Cast MDO competence- One line, countless possibilities
SML’s Technology Centre is home to a new, state-of-the-art Cast MDO demonstration line – and it is a true all-rounder. Whether unstretched film or mono-oriented film is required, this one line covers a broader segment of the cast film market than almost any other.
“Conventional CPP structure, seven-layer barrier film or ultra-thin mono-oriented film — SML’s Cast-MDO technology delivers them in the best quality and with maximum efficiency. And we have the right line parameters for every single product,” says Elias Mayrhofer, Product Manager at SML. New recipes and new polymer combinations are equally welcome, with SML’s process engineers on hand to support development.
Copyright: MSFotogroup
CPP and CPE films – the versatile base film
The line produces CPP film in thicknesses from 15 to 250 µm and CPE film from 18 to 150 µm, both offering high transparency and low haze. Typical applications include metallised and laminated packaging for food and non-food products, retort structures, as well as technical and medical films.
Barrier films – protection, perfectly tailored
Unstretched barrier films from 30 to 250 µm are built around EVOH or PA6. They protect against oxygen, water vapour, odour and UV light, making them a natural choice for highly perishable fresh food such as meat, cheese or fish – with medical packaging as a second major field of application. Since the layer arrangement is freely configurable, the barrier can be tailored precisely to the product.
Mono-oriented films – the recyclable game changer
Here is where the line really shines. MDO-PE films from 15 to 80 µm can replace BOPET films, turning a PET/PO structure into a recyclable mono-material product ready for recycling. With stiffness above 1,400 MPa in the machine direction, haze below 5 % and excellent flatness, they are ideal for both surface and reverse printing – and equally well suited to metallising.
MDO barrier films from 17 to 40 µm add a thin EVOH layer and achieve oxygen transmission rates of 1 to 5 cm³/m² per day. This makes them ideal for resealable stand-up pouches, flow packs and unlaminated deep-freeze bags. Depending on the structure, the EVOH layer can be positioned either in the middle or on the outside.
MDO-PP films from 15 to 80 µm offer straight tear behaviour and good thermal resistance and open up a world of applications: easy-tear pouch film, label film, carrier handles, tear tapes, adhesive tapes and cable insulation.
Copyright: Karin Hackl
Adjustable stretching gap
With the newly installed Cast MDO line, SML has taken its MDO technology a step further, enabling stretching ratios of up to 1:10 and a stretching gap that can be adjusted to suit the product. The basis for this performance is an extended temperature profile that can be controlled in fine steps: five preheating rollers, two stretching rollers, five annealing rollers and one cooling roller, each individually driven and temperature-controlled up to 160 °C.
Synergy solution on board – shorter changeover times
Automapping aligns the die bolts and measuring positions automatically – without any operator input and without manual mapping at product change. Film Width Adjustment sets the film width via the motorised internal deckling system, while edge pinning, trim knives and suction pipes follow the adjustment steplessly. The result: shorter changeovers, less start-up waste and greater safety. And every setting is documented in bitWise, so your proven set-up is ready for the next production run.
Put your cast film idea to the test
The industrial-scale Cast-MDO line is at your disposal: For trials, product development and sample production. Whether you are entering cast film production for the first time or redesigning an existing structure for recyclability, the Cast-MDO line at SML’s Technology Centre in Redlham has the equipment, the technology and the expertise to make it happen.
FACTBOX
Cast-MDO technology
- Maximum flexibility in film production for a wide range of applications
- Tailored film properties – precise control over mechanical and optical characteristics
- Superior film flatness for optimal surface and reverse printing quality
- Downgauging potential – material savings without compromising film quality
#SML #modernplasticsnetwork #printmagazine #printpublication #modernplasticsglobal #modernplasticsindia
