Have you noticed the infinite variety of ways self-adhesive labels are used in the industrial, domestic, medical, food & drink sectors, to name a few?

Labels for addresses, identification, warnings, instructions, ingredients, packaging and even children’s magazines.

Spooner have been perfecting the label making process for decades with class-leading air flotation drying technology.

With adhesive labels being in such demand it is no wonder that consumers of these need to be sure they are fit for purpose. The manufacturers of the release liner, the shiny coated paper that carries the labels, need to consider a multitude of factors on the production line.

It is the manufacturing process that creates the characteristics of the release liner which can come in an array of types, each meeting the specific application demands, with formulas tailored to the desired application. The material goes through different stages of precise drying and or curing to produce the required release liner properties. 

In the know

Just knowing how air dryer and cooler systems work is not enough. Spooner pride themselves on understanding the principles behind customer’s process.

Whether the silicone release coating is water based, solvent based or 100% solids, can make a vast difference as to how quickly the material dries, cures and at what temperature this happens.

The drying / curing conditions employed can have a significant impact on the silicone’s release properties and therefore the performance of the release liner.

Whether the release liner is paper based, film based or polycoated, a common issue in the manufacturing of release liners is the creation and build-up of silicone dust during the drying and curing stages. This can reduce production speeds and significantly increase downtime. Spooner air flotation dryers avoid this problem by careful management of the process air.

With Spooner’s unrivalled high performance air flotation dryer and positive feedback from longstanding customers, who have both had Spooner drying systems as part of a new coating machine or retrofitted to existing coating machines, the capabilities of Spooner’s air flotation drying systems have been proven time and again.

Why Spooner?

• Higher heat transfer giving increased throughput
• No silicone dust build-up
• High energy efficiency with specialised heat recovery systems
• Excellent web handling with no product scratching
• Exceptional drying and curing process control
• Can be retrofitted to existing lines
• Full aftermarket support services

These are just a few of the benefits experienced by release liner manufacturers using Spooner equipment, and we continue to develop new drying technologies to support all converting applications.  

If you want to find out more about our Air Flotation Drying systems, how we can eliminate the build-up of silicone dust in your process or any information on our range of Converting equipment, get in touch with Lee Fairhurst at lfairhurst@spooner.co.uk or 44 (0)1943 609 505.

Follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date with news, developments and announcements.