Making Ends Meet. . .Fast

As finishing processes move into the pressroom, it becomes essential for printers to know how they will fit into their overall business plans and what products are out there to help them enhance their offerings to their customers. Splicing is one area that has seen significant advancements in recent years.

We splice whatever you have

One of the most significant improvements across the board for splicers has been their ability to splice extremely weak, flimsy, or exotic materials at high speeds, according to Rich Herbert, technical sales manager, CTC International. Splicers can now run a wide range of materials with minimal changeover. The ability of a splicer to minimize waste by using almost all of the material on an expiring roll before the next roll is spliced is also a key development.

Speed and the ability to run several substrates are other important developments in splicing equipment, according to Robin Sherlund, Western sales manager at Keene ­Technology, Inc. (KTI). She says that the speed capability is important because of the increasingly fast speeds associated with printing and converting lines.

“The most important advancements in automatic roll changing have involved the application of technologies to meet process and material requirements,” says Craig ­Thomson, marketing manager, Martin Automatic. “Press speeds have increased and will continue to increase. At the same time, substrates—especially film and non-woven webs—have become thinner and more extensible.”

The following roundup includes splicing equipment and materials incorporating some of these advancements.

Splicing Systems

CTC International manufactures a complete line of overlap and butt-type splicers that can be furnished either as free-standing machines or with all the components assembled on a mounting plate for installation in the customer’s machine. The mounting plate can be custom designed, and the arrangement of the components on the plate is flexible. —CTC International, www.ctcint.com

Butt splicers

KTI butt splicing units use zero-speed splicing technology. The ZC models come in web widths up to 20 in., 40- or 50-in. roll diameters, and speeds up to 1,000 fpm. The ZG model is available in web widths up to 50 inches, roll diameters up to 60 inches, and running/splicing speeds of up to 1,000 fpm. The ZL model will accommodate web widths up to 50 in., roll diameters up to 72 in., and run/splice speeds up to 100 fpm.—Keene Technology, www.keenetech.com

Splicer

Martin Automatic will launch the MLS splicer at ­Labelexpo Americas. The splicer can mount above new or existing narrow-web presses, and automatically unwinds and splices film laminate webs. The MLS also features in-aisle splice preparation.—Martin Automatic, www.martinautomatic.com

Film and paper splicing tapes

The tesa®51905 joins filmic webs during continuous and high-speed print runs without interrupting or altering the print process or press speed levels. The tesa®51405 film splicing tape is for splicing filmic labels during the high-speed synchronized flying splice of label stock during the film coating process. The tesa®51400 and 51457 are for paper splicing.—tesa tape, www.tesatape.com

Modified Acrylic Splicing Tapes

Adhesives Research, Inc.’s ARclad 9550 is a 5.0-mil., single-faced tape for single- and double-butt splicing and is suitable for automatic butt splicing applications. ARclad 9560 is a 5.5-mil., double-faced tape suitable for manual overlap and automated splicing applications.—Adhesives Research, Inc., www.adhesivesresearch.com

Double-Coated Polyester Tape

Venture Tape 514CW is a double-coated polyester film tape coated on both sides with an aggressive acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA). Venture Tape 514CW is especially suitable for corrugated paper applications. —Venture Tape, www.venturetape.com

Splicing Tape

3M™ Silicone Splicing Tape 253 offers 0.0075-in. (0.191-mm) silicone-treated paper backing with a silicone adhesive. This single-coated paper tape features a modified poly liner on the face side of the tape to help ensure roll quality, ease of unwind, and protection of the adhesive against contamination until the splice is ready to be made. Tape 253 is used in butt-splicing many paper and plastic based materials and is suitable for splicing many silicone-treated materials.—3M, www.3M.com pP