consumer non-durable, durable and technology end markets including packaging, nonwovens, electronics, medical, appliances, energy, transportation, construction, and general product assembly and finishing.  Founded in 1954 and headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, the company has operations and support offices in more than 30 countries.  Visit Nordson on the web at www.nordson.com

 

• Xaloy, EDI and Verbruggen Acquisitions Provide Multiple Component Solutions for Customers' Extrusion, Injection Molding, and Coating Operations  

Westlake, Ohio, USA - December 17, 2012 -  Nordson Corporation (Nasdaq: NDSN) today announced it will rebrand its recent acquisitions of Xaloy Superior Holdings, Inc. and EDI Holdings, Inc. to Nordson XALOY and Nordson EDI, respectively.  Constructiewerkhuizen G. Verbruggen NV, acquired by Nordson in 2011, and Premier Dies, acquired by EDI earlier this year, also will transition to the Nordson EDI brand name.  

"Attachment of the Nordson master brand to these acquired companies signifies the highly complementary nature of their products to each other, as EDI's extrusion dies and feedblocks are immediately downstream from Xaloy's screw, barrel, melt pump and screen changer offerings on a typical plastic extrusion line," said Nordson Senior Vice President Peter Lambert.  "The connection to the Nordson name also helps communicate Nordson's customer value proposition, which emphasizes an optimized offering that lowers customers' total cost of ownership through increased uptime, greater throughput and enhanced efficiency.  Both EDI and Xaloy bring customers an extensive understanding of plastic processes and in-depth expertise of component performance requirements.   As Nordson continues to invest in these businesses over the long term, we expect they will provide their customers with even greater value in terms of innovation, service and enhanced global availability."  

As part of the branding transition, the visual identity of EDI and Xaloy will be aligned with Nordson's, including adoption of new Nordson EDI and Nordson XALOY logos.  The transition to the new visual identity will be phased in and is expected to be completed over the next several months.  Customer service and sales contacts for the respective organizations remain the same. 

 "While EDI and Xaloy may be modifying their name and look, they will continue to provide the same outstanding products and high level of service customers have come to expect," added Lambert.  "Whether a customer is purchasing one or multiple components, our commitment to that customer's success remains unchanged." 

Nordson EDI is a leading provider of slot coating and flat polymer extrusion dies, feedblocks and auxiliary equipment for plastics processors and web converters.  Customers use these products to efficiently produce complex polymer products, from multi-layer barrier films for food and beverage flexible packaging to micron-scale coatings for flat panel displays to critical separator films for next-generation batteries.  These applications increasingly require Nordson EDI's sophisticated processing equipment to control flow rates, thickness and other essential surface characteristics.  Nordson EDI also provides value-added services such as equipment re-manufacturing, process labs for customers to run pilot tests on new products, and technical support contracts to consult with customers on enhancing productivity and improving uptime .  The company is based in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin with additional facilities in China, Germany, Belgium and Japan. For more information, visit www.nordsonedi.com

Nordson XALOY is a leading manufacturer of melt delivery components including bi-metallic barrels, engineered screws, melt pumps, screen changers, heat transfer rolls, valves and nozzles, jet cleaners and pelletizers for injection and extrusion machinery in the global plastic processing industry.  The products work in conjunction with one another to precisely control the flow and temperature of the plastic melt to ensure end-product quality and to reduce waste and scrap costs.   Customers use these products in a variety of end markets including packaging, consumer products, electronics, medical, building products, and transportation and aviation.  The company is based in New Castle, Pennsylvania with additional facilities in Germany and Thailand.  For more information, visit www.nordsonxaloy.com.     

Nordson EDI and Nordson XALOY are units of Nordson Corporation.  Nordson Corporation delivers precision technology solutions that help customers succeed worldwide.  The company engineers, manufactures and markets differentiated products and systems used for dispensing and processing adhesives, coatings, plastics, sealants, biomaterials, fluids and other materials,  testing and inspecting for quality, and treating surfaces, all supported by application expertise and direct global sales and service.  Nordson serves a wide variety of consumer non-durable, durable and technology end markets including packaging, nonwovens, electronics, medical, appliances, energy, transportation, construction, and general product assembly and finishing.  Founded in 1954 and headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, the company has operations and support offices in more than 30 countries.  Visit Nordson on the web at www.nordson.com, www.twitter.com/Nordson_Corp or www.facebook.com/nordson.

 

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Purchase establishes new Nordson EDI Japan division to provide direct extrusion die sales and manufacturing in Japan and Taiwan and remanufacturing throughout Asia-Pacific region.

Westlake, OHIO, USA, November 13, 2012 -- Nordson Corporation (NASDAQ: NDSN) today announced that it has purchased certain assets of Kodama Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., a licensed distributor for Nordson's EDI business in Japan for 30 years, and will draw on the organization's extensive technical and manufacturing capabilities to establish a new division to supply and support its extrusion die customers in Japan and Taiwan and provide remanufacturing services there and throughout the Asia-Pacific region.   Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.  Nordson Corporation acquired EDI in June of this year.

The new division, Nordson EDI Japan, will provide new-die sales to extrusion processors, web converters, and OEMs in Japan and Taiwan and carry out final manufacturing steps on new equipment to enhance die performance and accommodate local requirements. Included will be the full range of Nordson EDI flat dies, feedblocks, and related equipment for film, sheet, extrusion coating, and fluid coating.  Die remanufacturing will be available to customers throughout the Asia-Pacific region from a fully-equipped facility in Saitama, Japan.

Nordson has appointed Hidemaro Takehara, until now head of Kodama's sales team, to be the general manager of Nordson EDI Japan.  Mr. Takehara will lead an experienced group of selected Kodama employees, long familiar to customers in the region,  that are expected to join Nordson EDI Japan to continue operations of the new organization. Sales and customer support staff have relocated to a new office in Tokyo. 

"Nordson EDI recognizes that, for extrusion processors and web converters, every day of lost production time means a substantial reduction in the output of saleable goods," said Godfrey M. Sandham, vice president and general manager of Nordson EDI.  "By establishing a new division in Japan, we will help customers in the Asia-Pacific to maximize productivity and reduce downtime by having regional access to support and remanufacturing services." 

Nordson EDI Japan will work with its network of agents in the Asia-Pacific region. Customers in China will continue to obtain sales and remanufacturing services from Nordson EDI Precision Dies (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., which recently moved to a new, larger facility.

From the Saitama facility, Nordson EDI will be able to meet all of its customers' remanufacturing needs, from flow surface repairs and refinishing to incorporation of whole new subsystems such as automatic gauge profiling. Remanufacturing plays a critical role in the working life of a flat die, enabling the extrusion processor or converter to maintain high levels of productivity, minimize downtime for maintenance, and prevent product defects. 

The new sales office of Nordson EDI Japan is located at Shinjuku Center Building 38F, (P.O. Box 4109) 1-25-1 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-0638. Tel: +81-3-5321-6350. Fax: +81-3-5321-6365. Email: hidemaro.takehara@nordsonedi.com. 

Nordson EDI is a leading international supplier of die systems for extrusion and fluid coating and a division of Nordson Corporation, which also includes Nordson EDI-Verbruggen, and Nordson XALOY. Subsidiaries of Nordson EDI are based in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, Shanghai, and Tokyo. In the U.S.A., Germany, China, and Japan, Nordson EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers.  Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., Nordson EDI is focused on supplying the global market. Visit www.extrusiondies.com  and www.reworkdies.com.  E-mail: sales@extrusiondies.com.

Nordson Corporation delivers precision technology solutions that help customers increase speed, productivity and up-time, enable new products and features, and decrease material usage. The company engineers, manufactures and markets differentiated products and systems used for dispensing and processing adhesives, plastics, coatings, sealants, biomaterials and other materials, fluid management, testing and inspection, and UV curing and surface plasma treatment, all supported by application expertise and direct global sales and service.  Nordson serves a wide variety of consumer non-durable, durable and technology end markets including packaging, nonwovens, electronics, medical, appliances, energy, transportation, building and construction, and general product assembly and finishing.  Founded in 1954 and headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, the company has operations and support offices in more than 30 countries.  Visit Nordson on the web at www.nordson.com, www.twitter.com/Nordson_Corp or www.facebook.com/nordson.  

 

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI, U.S.A., September 20, 2012: EDI has appointed Bradley A. Kuhnen to the position of regional sales associate for the U.S. Southwest, it was announced today by Robert Deitrick, director of sales.

Kuhnen will be responsible for growing new and aftermarket sales of EDI's flat extrusion die and fluid coating systems in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. 

Bradley Kuhnen joined EDI in 2010 as an inside sales associate, providing sales and technical support to regional sales managers and agents and completing technical specifications for new projects. In 2011 he was promoted to international sales and managed EDI's agent network in Southeast Asia.

Prior to joining EDI, Bradley Kuhnen held positions of increasing responsibility in the financial industry.

He holds a bachelors degree in marketing from the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire.

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EDI is a leading international supplier of flat dies for sheet, film, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company designs and manufactures dies, feedblocks, deckling systems, vacuum boxes, and related equipment. EDI is part of the Nordson group of companies, which also includes Verbruggen, and Xaloy. Subsidiaries of EDI include EDI GmbH in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, and EDI China in Shanghai.  In the U.S.A., Germany, and China, EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers, and it has licensed a fourth rework facility in Japan.  Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., EDI is focused on supplying the global market. Visit www.extrusiondies.com and www.reworkdies.com.  E-mail: sales@extrusiondies.com.

 

Mr. Sandham Will Oversee the Integration of EDI into Its New Parent Company and the Coordination of EDI and Verbruggen, Also Recently Acquired by Nordson  

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI, U.S.A., September 17, 2012:  Godfrey M. Sandham, an experienced chief executive with a broad international background, has become vice president and general manager of EDI, it was announced by Nordson Corp. Gary Edwards, former CEO of EDI, will work with Mr. Sandham to effect a smooth transition before leaving EDI in December to pursue other opportunities.  

Wisconsin-based EDI is a leading manufacturer of flat extrusion and fluid coating dies that Nordson acquired in May of this year. Eight months earlier, Nordson had acquired Constructiewerkhuizen G. Verbruggen NV, a builder of flat extrusion dies headquartered in Temse, Belgium. Mr. Sandham will oversee the integration of EDI into Nordson and the leveraging of the combined capabilities of EDI and Verbruggen to generate new growth opportunities.     

"Godfrey brings extensive multinational experience in developing, merging, and integrating businesses and has a strong record of revenue and profit growth," said Peter G. Lambert, Nordson's senior vice president for adhesive dispensing systems. "EDI already enjoys a well-established worldwide reputation for precision engineering, quality, and customer service, and under Godfrey's leadership it promises to enter an exciting new era of even greater growth and innovation."    

In 1998, Godfrey Sandham joined Nordson EFD, a manufacturer of precision fluid dispensing equipment for a wide range of industries. Prior to coming to EDI, he served as president of EFD International Inc.; managing director of EFD operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; director of Nordson Germany; and a member of Nordson EFD LLC's executive staff. He is credited with building a pan-European business for Nordson EFD through acquisitions, mergers, geographic expansion, and new business development.

Before joining Nordson, Mr. Sandham spent 20 years in the petrochemical industry working with lubricants, hot melts, coatings, solvents, chemicals, and oilfield products.

Godfrey Sandham will relocate from his native England to EDI's world headquarters in Wisconsin.

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EDI is a leading international supplier of flat dies for sheet, film, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company designs and manufactures dies, feedblocks, deckling systems, vacuum boxes, and related equipment. EDI is part of the Nordson group of companies, which also includes Verbruggen, and Xaloy. Subsidiaries of EDI include EDI GmbH in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, and EDI China in Shanghai.  In the U.S.A., Germany, and China, EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers, and it has licensed a fourth rework facility in Japan.  Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., EDI is focused on supplying the global market. Visit www.extrusiondies.com and www.reworkdies.com.  E-mail: sales@extrusiondies.com.

Nordson Corporation delivers precision technology solutions that help customers increase throughput, productivity and up-time, enable new products and features, and decrease material usage. The company engineers, manufactures and markets differentiated products and systems used for dispensing and processing adhesives, coatings, plastics, sealants, biomaterials and other materials, fluid management, test and inspection, UV curing and plasma surface treatment, all supported by application expertise and direct global sales and service.  Nordson serves a wide variety of consumer non-durable, durable and technology end markets including packaging, nonwovens, electronics, medical, appliances, energy, transportation, construction, and general product assembly and finishing.  Founded in 1954 and headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, the company has operations and support offices in more than 30 countries.  Visit Nordson on the web at www.nordson.com, www.twitter.com/Nordson_Corp or www.facebook.com/nordson.

 

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI, U.S.A., September 12, 2012: Peter A. Ferrara has joined EDI as sales manager for the U.S. Southeast, it was announced today by Robert Deitrick, director of sales.

Based in Charleston, SC, Ferrara will provide customers in the region with sales service and project support for EDI's full range of flat-die and coating-head systems for sheet, film, extrusion coating, and fluid coating.

"Pete brings 26 years of experience in sales of engineered equipment systems to industrial customers in technology-driven markets," said Deitrick. "His expertise in working with multinational, Fortune 500, and other major brand-owner companies will be especially valuable in serving EDI's customers in the Southeast, which include leading automotive, electronics, medical, and packaging manufacturers."  

Peter Ferrara comes to EDI after serving as Southeast regional sales manager for German-based Hainbuch America, LLC, a producer of tooling equipment. Previously he held managerial positions with manufacturers of equipment and systems for package production, extrusion processes, die casting, weight monitoring, and data collection.

He holds a bachelors degree from the College of Charleston (South Carolina) and is a member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). 

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EDI is a leading international supplier of flat dies for sheet, film, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company designs and manufactures dies, feedblocks, deckling systems, vacuum boxes, and related equipment. Premier Dies, a business of EDI, specializes in fluid coating systems. EDI is part of the Nordson group of companies, which also includes Verbruggen, and Xaloy. Subsidiaries of EDI include EDI GmbH in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, and EDI China in Shanghai.  In the U.S.A., Germany, and China, EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers, and it has licensed a fourth rework facility in Japan.  Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., EDI is focused on supplying the global market. Visit www.extrusiondies.com and www.reworkdies.com.  E-mail: sales@extrusiondies.com.

 

 

SHANGHAI, April 18, 2012 A new facility opening in Shanghai on August 1, 2012 will substantially expand EDI's product and service offerings to customers in China and make possible local manufacture of value-added extrusion die systems, it was announced today by EDI Precision Dies (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.  ( EDI China) at Chinaplas 2012 (Booth W2J01).

The 5,000-sq.m facility will replace EDI China's earlier headquarters, an 1,800 sq.m facility also located in Shanghai, and will include significantly greater production capacity and an expanded technical staff, according to Jason Q. Yin, general manager of EDI China.   

"The new Shanghai operation will enable EDI China to offer high-quality film, sheet, and extrusion coating dies designed by EDI engineers in the USA, built right here in China, and sold at competitive prices on short lead times," said Mr. Yin. "Our customers will have ready access to local EDI China technical sales and support specialists as well as an expanded aftermarket program including parts and services such as cleaning, repairs, and rework." 

The locally-built dies will range from basic systems to dies with value-added features such as automatic profile control, according to Kelly Harings-Mrozinski, director of marketing. More complex or high-end systems such as those for BOPET film extrusion, flexible packaging extrusion coating, and micro-layer multiplication will continue to be manufactured in the USA.   

EDI has had a regular presence in China as a die supplier for 15 years, noted Ms. Harings-Mrozinski. "The new EDI China facility will enable us to grow with our customers, meeting their needs as they transition to more sophisticated extrusion systems," she said. "We already maintain a similar operation in Germany, and our long-range plan is to establish more local facilities in other regions of the world."

One likely location is India, noted Scott G. Smith, EDI's global aftermarket manager. "The dies built by EDI China will be for sale to customer operations in China only, with India being the one exception," Smith said. "The Shanghai plant will build dies for shipment to India, and we expect to recruit sales and technical support specialists based in that country."

Additional capacity to be installed at the new EDI China facility will include high speed machining systems and a climate-controlled precision grinding operation, according to Jason Yin. "We expect to expand our staff to 50 people by the first quarter of 2013," he said, "including technical sales, field service, quality management, and process engineering specialists."

Besides dies, the new facility will supply feedblocks and ancillary equipment. Aftermarket services will be available for dies of all types, whether built in Shanghai or at EDI's world headquarters in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, USA.

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EDI Precision Dies (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.  ( EDI China) will move to a new Shanghai location as of August 1, 2012. The address will be No. 88, Yangshi Road, Shihudang Town, Songjiang District, Shanghai, PRC 201604. Tel: +86 (21) 5785-0918. Email: edishanghai@extrusiondies.com.

EDI is a leading international supplier of flat dies for sheet, film, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company designs and manufactures dies, feedblocks, deckling systems, vacuum boxes, and related equipment.  Its subsidiaries include EDI GmbH in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, and EDI China in Shanghai.  In the U.S.A., Germany, and China, EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers, and it has licensed a fourth rework facility in Japan.  Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., EDI is focused on supplying the global market. Visit www.extrusiondies.com and www.reworkdies.com.  E-mail: sales@extrusiondies.com.

Acquisition expands EDI's offering in global fluid coating market

Extrusion Dies Industries (EDI), a portfolio company of Bertram Capital, announced today the acquisition of Premier Dies Corporation, a leading provider of slot coating and flat polymer extrusion dies.

"We are thrilled to partner with EDI and Bertram Capital to achieve our shared vision of accelerating the growth of Premier's innovative technology," said Steve Jonjak, President of Premier. "Our shared commitment to technology development coupled with EDI's resources and deep experience working with global industrial companies will enable Premier to grow our business, while continuing to meet our customers' evolving needs. We look forward to expanding our reach while maintaining our commitment to quality, performance and customer service."

Kevin Yamashita, a Partner at Bertram Capital, commented,   "Premier has established a world class brand and distinguished itself as a technology leader.  The union between EDI and Premier creates a company that is uniquely positioned for growth and unmatched in its combined product portfolios, design capabilities, manufacturing expertise and long standing customer relationships.

"Putting these two organizations together immediately provides our customers with a broader product portfolio and access to an expanded global sales and service network. The combination of EDI's global distribution and Premier's differentiated technology will enable us to capture multiple new opportunities within existing and emerging markets, "said Gary Edwards, CEO of EDI.

LA GARENNE-COLOMBES, FRANCE, December 8, 2011: Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI), an international supplier of flat-die systems for extrusion and web converting, has appointed Extrudex as its agent in France, it was announced today by Andrei Stapinoiu, EDI's European sales director.

Extrudex will represent EDI's full line of dies, feedblocks, and related equipment for film, sheet, extrusion coating, and slot die coating.  

"Extrudex has more than a quarter-century of experience as a supplier of primary and auxiliary equipment to the plastics and converting industries and specializes in systems for extrusion," said Mr. Stapinoiu. "Our customers in France will benefit from their expertise."

EDI's die systems complement the ranges of equipment already represented by Extrudex. These include extrusion lines for film, sheet, and profiles, bagmaking systems, recycling systems, blenders, dryers, granulators, screen changers, and surface treaters.

Frédéric Nilsson is sales manager for Extrudex. The company is headquartered at 84, rue Médéric, F-92250 La Garenne-Colombes, France. Tel: +33-(0)1-47-60-20-50. Fax: +33-(0)1-47-85-91-08. Email: extruchim@wanadoo.fr. Visit www.extrudex.fr.

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI., U.S.A., September 23, 2011: Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI) is relocating its entire flat die remanufacturing operation in Chippewa Falls to a larger facility that will be dedicated solely to die rework, spare parts fabrication, and other aftermarket services, the company announced today.

Part of an ongoing lean manufacturing initiative at EDI, the move will increase productivity for customers by shortening the lead time for dies that they have sent to EDI for cleaning, resurfacing, repairs, refurbishment, or system enhancements such as upgrading from a manual to an automatic die, according to Kelly Harings-Mrozinski, director of marketing.

"By establishing a facility organized solely around remanufacturing, EDI will ensure that every die sent to us for rework spends less time in our plant and more back where it belongs, generating saleable product for the customer," said Harings-Mrozinski.

Until now, rework at Chippewa Falls has taken place in the same world headquarters plant where EDI builds new dies. By October, EDI will have completed relocating machining and finishing equipment for rework, along with a staff of 20-plus engineers, machinists, and technicians, to a new 12,800 sq.ft. (1,190 sq.m) Aftermarket Services facility housed in a separate area of the company's Technology Center, not far from the headquarters site. The move will free up additional space for the company's rapidly growing new-die business, according to Scott G. Smith, global aftermarket manager.

Besides reworking flat dies, EDI will use the Aftermarket Services Center to continue providing rework of blown film dies and resurfacing of worn or damaged rubber rolls used in film and coating processes.

The relocation will enable EDI to increase its aftermarket business substantially within as little as a year, noted Smith. "The larger space and added efficiency soon to be available will enable us to grow what is already a sizeable rework business," he said. "And while we intend to start operating the Aftermarket Services facility on a five-day / 24-hour basis, we're prepared to expand to seven days as demand warrants."

Rework plays a critical role in the working life of a flat die, enabling the extrusion processor or converter to maintain high levels of productivity, minimize downtime for maintenance, prevent product defects, and in some cases even add new product capabilities not incorporated when the die was new. In addition to the operation at Chippewa Falls, EDI operates fully equipped rework facilities in Germany and China and licenses its rework technology for a plant in Japan operated by Kodama Chemical Industry Company, Ltd. Besides remanufacturing EDI dies, EDI can apply its proprietary technology to dies built by other suppliers and even provide spare parts for them. In addition, EDI offers expedited service for urgent customer needs and can make small or temporary repairs at the customer's plant.

More information on EDI rework is available at www.reworkdies.com.

Rowmark Will Produce Sheet of Up to Three Layers with Controlled Variation of Layer Thicknesses, Often for Heavy-Duty Transportation and Agricultural Applications

FINDLAY, OHIO, U.S.A., August 11, 2011: Everything about Rowmark LLC's new extrusion line for custom sheet and rollstock is very big indeed, but this is one giant that is fast and agile.

Nicknamed "The Beast" by Rowmark, the line is nearly as long as the new 175 by 75 ft. (53 by 23 m) facility built to house it. At its heart is a 120-in. (3,050-mm) triple-manifold Ultraflex® die custom-built for Rowmark by Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI). The 14,200-lb (6,440-kg) die is designed to produce one- to three-layer sheet from 0.100 to 0.375 in. (2.5 to 9.5 mm) thick.

But for a custom processor, equipment versatility is as important as size. "The three-layer capability of the die enables us to combine materials that deliver strength, for example, with others that provide surface aesthetics, color, UV-resistance, or other properties," said Eric Hausserman, Rowmark's vice president of manufacturing and technology. "Since the gauge uniformity of each layer is critical to us,
EDI designed the die with three manifolds so that each layer can be fine-tuned before the layers are combined, and so that we have maximum versatility for varying the thickness of each layer."

To assist Rowmark in changing from one job to another with minimal downtime, EDI equipped the die with its FastGap™ system for single-point adjustment of the lip gap, which correlates with overall sheet thickness. The FastGap system makes it possible to adjust the position of the movable lower lip of the die, varying sheet thickness within a range of 0.250 in. (6.4 mm) without taking the die off line. An additional 0.100 in. (2.5 mm) is available with the flexible top lip of the die, which controls the transverse gauge profile. Together, these capabilities provide a range of gap adjustment by as much a 0.300 in. (7.6 mm).

"EDI's service technician was here for the entire startup process, working alongside our people and training operators," said Hausserman. "Since then, EDI has provided invaluable support by using its flow simulation software to determine how a certain construction would run and identifying the optimum process parameters, so that going into a run we know what to expect."

Working with polymers such as acrylic, ABS, and thermoplastic polyolefin elastomers, Rowmark produces sheet and rollstock for use by thermoformers. According to Hausserman, the size and versatility of the new extrusion line will increase Rowmark's inroads into transportation, agricultural, and other heavy-duty sheet markets, bringing in new business for truck, trailer, recreational vehicle, all-terrain-vehicle, tractor, and other applications. One growing market cited by Hausserman is that of wind deflectors, the bottom skirting on semi-trailers.

The new sheet line represents a US $3.5-million
investment by Rowmark. Key components besides the EDI die include three rebuilt extruders and a completely new, fully automated downstream system built by Mega Machinery, Inc. The line will largely service Rowmark's Premier Materials Concepts (PMC) Division. Visit www.rowmarkllc.com. 

Photo Captions: 1) EDI Ultraflex® die at lower left is seen from rear. Behind the die is a 3-layer distribution block, which receives polymer from three extruders. The final sheet structure exits the lip of the die directly into the roll stack at right. 2) View of Rowmark's new sheet line as seen from the end of the line. It can handle sheet products as wide as 120 in. (3,050 mm). For more photos, please use this link.

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI, U.S.A., April 26, 2011:  A patent-pending technique developed by Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI) adds a new dimension of oxygen and moisture control to food packaging, likely extending barrier properties beyond the limits of standard test procedures, the company announced today.  

Called "active microlayer" technology, the new technique combines the concepts of active packaging and microlayer extrusion, yielding film and sheet in which layer multiplication is applied not only to the barrier polymer but also to active components such as oxygen absorbers or desiccants. Previous research by EDI has demonstrated that by dividing and recombining the barrier layer to create many micro-barrier layers, it is possible to increase significantly the shelf life of retort and hot-fill containers, stand-up pouches, and vacuum skin packaging. Now researchers at EDI's Technology Center in Chippewa Falls have gone a step further by incorporating active components in layers outside the barrier core, then subjecting those components to layer multiplication as well.    

The combined protection of food contents by multiple-even dozens-of barrier and active layers appears to be greater than standard tests for oxygen and moisture ingress are designed to measure, according to Gary D. Oliver, vice president of technology. EDI plans to produce samples for a new battery of tests at its Technology Center and then have the results confirmed by an outside laboratory.

"After encountering numerous active-component layers, oxygen is largely absorbed before it even reaches the barrier layer," said Oliver, "as is moisture before it gets a chance to degrade barrier material such as ethylene-vinyl alcohol [EVOH]."

How the 'Active Microlayer' Technique Yields PP Barrier Sheet

Layer multiplication technology (LMT) yields film or sheet that it is no thicker and contains no more polymer than a conventional coextrusion yet can have many, dozens of, or even a hundred or more microlayers, instead of the usual three to eleven layers of standard thickness. In conventional coextrusion, a feedblock combines different polymers from two or more extruders into a multilayer sandwich. In LMT, a special tool takes the sandwich from a feedblock and divides and recombines the layers, creating multiples of the original multilayer structure. 

Here is how a typical active microlayer structure could be produced in the form of polypropylene (PP) sheet of 1.25 mm thickness:

● Four extruders produce melt streams of, respectively, 1) the PP outer material, or skin; 2) the same PP skin material, but incorporating an active component such as an oxygen scavenger; 3) an adhesive or "tie" layer material; and 4) a barrier polymer such as EVOH.

● Feedblock No. 1 receives the "active component containing" skin material, along with the tie and barrier materials, and forms a five-layer sandwich: active-component / tie / barrier / tie / active component. This sandwich will evolve into the inner core of the finished sheet.

● Layer multiplier. This special tool built by EDI receives the five-layer sandwich from Feedblock No. 1 and divides and recombines it to form multiple repetitions of the structure-for example, four repetitions, resulting in a 20-layer structure consisting of micro-layers.

● Feedblock No. 2 receives the 20-microlayer structure and the melt stream of PP outer material, diverting the PP into two skin layers over the microlayer core.

● Extrusion die. In the manifold of the die, the sandwich from Feedblock No. 2 is transformed into sheet of target width.

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

1. Layer Multiplier Die System. The system starts with Feedblock No. 1 (lower right), which forms a multilayer sandwich of barrier, adhesive, and active-component materials from three extruders. The sandwich, which will ultimately form the core of the finished sheet, is received by a "layer multiplier" tool (shown between Feedblocks No. 1 and No. 2) that carries out multiple repetitions of the layer structure. The resulting microlayer core next enters Feedblock No. 2, which combines it with two outer or skin layers of material from a fourth extruder. This final structure is then transformed by a die (shown with exit lips facing upper left) into sheet of target width.

2. Layer Structure. Shown here is microlayer structure before outer or skin layers are added. Brown areas at top and bottom represent metal of flow channels. Blue, yellow, and orange microlayers represent, respectively, material with active component such as oxygen scavenger; adhesive; and barrier polymer.

Edwards Takes Charge of Bertram Capital's Program to Accelerate the Growth of EDI through Innovation, Acquisition, and International Diversification

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI, U.S.A., April 4, 2011: Gary Edwards, an experienced chief executive specializing in the strategic development of global industrial companies, has become CEO of Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI), it was announced today by Bertram Capital, which acquired EDI at the close of 2010. 

Edwards will lead EDI in a program of growth through investment in innovative technology, acquisitions, and new resources for serving domestic and international customers, according to Kevin Yamashita, a Bertram Capital partner.

"Gary has extensive experience helping companies that are already profitable to realize their full potential," said Yamashita. "He has special expertise in carrying out strategies for lean manufacturing, successfully integrating acquired businesses, and implementing organic growth initiatives that build on the company's core competencies."

John A. Ulcej will continue in his role as EDI's president, heading a management team that in recent years has led the company in achieving the highest growth rates in its 40-year history.

"EDI has a strong, world-class brand and is recognized as the industry's quality leader," Edwards said. "Through its design capabilities, manufacturing expertise, and long-standing customer relationships, the company is well positioned for further and faster growth."

Before joining EDI, Gary Edwards was CEO of Tyden Group, Inc., a manufacturer of specialized security, identification, traceability, and security products, with plants in North America, Europe, and Asia. Previously he had spent 16 years with Phillips and Temro Industries, a producer of diesel engine and exhaust components. After rising to the position of president and CEO of Phillips and Temro, he doubled revenues through acquisition and market expansion, including the establishment of a manufacturing and distribution presence in China.  

Edwards holds an MBA from the University of Manitoba and a BS in engineering from the University of Regina in Saskatchewan.

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI, U.S.A., December 21, 2010: Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI), a leading international supplier of flat extrusion and coating dies, announced today that it has agreed to be acquired by Bertram Capital, a private equity firm based in San Mateo, California. The parties did not disclose the terms of the transaction, which is expected to close on or around December 31, 2010.

Bertram Capital will assume ownership of EDI from a group headed by four investors who engineered a management buyout of the company in 2003. In 2008, three of the investors-Timothy C. Callahan, Christopher W. Curtin, and Ronald J. Kuhnen-assumed board member positions and turned over daily operations to an established management team headed by the fourth owner, John A. Ulcej. He will remain at EDI in a leadership position after the change in ownership.

"The management team that has been key to EDI's success in recent years will stay in place, as will our 240 employees in the U.S., Europe, and Asia," Ulcej said. Core members of the team include four vice presidents: Dennis S. Paradise (sales and marketing), Gary D. Oliver (technology), Gregory J. Raleigh (manufacturing), and Daniel D. Kelm (finance)

The acquisition follows a seven-year period since the management buyout in which EDI expanded at home and overseas, developed successful innovations, acquired two businesses, and experienced growth in annual sales of more than 125%. "EDI is now stronger than ever before in its 40-year history," said Ulcej. "Bertram Capital, with its extensive resources and commitment to helping profitable companies broaden their capabilities, will enable EDI to expand and diversify even more aggressively."

Kevin Yamashita, a Partner at Bertram Capital, added, "We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with the EDI team and participate in its future growth. The company is uniquely positioned in the industry through its engineering expertise, quality products, and long-standing customer relationships that are core to its ongoing success."

EDI specializes in building and reworking flat dies, which are shaping tools used by manufacturers to produce plastic film and sheet or to apply coatings onto various substrates. The company has been based in Chippewa Falls, WI since it was founded in 1971 but today sells more than half of its dies in over 50 countries outside the U.S.

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 EXTRUSION DIES INDUSTRIES, LLC is a leading international supplier of flat dies for sheet, film, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company designs and manufactures dies, feedblocks, deckling systems, vacuum boxes, and related equipment.  Its subsidiaries include EDI GmbH in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, and EDI China in Shanghai.  In the U.S.A., Germany, and China, EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers, and it has licensed a fourth rework facility in Japan.  Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., EDI is focused on supplying the global market. Visit www.extrusiondies.com and www.reworkdies.com.  E-mail: sales@extrusiondies.com.

BERTRAM CAPITAL is a private equity investment firm with more than $850 million in capital under management.  Founded in 2006, Bertram Capital's mission is to build value for equity holders, employees, customers, and partners by helping profitable companies realize their full potential.  Visit www.bertramcapital.com.

A new generation of the widely used EPC™ extrusion coating die from Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI) increases productivity by simplifying changes in product width and eliminating much of the deckle disassembly involved in cleaning and maintenance, the company announced  today at K 2010 (Hall 2, Stand G06).

As in the past, the EPC die incorporates a deckle system that can be adjusted to minimize the formation of edge bead, which wastes polymer and substrate as it is trimmed from the web. "What is innovative in the new-generation EPC die is an extensive enhancement of the deckle system that increases the ease and repeatability of width adjustments, simplifies clean-out of carbonized polymer buildup in the die, and makes possible rapid removal of the entire deckle assembly for a 'split and clean,' or complete opening of the die for maintenance," said Gary D. Oliver, vice president of technology and engineering.

Deckles are mounted at either end of a die and used for varying the width of the coating. The EPC die includes an external deckle to prevent leakage and an internal deckle system with independently adjustable components that seal off portions of the internal flow channel and can be positioned to minimize edge bead. The new-generation EPC die includes innovations that reduce downtime in four ways:

• Rapid and accurate changes in width. A more robust support structure and drive mechanism for the deckle ensures a more stable and repeatable width-adjustment system. Changes in width are carried out by means of a single movement of the entire assembly of deckle components. Once those components have been adjusted to obtain the desired edge-bead profile for a polymer, that setting is preserved without variation through repeated changes in width.  
• Easily inserted scraper to removed buildup. Operators can now quickly retract the external and die-gap deckle components and insert a simple brass scraper that cleans away carbonized polymer that causes die lines. In the past it was impossible to remove such buildup upstream of the lips without complete disassembly, but the new scraper reaches beyond the lip opening and into the secondary manifold of the die.
• Ready access for replacing seals and adjusting die gap. In the past, much of the deckle had to be disassembled to make it possible to replace end seals. The redesign of the EPC die makes it possible to carry out these tasks quickly and easily, without dealing with numerous fasteners and handling heavy deckle components.
• Fast removal of deckle system for 'split and clean.' It is now possible to open the die without completely disassembling the deckles at either end. Instead, each deckle assembly can be removed intact by unfastening four bolts.

Another innovation is optional: External cooling by forced air makes it possible to cool end seals and deckle components.

How the EPC™ Die Minimizes Edge Bead Formation

Internal deckle systems used for fine-tuning the edge profile of a coating are effective because of the tendency of molten polymer to exhibit transverse flow if lateral barriers to flow are removed at the die exit. In the EPC die, the internal deckle components for adjusting the edge bead profile are located downstream of the primary manifold-one in the preland section, the second in the secondary manifold. By adjusting the positions of these components relative to one another, it is possible to reduce the flow of polymer at the extreme edges of the coating, thereby minimizing edge bead.

A new-generation feedblock for flat-die coextrusion simplifies the fine-tuning of layer thicknesses, reducing production downtime for structures from the simplest sheet to complex packaging films, it was announced by Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI) at K 2010 (Hall 2, Stand G-06).

A feedblock combines melt streams from separate extruders into a multi-layer "sandwich" that the extrusion die subsequently distributes to target product width. The new Ultraflow® V feedblock has adjustable "combining planes" located where the melt streams join the central flow channel. The combining planes can operate in two modes, each with a different advantage in terms of ease and adjustability:

• Eliminating feedblock adjustment by the operator. By leaving the adjustable plane in free-floating mode, operators can let the position be determined directly by the equilibrium pressure developed by flow from the extruders. "The combining plane responds to the pressures of  the different mass flows from the extruder by achieving a state of equilibrium reflecting these differences," said John A. Ulcej, president of EDI. "In this way, a change in flow from one of the extruders causes a readjustment of the combining plane at the point where materials merge."
• Optimizing layer-to-layer interfaces.  For polymers whose interaction at the point of confluence poses the possibility of disrupting or compromising the multilayer structure, the adjustable plane can be moved manually to fine-tune polymer flow. Shafts extending from outside the feedblock into the centers of the adjustable planes provide ease of operation.  Simple settings will change the adjustable planes from free-floating mode to varying levels of responsiveness to melt flow pressure. Once adjusted, an adjustable plane remains in a fixed position. 

"Our standard Ultraflow feedblock is an industry workhorse that enables processors to fine-tune layer thicknesses by interchanging specially machined flow inserts, without having to disassemble the feedblock," said Ulcej. "The new Ultraflow V feedblock eliminates even this step by using built-in combining planes. It is, in addition, a compact device, easy to disassemble and clean, and streamlined for optimal flow."       

Ultraflow V feedblocks can be designed for any number of extruders or layers. The photo accompanying this news release shows an Ultraflow V feedblock designed for a three-layer structure with three extruders. Inside it are two combining planes for the outer-layer melt streams, while the stream for the core layer enters the feedblock via the central channel.  

SANDHURST, UK, August 27, 2010: Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI) has promoted Andrei Stapinoiu to the position of sales director for Europe, it was announced today by Dennis S. Paradise, vice president of sales and marketing.

In addition to working with EDI's network of agents throughout Europe and the Middle East, Mr. Stapinoiu will now also oversee the company's agent in South Africa and supervise sales activities at EDI's German-based European subsidiary, EDI GmbH.

"Andrei has played a pivotal role in the growth of our sales to processors and OEMs in Europe and the Middle East," said Paradise. "His understanding of the extrusion and web converting industries and his extensive background in international business have made him a valuable resource for our customers."

Andrei Stapinoiu joined EDI in 2007 as European sales manager, coming from EGS Gauging Ltd. (formerly Eurotherm), the supplier of measurement and control systems for web processes. He served that company for five years as sales and marketing director for western and central Europe, Russia, and the Mideast. In previous positions with other industrial companies, he held business development and sales responsibilities and supervised projects in Europe and the Mideast.

Mr. Stapinoiu holds a Master of Science degree in management from Purdue University in the U.S.A. and a B.Sc. in Sales and Marketing and an MBA degree from Budapest University. He speaks English, French, Russian, and his native Romanian.

His office is at 6 Allendale Close, Sandhurst GU47 8NJ, UK. Tel +44 7704 325432. Fax: +44 208 4329971. Email: astapinoiu@extrusiondies.com.

Selectively Multiplying a Single EVOH Core Layer into Several Microlayers Reduces Oxygen Transmission Rate by 60 to 80% while Increasing Manufacturing Productivity

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI, U.S.A., June 14, 2010: Microlayer technology developed by Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI) for thick film and sheet promises to extend the shelf life of retort, hot fill, and flexible food packaging, while increasing formability in thermoforming, the company announced today. EDI will feature the technology at K 2010 in a display of its innovative "layer multiplier" system (Hall 2, Stand G06).

At its Technology Center in Chippewa Falls, EDI is carrying out the first scientifically rigorous study of the benefits and limitations of layer multiplication, according to Gary D. Oliver, vice president of technology. "One result thus far is the development of a technique for selective multiplication of the barrier-resin layer of a multilayer film or sheet structure," Oliver said. "By transforming a single layer of a resin such as EVOH into several microlayers, it is possible to reduce oxygen transmission rate (OTR) by 60 to 80%. And while EVOH is a crystalline, relatively brittle material, replacing a single thick layer with multiple microlayers increases formability for thermoforming and flexibility for vacuum skin packaging."    

The resulting benefits for food packaging include:

● Prolonged shelf life. Besides reducing OTR, layer multiplication substantially reduces total oxygen ingress over an extended period.

● Enhanced quality and lower material consumption.  In the case of deep-draw containers where corner-thinning has been a problem with less formable materials, for example, multiplication of the EVOH layer may eliminate the need to offset thinning by increasing sheet thickness.

An Advanced Layer Multiplier and Its Benefits for Food Packaging

The layer multiplier is a special tool that can be engineered to multiply some or all of the layers within a coextrusion "sandwich" provided by a feedblock. The resulting microlayer structure then passes into the manifold of an extrusion die, where it is transformed into film or sheet of target width and thickness profile. No matter how many microlayers there are in the structure, the overall thickness is no greater than that of a conventional coextrusion, and the structure contains the same amount of raw material. 

In 2009, EDI introduced an advanced system that is easier to deploy, more compact, more accurate, and more versatile than any other layer multiplier, including one previously offered by EDI. It is available to purchasers without licensing or royalties.

In the research at its Technology Center, EDI used its new system to multiply the EVOH core layer in sheet used for thermoforming single-portion retort cups, such as those for packaging fruit cocktail and diced peaches. EDI extruded the sheet and used a commercial cup mold to solid-phase pressure form sheet with one, four, eight, and sixteen EVOH layers.

All sheet structures were 50 mils in thickness, with thick (41 to 43%) skin layers of polypropylene and tie layers between the skins and the EVOH core. Barrier resins included a standard general-purpose EVOH and a "retort" grade of EVOH.

Thirty days after retort, cups with a single layer of the "retort" grade of EVOH exhibited three to six times higher oxygen transmission rates (OTRs) than cups where a layer of similar material had been multiplied. In that same period, total oxygen ingress was also three to six times greater

"Layer multiplication is especially promising for sheet and thick film packaging such as rigid retort and hot-fill containers, stand-up retort pouches, and vacuum skin packaging for meats," said Oliver. "Thickness matters-particularly in the case of barrier microlayers. Our researchers have found that barrier properties fall off as layer thickness goes below 1 micron. We recommend a target thickness per barrier layer of 4 microns."

Choice of barrier materials also matters, according to Oliver. "While barrier properties improved markedly with use of a retort grade of EVOH, we found that performing exactly the same tests but with a general-purpose EVOH yielded portion cups with markedly higher OTR and oxygen ingress."

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI, February 1, 2010: A new die system for extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam board dramatically reduces downtime for product changeovers, enabling manufacturers to offset much of the loss in productivity caused by switching to a non-ozone depleting blowing agent, it was announced today by Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI).  In addition, EDI's technology incorporates innovations that enhance control over product dimensions, reduce scrap, and eliminate shutdowns for die maintenance.

XPS foam board is widely used as insulation and plays an important role in weatherizing homes and buildings to reduce consumption of fossil fuels and combat climate change. Because the hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) blowing agents used to produce the foam had raised concerns about ozone depletion, signatories to the Montreal Protocol mandated a switch to chlorine-free HFC blowing agents by January 1, 2010. The process changes needed to accommodate the new blowing agent reduce board production by 30%. The new EDI die system helps address this problem by eliminating hours of downtime incurred with conventional die systems whenever a change in product dimensions must be made.

"The EDI XPS foam board die technology makes it possible to accomplish a product changeover on the fly in only 15 minutes," said Dennis S. Paradise, vice president of sales and marketing. "By comparison, a change in width or thickness with a conventional die system requires shutting down the production line for at least eight hours, followed by a two-hour startup phase in which no saleable board is produced-only scrap. The added uptime generated by our new system is sufficient to offset the lion's share of the output loss imposed by the switch to HFCs."

XPS foam board producer DiversiFoam Products reports that by using the new EDI system at its Rockford, MN, plant, the company has virtually eliminated downtime for scheduled thickness setups, making it possible to produce 11% more saleable product. Operations manager Steve Slavik reports other benefits: "Our new die can operate at a much higher pressure than the old one, which is very important when using HFC blowing agents. In addition, it provides better temperature control, enhanced adjustability, and simpler maintenance."

Faster Product Changeovers and More Extruder Uptime

While EDI has successfully supplied dies to the XPS foam board industry for years, its new die system represents a totally different design.

One of the central innovations is a new type of forming box. When polystyrene passes through any XPS foam board die, it is charged with blowing agent. As it exits the die lips, it undergoes a thirty-fold increase in volume almost instantaneously. This expansion takes place just beyond the lips in the forming box, which has four-way adjustability. The forming box gives the board its initial shape in terms of thickness and width.

In most conventional die systems, the forming box and die lip constitute a single component. Changing the dimensions of the board requires stopping the production line, disassembling the lip/forming box, adjusting for new product dimensions, and reassembling the unit. The forming box in the new EDI system, on the other hand, is a separate, independently adjusted component that makes possible on-the-fly product changeovers without stopping the production line.

A second new component that reduces downtime is an adjustable full-manifold internal deckle inside the flow channel of the die. The deckle blades at either end of the manifold can be used to change flow-channel width by being moved farther into the channel or farther out.

Deckles are conventionally used for changing product width, but in the XPS process, where the material ultimately expands in all directions, deckles can be used to adjust thickness as well. By coordinating the settings of the deckle blades and the forming box, for example, it is possible to produce thicker board without changing width. This on-the-fly capability makes it possible to do so with little adjustment in comparison with conventional die systems.

Still another new component for ensuring dimensional consistency is external edge restrictors that create the final side dimensions of the board as it emerges from the forming box and passes between the two top and bottom sizing plates that are typically used in foam board production. Mounted on rails that extend from the front of the forming box, the edge restrictors ensure board edges that are more flush and flat. Here too, the omni-directional nature of foam expansion comes into play. While edge trim losses in conventional XPS board production typically are around 10%, restricting expansion at the edges results in more lineal feet of board.

A fourth innovative component in the EDI XPS board die system is a purge block located between the extruder and the die. This makes it possible to carry out die maintenance while the extruder is temporarily shut down but still full of polymer. The purge block acts as a valve, blocking flow from the extruder while purging material from the die.

 

Photo Caption: New extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam board die from EDI is shown with forming box facing right, positioned along the front of the die. Foam exits from the lips of the die and through the opening of the forming box. White areas in the opening are Teflon® sizing inserts, which are replaceable to vary board dimensions. Inset bolts just above and below the opening can be loosened to disengage the forming box from the die.

 

Design Adds to Advantages over Conventional Roll Coating and Is Available as a Stand-Alone System or as a Component in a Complete Turnkey Coating Station

SHANGHAI, CHINA: A new slot die for coating continuous-web substrates provides consistent, streak-free application of pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs), achieving higher line speeds and greater accuracy than conventional roll coating, with less environmental impact, it was announced today by Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI) at ICE Asia (Booth 1-C05).

EDI developed the die specifically for PSAs, a hot melt adhesive subgroup. While roll coating speeds for hot melt application usually do not exceed 1200 feet/min. (365 meters/min.), the new die developed by EDI accommodates line speeds up to 2,000 feet/min. (610 meters/min.) and achieves coat weights as low as 0.5 mil (0.0127 mm). This is well below the conventional lower limit for hot melts of 1.0 mil (0.025 mm), according to Dennis S. Paradise, vice president of sales and marketing.

"As a completely enclosed, pre-metered system, slot die coating is more efficient and controllable than roll coating and other conventional open systems, in which only part of the adhesive delivered to the substrate is actually applied while the rest is re-circulated," said Paradise. "By avoiding this exposure of the adhesive to the environment, slot die coating prevents workplace emissions and contamination of the coating material."

Besides being available as a stand-alone system, the new EDI die can be supplied as part of a completely integrated, computer-controlled coating station incorporating melt delivery systems from ITW Dynatec and slot die equipment from EDI. "Resulting from a cooperative program between EDI and ITW Dynatec, the new coating station provides turnkey capabilities for tight-tolerance, high-speed application of virtually any type of hot melt adhesive, including PSAs," said Paradise. "Its performance is guaranteed by the partner companies."

 How EDI's New Slot Die for PSA Coating Works

The method employed by the new die is contact coating, which involves applying the adhesive directly to a substrate, using the die lip to "wipe" the adhesive onto it. The keys to the advanced performance of the die are: 1) an innovative system for adjusting the cross-direction coat weight profile and 2) incorporation of a device that eliminates streaking and makes possible clear applications of PSAs.

Streaking is caused by gels or solid particles that lodge in the narrow lip opening and the interface between the die lip and substrate. In the new die, a motorized rotating rod in the lip area allows gels to pass through lip opening and coating interface.

At the same time, the new slot coating die includes a mechanism for adjusting the coat weight profile. Called a "restrictor bar," it is located between the manifold and the lip opening and spans the width of the flow channel. Coat weight adjustment is achieved by selectively turning bolts at regular intervals along this span to deform specific segments of the bar, inserting them into (or retracting them from) the melt stream and thus changing the height of the flow channel. This is a mechanism that has long since proven effective in dies for sheet extrusion.

PHOTO CAPTION: New EDI die for applying pressure sensitive adhesives is shown with lip area facing right. Easily visible in the lip area is a motorized rotary rod that allows gels to pass through the lip opening, preventing buildups that cause streaking.

EXTRUSION DIES INDUSTRIES, LLC is a leading international supplier of flat dies for sheet, film, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company designs and manufactures dies, feedblocks, deckling systems, vacuum boxes, and related equipment. Its subsidiaries include EDI GmbH in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, and EDI China in Shanghai. In the U.S.A., Germany, and China, EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers, and it has licensed a fourth rework facility in Japan. Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., EDI is focused on supplying the global market. 

Robert Deitrick, a sales and marketing specialist with a background in web gauging systems, has joined EDI as director of sales for the Americas. He will supervise the company's regional sales managers in the U.S. and Canada and oversee the activities of EDI's network of agents throughout Latin America.

"Bob brings more than 15 years of experience in managing sales programs for the advanced instrumentation systems used in extrusion and converting," says Dennis S. Paradise, vice president of sales and marketing. "His extensive knowledge of every sales region in North, Central, and South America includes familiarity with many EDI customers."

After managing sales programs for Measurex Inc. (now part of Honeywell), Deitrick joined EGS Gauging (now part of Thermo Fisher Scientific), where his final position was that of vice president of sales for the Americas. For both companies he held sales responsibilities for Latin America as well as the U.S. and Canada.

Robert Deitrick attended De Anza College and San Jose State University, both in California, and is in the process of pursuing his MBA. He took part in the Advanced Electronics Program of the U.S. Navy, where he attained the rank of first class petty officer.

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI, USA: A new die system for extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam board dramatically reduces downtime for product changeovers, enabling manufacturers to offset much of the loss in productivity caused by switching to a non-ozone depleting blowing agent, it was announced today by Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI). In addition, EDI's technology incorporates innovations that enhance control over product dimensions, reduce scrap, and eliminate shutdowns for die maintenance.

XPS foam board is widely used as insulation and plays an important role in weatherizing homes and buildings to reduce consumption of fossil fuels and combat climate change. Because the hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) blowing agents used to produce the foam had raised concerns about ozone depletion, signatories to the Montreal Protocol mandated a switch to chlorine-free HFC blowing agents by January 1, 2010. The process changes needed to accommodate the new blowing agent reduce board production by 30%. The new EDI die system helps address this problem by eliminating hours of downtime incurred with conventional die systems whenever a change in product dimensions must be made.

"The EDI XPS foam board die technology makes it possible to accomplish a product changeover on the fly in only 15 minutes," said Dennis S. Paradise, vice president of sales and marketing. "By comparison, a change in width or thickness with a conventional die system requires shutting down the production line for at least eight hours, followed by a two-hour startup phase in which no saleable board is produced-only scrap. The added uptime generated by our new system is sufficient to offset the lion's share of the output loss imposed by the switch to HFCs."

XPS foam board producer DiversiFoam Products reports that by using the new EDI system at its Rockford, MN, plant, the company has virtually eliminated downtime for scheduled thickness setups, making it possible to produce 11% more saleable product. Operations manager Steve Slavik reports other benefits: "Our new die can operate at a much higher pressure than the old one, which is very important when using HFC blowing agents. In addition, it provides better temperature control, enhanced adjustability, and simpler maintenance."

Faster Product Changeovers and More Extruder Uptime

While EDI has successfully supplied dies to the XPS foam board industry for years, its new die system represents a totally different design.

One of the central innovations is a new type of forming box. When polystyrene passes through any XPS foam board die, it is charged with blowing agent. As it exits the die lips, it undergoes a thirty-fold increase in volume almost instantaneously. This expansion takes place just beyond the lips in the forming box, which has four-way adjustability. The forming box gives the board its initial shape in terms of thickness and width.

In most conventional die systems, the forming box and die lip constitute a single component. Changing the dimensions of the board requires stopping the production line, disassembling the lip/forming box, adjusting for new product dimensions, and reassembling the unit. The forming box in the new EDI system, on the other hand, is a separate, independently adjusted component that makes possible on-the-fly product changeovers without stopping the production line.

A second new component that reduces downtime is an adjustable full-manifold internal deckle inside the flow channel of the die. The deckle blades at either end of the manifold can be used to change flow-channel width by being moved farther into the channel or farther out.

Deckles are conventionally used for changing product width, but in the XPS process, where the material ultimately expands in all directions, deckles can be used to adjust thickness as well. By coordinating the settings of the deckle blades and the forming box, for example, it is possible to produce thicker board without changing width. This on-the-fly capability makes it possible to do so with little adjustment in comparison with conventional die systems.

Still another new component for ensuring dimensional consistency is external edge restrictors that create the final side dimensions of the board as it emerges from the forming box and passes between the two top and bottom sizing plates that are typically used in foam board production. Mounted on rails that extend from the front of the forming box, the edge restrictors ensure board edges that are more flush and flat. Here too, the omni-directional nature of foam expansion comes into play. While edge trim losses in conventional XPS board production typically are around 10%, restricting expansion at the edges results in more lineal feet of board.

A fourth innovative component in the EDI XPS board die system is a purge block located between the extruder and the die. This makes it possible to carry out die maintenance while the extruder is temporarily shut down but still full of polymer. The purge block acts as a valve, blocking flow from the extruder while purging material from the die.

Photo Caption: New extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam board die from EDI is shown with forming box facing right, positioned along the front of the die. Foam exits from the lips of the die and through the opening of the forming box. White areas in the opening are Teflon® sizing inserts, which are replaceable to vary board dimensions. Inset bolts just above and below the opening can be loosened to disengage the forming box from the die.

DIVERSIFOAM PRODUCTS manufactures CertiFoam™ extruded polystyrene and RayLite™ expanded polystyrene insulation. The company is headquartered in Rockford, MN and also operates a facility in Mendota, IL.

EXTRUSION DIES INDUSTRIES, LLC is a leading international supplier of flat dies for sheet, film, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company designs and manufactures dies, feedblocks, deckling systems, vacuum boxes, and related equipment. Its subsidiaries include EDI GmbH in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, and EDI China in Shanghai. In the U.S.A., Germany, and China, EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers, and it has licensed a fourth rework facility in Japan. Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., EDI is focused on supplying the global market.

EDI China's 'Modular Coating System' Rolls into Place on Existing Coating Lines, Providing Fast Access to Advantages of Slot Die over Conventional Fluid Coating Methods

LAS VEGAS, NV, USA: A complete slot die coating station with all components from idler roll to backing roll is now available for renting by manufacturers in Asia, enabling them to eliminate hours of setup in switching from roll to slot die coating as they carry out product and process development with slot dies in their own plants, it was announced today by Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI) at CPP Expo (Booth 5549).

Called the Modular Coating System (MCS), the coating station is built by EDI in the U.S.A. and has been available only in North America. Recently, however, EDI shipped an MCS unit to its subsidiary EDI Precision Dies (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (EDI China), and it has already been employed by China-based manufacturers of lithium-ion batteries.

The MCS rolls into place on nearly any commercial coating line, enabling operators of coating systems to switch readily from and back to conventional processes like roll coating. Included in the system are an Ultracoat® adjustable-lip slot die coating head, a fluid-delivery system, an adjustable support for positioning the die lip with respect to the web, idler rolls, and a precision backing roll. These components are unitized within a steel frame whose crossbars maintain straightness during operation and adjustment. The coating station is mounted on casters.

"With a standard slot die coating system assembled from individual components, it can take up to half a day, and even more for really large dies, to set up the system so that it is vertically plumb, the rolls are level with respect to one another, and the die is properly positioned with respect to the backing roll," said Jason Q.Yin, general manager of EDI China. "EDI's MCS eliminates much of this time, along with the risk of damaging rolls during handling."

Ultracoat dies have a flexible lip, whose adjustability is the key to controlling the lip gap profile and thus the coat weight. This is an important advantage in applying slurries such as those used for coating flexible battery or photovoltaic components, since slurry viscosity changes over the course of a production run and the die needs to be adjusted accordingly.

Many coating line operators run several roll coating processes, noted Mr. Yin. "In roll coating, the amount of material deposited on the substrate is controlled indirectly by means of wiping blades or pre-set gaps between rollers; any excess coating material is scraped away and returned to the coating bath; and the bath itself is open to the workplace environment. Slot dies, on the other hand, are closed systems, and the amount of coating material is pre-metered by means of a precision pump. As a result, slot die coating provides these advantages: 1) more consistent coat weight and cross-web distribution; 2) higher line speeds; and 3) minimization of volatile emissions, coating contamination, raw material waste, and workplace messiness."

EDI PRECISION DIES (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD., or EDI CHINA, is headquartered at 99 Zhongde Road, Songjiang Science & Technology Park, Songjiang, Shanghai 201614, China. Tel: 86-21-578-50918. Fax: 86-21-578-50698. 

EXTRUSION DIES INDUSTRIES, LLC is a leading international supplier of flat dies for sheet, film, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company designs and manufactures dies, feedblocks, deckling systems, vacuum boxes, and related equipment. Its subsidiaries include EDI GmbH in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, and EDI China in Shanghai. In the U.S.A., Germany, and China, EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers, and it has licensed a fourth rework facility in Japan. Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., EDI is focused on supplying the global market.

Microgrinders Machine Surfaces to Flatness of 0.5 Micron per Meter; Controlled-Environment Cell Provides Ultra-High-Resolution Inspection of Flatness

LAS VEGAS, NV, USA: Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI) has expanded the micro-grinding facility at its Chippewa Falls, WI headquarters with new capabilities for the exceedingly flat surfaces required for the fluid-coating dies in the company's Ultracoat® and Liberty® product ranges, it was announced at CPP Expo (Booth 5549). As a result, EDI now offers slot coating dies with the "highest-ever" degree of surface flatness, according to Mark D. Miller, manager of EDI's New Development Group.

"While an expertly engineered, exceedingly precise manifold design is the fundamental requirement for controlling the amount and distribution of the fluid applied to a substrate, ultra-flat surfaces are also important and, indeed, are absolutely critical for coatings that must convey digital information or conduct electricity," said Miller. "This control can also lead to substantial raw material cost savings in applications involving high volumes or costly coating materials."

EDI has invested in these new capabilities for fluid coating dies:

• Grinders for ultra-flat surfaces. EDI has installed a new Waldrich-Coburg four-axis CNC center with a flatness capability better than 0.5 micron (1.96 X 10^-5 in.) over a length of one meter (3.28 ft.). The grinder can machine die surfaces up to 4.5 m (14.76 ft.) wide. Its multi-axis function enables it to perform multiple operations in one setup, eliminating much setup error, according to Miller. EDI specialists now also achieve comparable flatness using two existing Okamoto CNC surface grinders in the microgrinding facility.

• Controlled-environment cell for inspecting flatness. Within the micro-grinding facility, EDI has constructed an air-filtered "room within a room" that is completely isolated from surrounding vibrations and temperature variations. The cell is dedicated to fluid coating dies.

• Super-precise inspection capabilities. The controlled-environment cell includes agranite surface plate certified as Grade AA for precision laboratory use, and a non-contact linear flatness measuring system with resolution of 125 nanometers, or 5 X 10^-6 in. The granite plate enables EDI technicians to check a coating lip or die seal for exceedingly tiny flatness deviations and provide customers with documentation of flatness. The cell is also equipped with a capacitance gauge to measure the consistency of the gap between the halves in an assembled die

These new systems are in addition to the established capabilities of EDI's microgrinding facility, which include the Okamoto grinders, a laser measuring system, and other equipment.

EDI's Ultracoat® dies have adjustable flexible lips for controlling the lip gap profile and thus the coat weight. Liberty® slot dies, with fixed lips, are especially suited for very thin or optically clear coating. Both dies are supplied as part of a system that includes mechanisms for precise and repeatable positioning of the die with respect to the substrate.

"Even more critical than lip flatness for the performance of a slot coating die is the role of the manifold in providing a uniform, consistent flow of material," said Miller, "With nearly four decades of experience in manufacturing flat dies, including extensive capabilities for computer-simulation of manifold geometries and high-precision machining of die components, EDI is prepared to supply fluid coating systems for every conceivable application."

EXTRUSION DIES INDUSTRIES, LLC is a leading international supplier of flat dies for sheet, film, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company designs and manufactures dies, feedblocks, deckling systems, vacuum boxes, and related equipment. Its subsidiaries include EDI GmbH in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, and EDI China in Shanghai. In the U.S.A., Germany, and China, EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers, and it has licensed a fourth rework facility in Japan. Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., EDI is focused on supplying the global market.

Istanbul, Turkey: Plastteknik İthalat İhracat Ltd. Şti has become the new agent in Turkey for Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI), it was announced today by Dennis Paradise, EDI's vice president of sales and marketing.

Plastteknik was formed by three partners experienced in serving extrusion processors and web converters. Besides EDI, Plastteknik already represents international builders of plastics auxiliary equipment.

"Plastteknik's founding partners draw on more than ten years of experience providing sales and technical service to users of flat die systems in Turkey," said Mr. Paradise. "Their company will support a large extrusion and converting industry in which EDI has long had a presence and which continues to be a vital, growing market for us."

The company was formed by Murat Sun, Kerem Anil, and Omer Kanbak. Both Mr. Anil and Mr. Kanbak are mechanical engineers.

Plastteknik's website is currently under construction at www.plast-teknik.com.

Plastteknik İthalat İhracat Ltd. Şti is located at Sasmaz Sitesi Degirmen Sok. Cemal Bey Is Hani No: 15/10, Kozyatagi-Kadikoy-Istanbul.

EXTRUSION DIES INDUSTRIES, LLC is a leading international supplier of flat dies for sheet, film, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company designs and manufactures dies, feedblocks, deckling systems, vacuum boxes, and related equipment. Its subsidiaries include EDI GmbH in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, and EDI China in Shanghai. In the USA, Germany, and China, EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers, and it has licensed a fourth rework facility in Japan. Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, USA, EDI is focused on supplying the global market.

KYUNGGI-DO, KOREA: Daejoo Industrial Company, a firm with expertise in sales and technical support of plastics processing and web converting equipment, is now the agent in Korea for Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI), it was announced today by Dennis Paradise, EDI's vice president of sales and marketing.

Established in 1983, Daejoo is headed by Mr. S.J. Kang, CEO. In the converting field, the company is the agent for international suppliers of surface treating, scanning, coating, flexographic printing, and other systems. Extrusion processing ranges represented by Daejoo include blown and cast film, sheet, and coating, plus related thermoforming, medical bag making, and auxiliary equipment.

"Drawing on experience in nearly every type of business where EDI is active, Daejoo will provide expert sales and technical support services to our customers in Korea," said Mr. Paradise. "This versatile company even represents multiple technology suppliers to the photovoltaic industry-sectors where EDI is increasingly involved through its high-precision coating dies."

EDI has had an established presence in the South Korean market for flat die systems since the 1990s and regularly exhibits at the country's Koplas trade shows.

DAEJOO INDUSTRIAL COMPANY is located at 201 HanWon Building, 6-1 Sunae-dong, Bundang-gu, Sungnam-si, Kyunggi-do 463-825 Korea.

EXTRUSION DIES INDUSTRIES, LLC is a leading international supplier of flat dies for sheet, film, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company designs and manufactures dies, feedblocks, deckling systems, vacuum boxes, and related equipment. Its subsidiaries include EDI GmbH in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, and EDI China in Shanghai. In the USA, Germany, and China, EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers, and it has licensed a fourth rework facility in Japan. Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, USA, EDI is focused on supplying the global market.

Completely the Product of EDI Engineering, New Layer Multiplier Is Supplied without Royalty and Installs in Existing Production Lines with Minimal Modification

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI, USA:  A completely new layer multiplier enables producers of cast film and sheet to obtain the substantial property enhancements of microlayer structures yet is easier to deploy, more compact, more accurate, and far more versatile than any other layer multiplier system, including one previously offered by EDI, the company announced today.

The advanced layer multiplier was developed by EDI engineers and is available to purchasers without licensing or royalties. Tooling based on the new design can be supplied for applications over a large range of widths and has been used successfully for a 171-in. (4.3 m) product, according to Gary D. Oliver, vice president of technology. The system can be engineered to multiply materials from three, five, seven, nine, or more melt streams.

As an example of the compactness and productivity of the system, Oliver cited the case of a layer multiplier for a product with a total of 84 microlayers. The tool consists of a series of four components: a five-layer coextrusion feedblock, two multiplier modules, and another five-layer feedblock. The length of the tool is only 24 in. (609 mm), representing the total distance from the inlet of the polymer streams into the tool to the exit of the multiplied structure. The tool is being used at a typical line speed of 1,000 lb. (454 kg).

"This compactness of EDI's new layer multiplier is absolutely critical for maintaining streamlined flow, developing layer uniformity, and adapting to normal variations in material viscosity or extrusion rate," said Oliver. "Some competing layer multipliers involve massive tools with long flow paths that compromise layer uniformity, limit adaptability, and multiply materials from a limited number of melt streams."

One factor in the compactness of the new EDI system is the development of a new version of the company's Ultraflow® IV feedblock. A five-layer feedblock of this type is now only 6 in. (152 mm) long, one-third the size of the earlier version.

The new layer-multiplier tooling can be installed in an existing extrusion line with only minor modifications, Oliver noted. The downtime required for cleaning out the system can be as little as four hours, as compared with a much longer period-as much as a week-with other systems.

How the Layer Multiplier Works

As in standard coextrusion, multiple streams of molten polymer enter the layer multiplier system by going through a feedblock, which produces a conventionally sized (4 by ¾ in., or 102 by 19 mm) "sandwich" of three, five, or seven layers. The materials in this structure are subsequently multiplied in EDI's proprietary layer multiplier modules. Finally, the resulting microlayer product enters a second feedblock, which produces another conventionally sized sandwich that passes into the manifold of a flat die, where the structure is expanded to the target product width. The finished product has a standard thickness, yet its internal structure can consist of many-even hundreds-of microlayers.

EDI's system can be used to multiply selected melt streams or all of the streams entering the system.

While layer-multiplied film and sheet are no thicker than their conventional counterparts, the multiplicity of microlayers in their internal structure generates synergistic effects that result in improved mechanical and barrier properties.

EDI has more experience with layer multiplier technology than any flat die builder, noted Oliver, beginning with work carried out under a U.S. Defense Department contract for developing long-shelf-life containers for military food supplies. Subsequently EDI continued its own development work on layer multiplication, drawing on the resources of its process laboratories at Chippewa Falls, WI, and on cooperative projects with extrusion processors in packaging and other markets. "We have done more research and product development in the field of layer multiplication than any other company in the world," Oliver said.

PHOTO CAPTIONS: 1.Computer rendering of a view from the rear of the die shows where polymer melt streams enter the layer multiplier system (at extreme right) and where film or sheet exits the die lips (at extreme left). 2. Schematic shows standard 5-layer coextruded stretch film in upper left, plus three of the microlayer configurations possible with the layer multiplier. While magnifications vary, all four film samples are actually of similar overall thickness. 3) Close-up of layer multiplier assembly.

EXTRUSION DIES INDUSTRIES, LLC (EDI) is a leading international supplier of flat dies for sheet, film, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company designs and manufactures dies, feedblocks, deckling systems, vacuum boxes, and related equipment. Its subsidiaries include EDI GmbH in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, and EDI China in Shanghai. In the U.S.A., Germany, and China, EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers, and it has licensed a fourth rework facility in Japan. Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., EDI is focused on supplying the global.

EDI's Tooling and Process Expertise in Ultra-Thin Coatings for Multi-Layer Lithium-Ion Structures Now Plays a Role in Developing Improved Batteries for Fuel-Saving Hybrid Cars

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI, USA: The key to achieving a renewable alternative to fossil fuels for transportation is the development of compact, lightweight, high-efficiency lithium-ion batteries that can perform for years through thousands of charging cycles. Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI) now supplies die systems that produce the exceedingly precise coating and film layers required for the multilayer structures within such batteries that actually do the job of generating electrical power.

EDI works on process development with manufacturers of lithium-ion battery components at their own facilities and in the film and coating process laboratories at EDI's new Technology Center in Chippewa Falls. Among technologies perfected by EDI is a system for simultaneously applying anode or cathode coatings to both sides of a substrate, enabling electrode manufacturers to increase productivity by using a flotation dryer to dry both sides of the web at the same time.

A lithium-ion battery pack is a network of cells, each of which contains a multilayer structure of foils and films that typically is wound into the familiar cylindrical shape. Manufacturers employ EDI coating dies to apply carbon-based anode slurries onto copper foil and lithium oxide-based cathode slurries onto aluminum foil, and the company's cast film dies are used to produce micro-porous films that separate anode and cathode while permitting the passage of ions.

"Because EDI specializes in high-precision flat die systems for films and coatings, we see ourselves as providers of enabling technologies for manufacturers seeking to increase battery efficiency, reduce weight and cost, and ensure reliability," said John A. Ulcej, president. "EDI brings years of experience in developing film and coating die systems for batteries, as well as for other critical multilayer electronic applications like flat panel displays and solar panels."

EDI's work on lithium-ion batteries began in 2002 with the first of four U.S. Department of Defense contracts for optimizing production of batteries for devices carried by soldiers. The work involved building and operating a pilot coating line, specifically for battery development, at Chippewa Falls. Since then the company has provided technology to producers of batteries for a range of consumer electronics applications and is now also working with suppliers to the automotive industry.

One of Several EDI Technologies for Batteries: Two-Side Coating of Substrates

EDI's years of work relating to lithium-ion batteries led to development of a die system that applies an anode or cathode slurry onto both sides of a foil substrate. The system uses two dies that apply coating sequentially or simultaneously, enabling the manufacturer to increase productivity and save costs (such as those of drying) by coating both sides in a single pass.

"The major achievement in two-side coating was discovering how to apply the coatings so that the margins of the coated area are in exact register with respect to each other, and to maintain a tight tolerance on coat weight uniformity," said William (BJ) Kays III, technical account engineer. "This precision is absolutely critical for battery efficiency."

Kays noted that EDI has supplied two types of slot die coating systems for applying liquids or slurries in lithium-ion battery applications. Ultracoat® dies, with adjustable lips, have been used for most anode and cathode coating, including two-sided applications. Liberty® slot dies, with fixed lips, are especially suited for very thin coating, such as applying low viscosity primers to electrode substrates. Both dies are supplied as part of a system that includes mechanisms for precise and repeatable positioning of the die with respect to the substrate.

EDI's Contour™ cast film dies are also used for lithium-ion battery applications by companies that produce separator film. The unique shape of Contour Dies results in die-body deflection that is uniform across the width of the die, yielding product that is closer to target gauge throughout its cross section than with standard dies. Separator film is typically only 0.001 to 0.002 in. thick. As extruded, it contains plasticizer, which is then driven off to produce micro-pores.

EXTRUSION DIES INDUSTRIES, LLC is a leading international supplier of flat dies for sheet, film, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company designs and manufactures dies, feedblocks, deckling systems, vacuum boxes, and related equipment. Its subsidiaries include EDI GmbH in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, and EDI China in Shanghai. In the U.S.A., Germany, and China, EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers, and it has licensed a fourth rework facility in Japan. Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., EDI is focused on supplying the global market.

Applications Include Barrier Packaging with Increased Shelf Life and Tougher Stretch Film

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI, USA: An innovation in flat extrusion die systems makes it possible to multiply key functional layers in cast film and sheet, substantially improving properties without increasing either overall thickness or raw material content, it was announced today by Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI), which will introduce the technology at NPE2009 (Booth 85007).

The new "microlayer" technology enables extrusion processors and converters to achieve increases in impact strength, elongation, oxygen and moisture barrier, and other properties, according to EDI. Potential applications range widely, from industrial wraps to rigid and flexible barrier packaging.

The key to the improvements is special tooling developed by EDI to implement a coextrusion process designed and patented by The Dow Chemical Company. Called a "layer multiplier," the flat die system transforms a typical sandwich structure from a standard coextrusion feedblock into a structure in which one or more of the layers has been subdivided into multiple microlayers. The overall thickness of the resulting coextrusion is no greater than if the original sandwich structure had been transferred directly from the feedblock to the extrusion die, without the intervention of the layer multiplier.

"Drawing on work that EDI carried out under a U.S. Department of Defense contract for developing long-shelf-life containers for military food supplies, we have further adapted our layer multiplier system to selectively multiply only the functionally critical layer materials in a coextrusion sandwich, such as the barrier layers," said Gary D. Oliver, vice president of technology. "Without adding even a tiny increment in the amount of barrier resin used for a given volume of product, this proliferation of layers creates synergistic effects that reduce oxygen ingress from 3 to 5 times in comparison with a conventional barrier coextrusion."

As an example, Oliver cited the case of a standard rigid barrier packaging container. While a conventional structure for this application has a single barrier layer, a structure produced with the EDI's layer-multiplier system has four micro barrier layers (see cross sectional photos). The amount of barrier material is the same in both structures, but the oxygen transmission rate for the A and B sides of the one-barrier layer structure is substantially greater than for those of the four-barrier layer structure (see Table 1).

In stretch film, similarly, EDI has demonstrated improvements in tensile properties by alternating multiple layers of "performance" materials with commodity resins. In one series of tests, EDI compared 1) a standard five-layer polyethylene structure having outer "cling" layers and a core consisting of three linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) layers with hexene, butene, and hexene co-monomer side chains, respectively; 2) a 14-layer structure, with the core multiplied four times; and a 50-layer structure with the core multiplied 16 times. Layer multiplication substantially increased strength properties and the key "stretch" property of elongation. (see Table 2).

Table 1

Barrier-Layer Multiplication in Rigid Packaging Sheet Reduced Oxygen Transmission by 65 to 80%

Coextrusion Structure (a)		OXYGEN TRANSMISSION RATE (b)
		Days after Retort
		0	1	3	5	7	14	21	30
One Barrier Layer	Side A	0.188	0.167	0.160	0.153	0.148	0.136	0.129	0.121
	Side B	0.153	0.136	0.116	0.108	0.100	0.090	0.073	0.063
Four Barrier Micro-layers	Side A	0.031	0.025	0.023	0.023	0.022	0.023	0.022	0.021
	Side B	0.039	0.040	0.038	0.037	0.022	0.022	0.022	0.022

(a) Rigid packaging containers of similar overall wall thickness.
(b) In cubic centimeters per package day. Measured at 85% relative humidity, 20 deg. C., in 100% oxygen.

 

Table 2

Core-Layer Multiplication in Stretch Film Yields Substantial Increases in Toughness and Elongation

Property	ASTM Test	Stretch Film
		5-Layer (a) (Un-multiplied Core)	14-Layer (b) (Core Multiplied 4X)	50-Layer (c) (Core Multiplied 16 X)
Tensile Strength, psi	D882-02	3,596	3,865	4,655
Elongation at break, %	D882-02	601	689	762
Tear Resistance, lb.	D1922- 06a	0.433	0.642	0.636
Impact Resis- tance, joules	D3420-95	0.286	0.391	0.357

(a) Five-layer polyethylene structure without layer multiplication: outer cling layers plus core consisting of linear low density polyethylene layers with hexene, butene, and hexene co-monomer side chains, respectively.
(b)Cling layers plus 12 core layers; overall thickness unchanged.
(c) Cling layers plus 48 core layers; overall thickness unchanged.

Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC is a leading international supplier of flat dies for sheet, film, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company designs and manufactures dies, feedblocks, deckling systems, vacuum boxes, and related equipment. Its subsidiaries include EDI GmbH in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, and EDI China in Shanghai. In the U.S.A., Germany, and China, EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers, and it has licensed a fourth rework facility in Japan. Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., EDI is focused on supplying the global market.

Rework Facility Dedicated to Blown Film Dies Is 'a Natural Next Step' for a Builder of Flat Dies that Has Also Reworked Them for Nearly All of Its 38 Years in Business

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI, USA: Blown film producers looking to maximize the return on their original die investment now can turn to a new provider of rework services with expertise in the engineering, machining, and plating processes required to make a used blown film die as good as new, it was announced today by Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI).

After acquiring Quality Machine of Chippewa Falls, Inc. (QMI) one year ago, EDI continued that company's blown film die reconditioning business while drawing on its own resources to create an essentially new operation, according to global aftermarket manager Scott G. Smith. Today EDI maintains an 11,000 sq.ft. (1,020 sq.m) section of the former QMI facility as a dedicated blown film die rework plant, one that is can be operated around the clock on a project if a customer needs expedited service. The plant is located half a mile (0.8 km) from EDI's world headquarters.

"EDI has reworked flat dies built by us and other companies for most of its 38 years, developing proprietary remanufacturing techniques and establishing rework as an important part of the company's business," said Smith. "While we do not build new blown film dies, reworking them is a natural next step for us, calling for exactly the kinds of engineering skills, precision machining, and plating capabilities that have long been keys to our success."

EDI supplies three general types of rework service for used blown film dies:

• Repairing, refinishing, and modification. This involves disassembly; stripping away plating; cleaning; repairing worn or damaged surfaces; replacing worn or failed electrical and mechanical parts; refinishing to reestablish critical dimensions for internal flow surfaces, lip edges, and seals; modifications to the die gap; polishing; plating; and reassembly.
• Cleaning and inspection. EDI can disassemble dies for maintenance cleaning and inspect the system in the process, providing recommendations for current or future repairs. Expedited "split and clean" service is available to help customers minimize production downtime.
• Replacement parts. EDI inventories a number of parts for blown film dies and can also carry out reverse engineering to fabricate replacements.

A related EDI capability of interest to operators of both blown and flat die production lines is the resurfacing of worn or damaged rubber rolls used in both film and coating processes. This also was a business originally carried on by QMI.

PHOTO CAPTION: Some blown film die components (shown to various scales) include full assembly (top left), outer mandrel (top right), inner pin (bottom left), and replacement seal (bottom right).

EXTRUSION DIES INDUSTRIES, LLC is a leading international supplier of flat dies for sheet, film,extrusion coating, slot die coating, and pelletizing. The company designs and manufactures dies, feedblocks, deckling systems, vacuum boxes, and related equipment. Its subsidiaries include EDI GmbH in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, and EDI China in Shanghai. In the U.S.A., Germany, and China, EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers, and it has licensed a fourth rework facility in Japan. Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., EDI is focused on supplying the global market.

Versatile Lab Enables Companies to Do Trial Runs that 'Take the Guesswork' out of Investing in the Turnkey Hot Melt Coating Station Developed by EDI and ITW Dynatec

LAS VEGAS, NV, USA: A new high-speed hot melt web coating laboratory at the Hendersonville, TN facility of ITW Dynatec includes a coating station that combines ITW Dynatec's melting and fluid delivery equipment with a slot die system from Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI), it was announced by EDI at CPP Expo (Booth 5549). The "Proof of Process" lab enables companies to carry out application development or test run slot die coating before investing in an innovative turnkey coating station developed by ITW Dynatec and EDI.

The two companies introduced the turnkey station earlier this year, making available to operators of coating and laminating processes a single, fully integrated system whose performance is guaranteed by the partner companies. Since then, ITW Dynatec has installed the new laboratory, in which the slot die coating station is available for use with a new Catbridge Machinery web coating system that accommodates line speeds of up to 760 m/min. and coating widths up to 500 mm. The unit features an Allen-Bradley Controllogix™ controller, dual unwind and rewind with load cell display, and a wide tension range for low-weight substrates.

"The Proof of Process lab takes the guesswork out of investing in the turnkey hot melt coating station created by ITW Dynatec and EDI," said Dennis Paradise, EDI's vice president of sales and marketing. "The flexibility, high speed, and advanced control built into the lab enable manufacturers with a wide range of application requirements to discover how slot die coating can meet their needs and provide important advantages over other coating methods."

Turnkey Station Includes All Components for Melting, Delivering, and Applying Hot Melts

The turnkey hot melt coating station developed by EDI and ITW Dynatec can be designed to apply virtually any hot melt material over the full range of viscosities and at temperatures from ambient to 500 deg. F. (260 deg. C.). Depending on equipment parameters and the type of application, the system can coat at speeds exceeding 2,000 feet (610 m) per minute on wide widths, and in coat weights down to 0.5 mil (0.013 mm) or less. Coat weight accuracy can be maintained within +/-1%.

The EDI portion of the coating station is a self-contained applicator unit called the Modular Coating System (MCS), which includes the slot die or coating head with adjustable lip opening and a robust, adjustable support for positioning the die lip with respect to the web; idler rolls; and a precision backing roll. These components are unitized within a steel frame whose crossbars maintain straightness during operation and adjustment.

The MCS incorporates mechanisms for fine adjustment and repeatability and includes a die innovation for coping with the gels, or solid particles, that occur in hot melts, noted Paradise. "Our die has a motorized rotating rod in the lip area that causes gels to pass through the narrow die lip opening rather than lodging there and generating streaks," Paradise said. "This makes it possible to achieve coat weights well below the conventional lower limit for hot melts of 1.0 mil (0.025 mm)."

A basic component provided by ITW Dynatec is the Dynamelt™ M-Series adhesive supply unit, or melter, which is a self-contained system for melting the adhesive and pumping it to the applicator. The system includes a PLC controller with user-friendly HIM interface. Various melt rates, hopper capacities, and pump rates are available. The Dynamelt features a patented Melt-On-Demand™ Hopper which melts only the adhesive required and virtually eliminates adhesive char. Another adhesive delivery method used with this turnkey system is Dynatec's DM55 DynaDrum™ Bulk Adhesive Melter. The DM55 Drum Unloader features inflatable seals which accommodate various drum diameters, and removable platen faces allowing for field retrofit.

ITW Dynatec's Gemini™ Automatic Hot Melt Hose delivers the adhesive from the melter to the applicator. The patented Gemini™ Automatic hose has dual heater and temperature sensors that keep the coating line up and running in the event of a hose failure. If a hose fault occurs, Gemini switches to its back-up circuitry and an illuminated control box flashes, alerting the operator to change the hose during scheduled line-down time.

Slot dies must be custom-engineered to fit the application. "The manifold, or internal flow channel, of every die must be designed and precision machined to accommodate anticipated throughput and the unique rheology, or flow characteristics, of the adhesive," Paradise said. "The resulting control of flow behavior is one of the great advantages of slot die coating over conventional systems like spray or roll coating. Another is that slot dies are closed systems that maintain the hot melt fluid at a consistent temperature and distribute it uniformly across a precisely defined width."

ITW DYNATEC, a part of the Fortune 200 company Illinois Tool Works, provides solutions for all industrial adhesive applications, including hot melt and water-based systems for coating, laminating, high-speed converting, case sealing, and other processes. An ISO 9001-certified manufacturer, ITW Dynatec has been an industry leader in adhesive application technologies for over 45 years with worldwide sales, service and support. The company is headquartered in Hendersonville, TN, U.S.A. with manufacturing locations in the United States, China, France, Germany, and Japan.

EXTRUSION DIES INDUSTRIES, LLC is a leading international supplier of flat dies for sheet, film, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company designs and manufactures dies, feedblocks, deckling systems, vacuum boxes, and related equipment. Its subsidiaries include EDI GmbH in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, and EDI China in Shanghai. In the U.S.A., Germany, and China, EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers, and it has licensed a fourth rework facility in Japan. Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A., EDI is focused on supplying the global market. 

EDI China's 'Modular Coating System' Rolls into Place on Existing Coating Lines, Providing Fast Access to Advantages of Slot Die over Conventional Fluid Coating Methods

LAS VEGAS, NV, USA: A complete slot die coating station with all components from idler roll to backing roll is now available for renting by manufacturers in Asia, enabling them to eliminate hours of setup in switching from roll to slot die coating as they carry out product and process development with slot dies in their own plants, it was announced today by Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI) at CPP Expo (Booth 5549).

Called the Modular Coating System (MCS), the coating station is built by EDI in the U.S.A.and has been available only in North America. Recently, however, EDI shipped an MCS unit to its subsidiary EDI Precision Dies (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (EDI China), and it has already been employed by China-based manufacturers of lithium-ion batteries.

The MCS rolls into place on nearly any commercial coating line, enabling operators of coating systems to switch readily from and back to conventional processes like roll coating. Included in the system are an Ultracoat® adjustable-lip slot die coating head, a fluid-delivery system, an adjustable support for positioning the die lip with respect to the web, idler rolls, and a precision backing roll. These components are unitized within a steel frame whose crossbars maintain straightness during operation and adjustment. The coating station is mounted on casters.

"With a standard slot die coating system assembled from individual components, it can take up to half a day, and even more for really large dies, to set up the system so that it is vertically plumb, the rolls are level with respect to one another, and the die is properly positioned with respect to the backing roll," said Jason Q.Yin, general manager of EDI China. "EDI's MCS eliminates much of this time, along with the risk of damaging rolls during handling."

Ultracoat dies have a flexible lip, whose adjustability is the key to controlling the lip gap profile and thus the coat weight. This is an important advantage in applying slurries such as those used for coating flexible battery or photovoltaic components, since slurry viscosity changes over the course of a production run and the die needs to be adjusted accordingly.

Many coating line operators run several roll coating processes, noted Mr. Yin. "In roll coating, the amount of material deposited on the substrate is controlled indirectly by means of wiping blades or pre-set gaps between rollers; any excess coating material is scraped away and returned to the coating bath; and the bath itself is open to the workplace environment. Slot dies, on the other hand, are closed systems, and the amount of coating material is pre-metered by means of a precision pump. As a result, slot die coating provides these advantages: 1) more consistent coat weight and cross-web distribution; 2) higher line speeds; and 3) minimization of volatile emissions, coating contamination, raw material waste, and workplace messiness."

EDI PRECISION DIES (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD., or EDI CHINA, is headquartered at 99 Zhongde Road, Songjiang Science & Technology Park, Songjiang, Shanghai 201614, China.

EXTRUSION DIES INDUSTRIES, LLC is a leading international supplier of flat dies for sheet, film, extrusion coating, fluid coating, and pelletizing. The company designs and manufactures dies, feedblocks, deckling systems, vacuum boxes, and related equipment. Its subsidiaries include EDI GmbH in Reichshof-Wehnrath, Germany, and EDI China in Shanghai. In the USA, Germany, and China, EDI operates facilities dedicated to reworking its own dies and those built by other suppliers, and it has licensed a fourth rework facility in Japan. Headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, USA, EDI is focused on supplying the global market.