The converting industry is all around us – from barrier coatings, release liners, modern flexible packaging, technical textiles, pressure sensitive adhesives and even specialised adhesives used in the medical sector.

Not only do manufacturers of these want to ensure their product rivals their competitors, but they have the added pressure of fluctuating energy prices and consumer demand for businesses to prove they are environmentally ethical.

There are tens of thousands of end products that rely on the production of lacquered foils or release liners produced in the converting sector – some examples are below.

• It is estimated over 14 billion coffee capsules are sold globally every year. The capsules (or pods) use lacquered foil that has been produced using industrial drying equipment such as air flotation dryers and coolers.

• The label and release liner market is expected to grow to $48.32 billion by 2026.

With this in mind, manufacturers of any web product need to ensure that not only do they have the right commercial drying technologies (dryers, ovens, air turns and coolers) in place but also ensure they get the best from them.

Here are three key areas to consider.

1. General maintenance

It is estimated that less than 20% of machinery failures are age related, meaning that in the harsh environments of textile coating, adhesive coating and the production of nonwoven materials, breakdowns are usually attributable to maintenance issues. With highly engineered components, each with a specific purpose (and demanding task) in the process line machines will slowly grow inefficient and even break down if not properly cared for. Scheduling short outages to have all your process equipment cleaned and cleared from potential material build up can keep the end product perfect and your equipment efficient for longer.

If you’re looking for solutions to not only improve production but also avoid costly downtime that could damage the quality of work, Spooner can support you with servicing, maintenance and optimisation plans from SpoonerPlus.

2. Consider replacement parts or upgrades

Any maintenance schedule should include the following: checking parts for wear and keeping converting equipment clean. The old saying ‘prevention is cheaper than the cure’ springs to mind.

We manufacture fully bespoke drying and curing equipment, built for each customer based on their exact requirements, meaning we can inspect and advise on replacement parts or upgrades that will keep you a step ahead of the competition.

Our years of experience, R&D initiatives and energy efficient focus has enabled us to offer dual fuel and hydrogen options for our drying equipment, helping you make smarter and efficient options for your process.

The SpoonerPlus team can provide essential aftercare to both new and existing customers. With almost 90 years’ unrivalled worldwide experience in industrial processing solutions, SpoonerPlus is in the continuous improvement process business and can enable your non-contact web handling process equipment to produce stable, vibration and wrinkle free products.

If you would like to speak to someone directly, please email Andrew Stead (astead@spooner.co.uk) or call +44 (0)1943 609 505.

3. Consider heat and energy recovery systems

With a strong focus on sustainability, and customers preferring to partner with businesses that show positive steps towards supporting the environment and mitigating sharply rising energy prices, it is no wonder more and more web product handlers are installing heat recovery systems that do just this. Not to mention the cost savings involved.

Effective heat recovery makes the company less dependent on energy prices and reduces the impact rising prices have on production.

Our systems are:

• Fully automated – No operator intervention required
• Maintenance friendly – Robust systems designed to allow easy access for cleaning and maintenance
• Retrofitted – Spooner heat recovery systems can be fitted to new or existing equipment
• Bespoke designs – Each system is tailor-made to individual exact requirements
• Cost saving – Reduces energy consumption with a good return on capital investment often within two years

If you want to find out more about our superior non-contact air flotation drying, curing ovens, web cooler equipment, or our dual fuel capabilities and heat recovery systems, get in touch with Lee Fairhurst at lfairhurst@spooner.co.uk or call +44 (0)1943 609 505.

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