Coating & Laminating
as signposting a new area of science, electrochemistry. Volta chose the right moment to launch this fledgling battery technology, introducing it to a roomful of dignitaries that included Napoleon. The publicity surrounding the Volta Pile resulted in Napoleon making Volta a count, it also opened the way for many others to follow and by the 19th century batteries were successful enough for them to be used by industry. They formed the bedrock of communicative systems, first the telegraph, railway signalling and on and up to the present day, where batteries of one type or another: alkaline, lithium and Ni-Cd’s power numerous consumer and industrial products. Fuel cells work like batteries but unlike
batteries they never run down or need recharging. Fuel cells use the chemical energy derived from hydrogen, or another fuel, to cleanly and efficiently produce energy. They generate electricity and heat as long as a fuel such as hydrogen is supplied. Lower emissions and the fact that they can be used in applications ranging from transportation to power station supply and from laptop computers to medical diagnostic and monitoring devices suggests that the potentiality for fuel cells is virtually limitless, especially given present day concerns regarding the polluting nature of fossil fuels and the need to reduce greenhouse gases. Cost, performance and
issues surrounding durability still need to be overcome, and research is on-going, often involving manufactures, technical institutes and government agencies associated with ‘energy’ in partnership to realise the full potential of fuel cell technology.
COATING UNIFORMITY Coating systems and equipment supplied must be optimised for the process. Coating uniformity, the desired coat weight and the methods to achieve this are vital, one of the reasons being that no one wants to waste expensive materials and to apply more than needed. All coating methods provide an inherent uniformity that they can achieve. If the method of coating is wrong the end product will be unacceptable. Selectable coating technology for RKs
flagship VCM coater includes gravure, offset gravure, flexo, knife-over-roll, reverse roll, extrusion coat, slot die and many others. Slot die coating can be ideal where very thin or optically clear coatings need to be laid. Slot die is used to apply fluids or polymers such as adhesives, inks and electrolytes onto continuous thin substrates and which may be used in product areas such as electronic displays, medical patches and in battery production. Unlike many coating technologies that are open to the air, slot die provides for a closed delivery path and a more sterile coating environment with minimal evaporation.
Information on the detailed supply of
VCM coating machines for customers involved in R&D and trialling of battery and fuel cells and production is subject to commercial confidentiality agreements. Suffice it to say that VCM’s incorporate high specification drives, tension and web control equipment with ‘best available’ processing accessories provided. Rigid framework serves as the foundation for the system, which enables, if required the processing of wider web width and heavier substrates. The structure is engineered in a way that provides the flexibility to expand or modify the machine as processing or product needs change over time. For organisations and departments engaged in bringing products to market, monitoring and trialling the VCML-Lab/Pilot Coater may be an alternative option. This system prints, coats and laminates on all types of flexible substrates and on a reel to reel basis. With a web width of 300mm, this touchscreen-controlled system offers short run production capability. Print and coat technologies together with hot air drying, UV curing and infrared and other possibilities including wet or dry laminating and options such as ATEX zone configuration, etc, ensure that the system is up to date as possible.
rkprint.com
convertermag.com
March 2020
21
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