Where Materials and Minds Meet

On the original line, the secondary (more extensible) web was coated and dried, and met the primary web at the combining nip in the center of the two machines. With the new design, the primary web, which is generally thicker gauge and more stable, is printed, sent through a turning bar and coated, and then joined with the secondary web at the combining nip, which is now positioned back from the middle of the machine, closer to the secondary web. White says coating the more stable substrate and shortening the secondary web path has allowed Outlook to control tensions, reduce web curl, and increase speeds by 50 percent.