The addition of an AlOx-optimised CO 750 coating line to the Competence Centre in Bobst Manchester’s Centre of Excellence for High Barrier enables BOBST to further leverage its know-how of vacuum and wet coatings. This has been done for the business to continue developing solutions that respond to the industry’s requirements for sustainable packaging.
Bobst Manchester’s Centre of Excellence for High Barrier enables research and development work to be carried out on new barrier solutions for the packaging industry. Having the CO 750, compact AlOx coater and K5 EXPERT, the high productivity metalliser, under one roof speeds up this process by offering a rapid prototyping capability.
A major development that uses the BOBST ability to offer end-to-end process solutions is the AlOx Integrated Conversion Solution, which allows production of high barrier clear recyclable films that crucially are protected during the conversion process to preserve the barrier properties of the film. Firstly, the AlOx coated film is produced on the vacuum metalliser and then a specially developed top coat is applied on the coating line; the film can then be converted as normal without any damage to the AlOx layer. The process know-how of both dry and wet coatings and top coat formulation from one single supplier results in a faster rate of production.
The two-step process is extremely cost-effective and provides a wider window of operation with the vacuum metallisation process followed by a topcoat applied in atmosphere. The BOBST solution works at maximum operating speeds and results in maximum productivity without compromising performance and means that customers can be given End of Line guarantees for barrier levels.
BOBST www.bobst.com
