As a specialist in extrusion machinery for the production of shrink film, Macro Engineering Technology is prepared if the industry switches from structures based on polyvinylidene chloride (PVdC) to other, more sustainable material options. So, it’s building a new, biaxially oriented multi-bubble lab line at its headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario (Canada). “We’ve been getting a lot of inquiries from producers who don’t know if PVdC is going to be around for long or if the shrink market will move over to EVOH for some products, currently we have produced a few lines already that’s capable of running both PVdC and EVOH” notes Karen Xiao, the machine builder’s vice president of technology.
In anticipation of a switch and to help our customers to plan for the future, Macro sold its old PVDC lab line and is in the process of installing a brand-new system optimized to run structures based on nylon, EVOH and mono-material structures in two- and three-bubble formats., as Xiao puts it, “Macro desires to help customers develop structures that are more sustainable on a small production-scale that can be easily scaled up to wider widths.” Macro is hopeful the line will be ready for customer trials before the end of the year. Xiao says more than 10 of its customers have already expressed interest in running trials.
“PVdC is a very difficult material to replace,” Xiao notes. “It has both superior moisture and oxygen barrier, and if you have to remove it from the structure you will need to reengineer the film without compromising on the final film properties.” The line will produce film up to seven layers. The line is equipped with a die with multiple lipsets ranging from60-90 mm, and will run at layflat widths of 200-600 mm, making it suited for both trials and small production runs. It is also built to accommodate various barrier and non-barrier structures for film development purposes for non-shrink applications.
Says Xiao, “We know enough about the PVdC world that we can extrapolate from those recipes to help customers design new structures. This is exciting news. Over the years, many machine builders have gotten rid of their lab lines (Macro also has a three-layer blown film line in its lab), but we think we will be filling a big need with this at a time when our customers are asking a lot of questions about different polymers and how they fit with their sustainability goals. So, the idea behind the line is to give customers the opportunity to come in and to optimize their film properties with tailored formulations using new materials and new process options, whether they're currently running PVdC or just investigating options to run something else.”
Macro has sold more than 70 of its Quadex™-2B two-bubble lines globally, and offers a Quadex™-3B, a three-bubble system. Macro believes this will be the first lab line of its kind in North America.
For more information, please contact: Martin Baron, Director of Sales: mbaron@macroeng.com, or +1 905 507 9000
About Macro
Macro Engineering & Technology is a global supplier of film and sheet extrusion systems that specializes in barrier film lines and custom engineered extrusion systems. Founded in 1978, Macro’s approach is to help film and sheet producers reach their production goals through a project-oriented philosophy and an uncompromising commitment to developing innovative technologies.
Macro manufactures blown, cast and QuadexTM biaxially-oriented coextrusion lines for multilayer films up to 13-layers. The company also supplies sheet extrusion lines for specialty applications, along with coextrusion dies, air rings and winding solutions to meet the needs of complex requirements.
Macro’s equipment is used throughout the world to manufacture value-added products in the food packaging, medical, and industrial markets.
