Extrusion International 3-2018

24 Extrusion International 3/2018 INDUSTRY NEWS for producing tubing for fuel delivery systems. Cooper Standard is the world’s largest supplier of fuel and brake delivery systems as well as sealing technologies that reduce weight and improve auto safety. Cooper Standard is currently researching the viability of using Davis-Standard extruders for processing the company’s innovative Fortrex™ line of static weatherseal systems to further improve performance and aesthetics. “Cooper Standard is an excellent example of how our regional presence inAsia hasmade a substantial difference for customers,” said Jinsong Lin, General Manager of Davis-Standard (Suzhou) Plastics Packaging Machinery, Co. “We will continue to expand our technical and service capabilities, especially as business in this region grows, but we’ve established a solid infrastructure in Su- zhou that will benefit customers like Cooper Standard now and in the years to come.” Cost-Performance Options expand for Cast FilmDies Nordson Corporation has adapted an extrusion die technology that has been in global use for 15 years and now offers it under the new name Uniflow™ as an alternative for cast film applications that do not call for the unique capabilities of the widely used EDI ® Contour ® die. The Contour die is the most technologically advanced cast film die on the market, with a distinctive “sculpted” shape that is the key to enhanced product quality, rawmaterial conservation, and maxi- mum uptime, noted Scott Smith, business unit director for polymer dies. The Uniflow die, now available under the EDI ® brand, was first de- veloped by the Belgian firm Verbruggen, which Nordson acquired in 2011. “While the Uniflow die represents a lower-cost alternative to theContour die, it provides real advantages in important applica- tion areas,” said Smith. “It is a versatile die whose effectiveness has been proven in bothmonolayer andmultilayer production.” With the addition of theUniflowdie, alongwith recent innovations in gauge profiling and feedblock adjustment, Nordson’s portfolio of technologies for cast film is now so diverse that processors can select a package of EDI die system components that exactly meets their performance requirements. The cast filmdie alternatives now offered by Nordson include: • Contour ® die. The special configuration of this die offsets the differences in die body deflection across the width of the die; an elongated teardrop, diminishing volumemanifold cross-section im- proves layer uniformity in coextrusion; and a non-linear interface between the preland and manifold greatly reduces or eliminates “M” or “W” flow patterns. • Uniflow™ die. This die provides an affordable option for high- speed production of thermally stable resins with very few rate changes, such as for stretch film. Its versatile flow channel accom- modates a broader range of resins and processing parameters. It has an elongated teardrop manifold cross-section that promotes uniform layers in coextrusion. • Multi-Manifold Dies. As an alternative to use of coextrusion feed- blocks with single-cavity dies, Nordson also offers multi-manifold dies designed to accommodate materials with dissimilar viscosities and partial coverage requirements. These dies are capable of gen- erating skin layers with less than 10% of the thickness of the total structure and producing coextrusion structures with temperature differentials up to 50 °F (28 °C). All of these dies are available as part of a total system, including Autoflex™ automatic gauge profiling systems, Ultraflow™ coex- trusion feedblocks, dual-chamber vacuum boxes, and UltraSplit™ online die separation devices. Nordson has recently introduced next-generation technologies for these system components. In Autoflex VI-RE gauge profile control system, the stroke of the lip adjusting system has been increased by 43%without adding to re- sponse time, enabling it to correct a wider range of process varia- tions, often without need for manual intervention. The new Ultra- flow V-T feedblock makes it possible to fine-tune individual layers as well as accommodate changes in layer ratio, and to adjust the tuning system without removing the feedblock from the produc- tion line. EDI ® Uniflow™Die Davis-Standard, LLC www.davis-standard.com/extruders Pictured is an example of a Davis-Standard extruder arrangement built for Cooper Standard in Asia Nordson Polymer Processing Systems www.nordsonpolymerprocessing.com