Converters (industry)

Converting companies are companies that specialize in combining raw materials such as polyesters, adhesives, silicone, tapes, foams, plastics, felts, rubbers, liners and metals, as well as other materials, to create new products.

Materials such as paper, plastic film, foil and cloth often are produced in long, continuous sheets that are rolled up for more-convenient handling and transportation. These rolls of material vary significantly in size and weight — ranging from 2 to 200 in. wide and weighing as much as several tons. The converting industry takes these continuous rolls of thin, flat materials — known as webs — threads them though processing machines (such as printing presses, laminating, coating and slitting machines) and converts or changes the web of material into an intermediate form or final product. For example, a converter’s equipment might take a web of plastic film, cut it into lengths, and fuse their edges, thus converting it into plastic bags. This activity is known as web processing.

Web alignment is an important part of a converting operation as a moving web of material has a tendency to track off course and wander out of alignment during converting processes. To avoid these problems, engineers have developed a variety of automatic web-guiding systems that assure production accuracy and reduce waste. Web-guiding systems typically are positioned just before a critical stage on a converting machine (for example, just before a print station on a printing press).

Each type of web guiding system uses a sensor to monitor the web position for lateral tracking, and each has an actuator to shift the running web mechanically back on course whenever the sensor detects movement away from the set path. Actuators may be pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders, or some kind of electromechanical device. Because the web may be fragile — particularly at its edge — non-contact sensors are used. These sensors may be pneumatic, photoelectric, ultrasonic, or infrared. The system’s controls must put the output signals from the sensors in to a form that can drive the actuator. Many controls today are electronic, typically using an amplifier to convert signals from the sensor, then commanding a special servo motor incorporating a lead or ball screw for guiding actuation.

Coast Controls, Inc., manufactures the world’s only proportional, all-air pneumatic web guiding system.

Services

Many converters specialize in

• adhesive coating to make Labels and Tape
• silicone coating to make a release liner
• die-cutting materials into finished parts or labels.
• printing services
• Roll slitting of wide webs into narrow webs or coils
• Laminating services
• Vacuforming

External links

• Clemson University Printing and Converting Research Center
• Converting magazine
• Converting Today
• Coast Controls, Inc
• LOPAREX
• AVERY
• TEKKOTE
• LAMATEK
• DOUBLEE
• M Torres Splicers
• Universal Converting Equipment

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