Flow wrapping is used extensively throughout a number of industries, especially confectionery. Flow wrapping is when the product to be packaged is run continuously into its packaging.

The packaging material, usually a plastic film, is pulled off a reel into a folding station. The folding station converts the flat sheet into a tube, though this tube can be square or rectangular and of different sizes. The packaging material has a lightweight contact adhesive on its underside, so that when it is formed into the tube, the adhesive holds the tube shape together.

After the product is feed into the tube, the open end is crimp sealed with the help of the adhesive already on the underside of the packaging material. The now fully packaged product continues flowing along the line to be collated and packaged into larger containers or boxes whilst the next product piece moves into its tube ready for crimp sealing.

The very nature of the flow wrapper means that the whole operation is quite fast. It lends itself to products such as chocolate bars, where the item to be packaged is uniform in size and shape and is a discrete piece.

The areas where Impreglon can improve the performance and reduce the maintenance cost of flow wrappers are as follows:

Application: Guide/idle rolls used to transport and guide the packaging material from the unwind reel to the folding station.
Problem: The adhesive used on flow wrappers is called cold seal. It will seal itself to itself with just light crimping pressure. Although the adhesive is lightweight and is only applied by the packaging material manufacturer where it is needed, it does come off onto the guide/idle rolls. In a manufacturing environment where the temperature is not kept below approximately 18*C, then over a period of a several weeks with continuous operation, the glue build up on the rolls is sufficient to warrant them being cleaned. Obviously this means the flow wrapper has to be stopped.
Solution: PC40511/4001F. Experience has shown this coating to last at least three years in a continuous operation with no cleaning. Furthermore its traction properties ensure there are no tracking problems. It can be applied to both metallic and glass fibre rolls.

Application: Folding station components used to create the tube into which the product is placed. These components will vary by machine design and according to the shape and size of product being packaged.
Problem: The main issue is one of friction. Modern packaging materials are printed films and an effect the marketing people like to achieve is that of metallised film. Metallised film can be a high friction material and so having a low friction coating on the folding station components would give an obvious advantage. Wear also needs to be considered.
Solution: PC60321/XP1240 has been proven time and again where low friction and hard wearing properties are required. The lifespan will vary according to the film being used but one to two years should be expected.

Application: Folding station components that see the product being packed. Problem: Products such as chocolate will build up on the inside surfaces of folding station components. The issue here is one of uniform flow. If the product is not flowing correctly into the packaging material tube, then the flow rate is slowed and rejects are created which in turn cause a product back log in the line feeding the flow wrapper.
Solution: The coating solution depends upon the product being packaged. In the case of chocolate PC30302/2018 has been proven to be successful. There may be instances where both this solution and PC60321/XP1240 need to be applied onto reverse sides of the same component.

Application: Date stamping carried out by high speed ink printing.
Problem: Ink build up can occur on nearby components which can be seen as a health and quality issue. It has also been known for ink build up to transfer back onto the packaged product, which is clearly a quality problem.
Solution: TC1501F is well proven for its ink non-stick properties. Depending upon the amount of wear taking place, one may wish to use PC30302/1501F. Lifespan is usually long unless there is direct contact with the moving product in which case wear will shorten the coating life.

Application: Creation of the final box using hot melt adhesive.
Problem: The hot melt misfires or dribbles onto the folding arm or block used to create the box. Over time the hot melt builds up to the point where the boxes are not properly seated on their track or are not folded correctly.
Solution: PC60521/4001F. Although this is a high friction coating, the area of contact on the folding arm or block is very small. Experience has shown this coating to last over three years in continuous operation.

Application: Final box transfer to the warehouse.
Problem: The hot melt will usually leave traces of itself on the outside surfaces of the final box. These traces can prevent the final box from flowing along the conveyor system used to take these boxes to the warehouse. In a worst case scenario, the line could stop.
Solution: PC40511/2009F. The hot melt wont stick and the coating is low friction so box flow is improved. It is also quite hard wearing. A lifespan of over a year with no cleaning has been experienced.

To summarise. Impreglon has a great deal of experience in solving flow wrapping problems and can point to a number of high profile customers who have saved money and time by using Impreglon coatings.

Impreglon Group concludes worldwide know-how license contract with an international tyre manufacturer.

To make its proprietary coating (which was developed specifically for the tyre sector) available for all worldwide production plants of a key customer, Impreglon has signed a long term know-how license agreement. This license will allow the tyre manufacturer to apply our coating in-house at their works.
Assuming full term usage of all contract components, the agreement represents a value of several million Euro.
Installation of the first in-house coating station is scheduled to take place in Russia in the first half of 2014.

With 32 plants in 14 countries on 4 continents, Impreglon is one of the global leaders in surface technology.

Application
In the production of special foils, various types of adhesive - depending on the specific application - are applied to both sides of long sheets of film. The film is then dried by a series of surface nozzles that blow air onto the sheets. At the end of the line, the cooled films are cut and wound onto rolls.

Requirements
The nozzles must be cleaned after each new production job. The amount of residue on the nozzles depends on the adhesive used. The cleaning process is time consuming and can take up to half an hour per nozzle. With potentially over 30 surface nozzles per line, cleaning can easily take an entire day. When order specifications change often, cleaning becomes a substantial proportion of the total production time. The mechanical cleaning which is frequently required damages the surfaces of the nozzles over time.

Coating Solution
TempCoat® dramatically improves the nonstick properties of the nozzle surfaces. Less adhesive sticks to the nozzles, and any remaining residue can easily be removed with a cloth. The nozzles are protected from wear. Electrical conductivity is retained despite the coating, so the films do not become electrically charged.

Benefits
The effort required to clean the surface nozzles can be reduced by 95% after coating them. Productivity is increased considerably because entire cleaning shifts can be eliminated.

2013 3rd quarter Group results
Impreglon Group on target in the 3rd quarter of 2013.

With sales of 32 million Euros in the 3rd quarter of 2013, the Impreglon Group achieved another record result, thus making it possible to increase sales for the total year from 90 million to 120 million Euros as projected by management. Even more gratifying is the increase of the 3rd quarter net result. After the 2nd quarter already showed an improvement of 66% against the previous year, the 3rd quarter actually rose by an impressive 106%.

Also notable is the continuous EBIT increase to 8.4% of sales in the 3rd quarter. Contributing to the good results was also the new acquisition SKR of Dunningen, Germany, which specializes in metal hardening and heat treatments.

Assuming a stable economy in the 4th quarter the full year 2013 should not only end with record sales but also reach or exceed projected profits allowing management to recommend the payment of a dividend.

With 32 plants in 13 countries on 4 continents Impreglon is one of the global leaders in surface technology.

Impreglon UK goes to the dogs!

To celebrate a successful 2012, Impreglon UK decided to have an evening out at a local dog racing circuit. All members of staff and partners were invited and transport was provided to and from the event in Birmingham. Everyone was even given some spending money. Those who enjoy a flutter made good use of the handout!

New anti-microbial coating launched.

See www.safecoat600.com for more details.

The SafeCoat 600 series (each colour has its own SafeCoat 600 number) is a decorative coating with anti-microbial properties.

SafeCoat 600 series will kill the following microorganisms:

Enterococcus faecalis

Staphylococcus Aureus

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

Bacillus Subtilis

Streptococcus pyogenes

Klebsiella pneumonine

Pseudomonsas aeruginosa

Escherichia Coli

Salmonella cholerasius

Salmonella enteritidis

Legionella

div. Algen

Candida Albicans

Aspergillus Niger

Herpes Simplex

Plus SafeCoat 600 series is a decorative coating so combines functionality with aesthetics.

How does SafeCoat 600 series compare with traditional conventional nanosilver powder coatings? A typical nanosilver coating will start at an effective rate of being able to neutralise about 103 germs per hour though it’s effectivity drops off to zero germs per hour after just a few weeks. SafeCoat 600 series starts with being able to neutralise 5 x 105 germs per hour BUT retains this level for between 5 and 10 years, depending on usage.

Within a hospital environment SafeCoat 600 series can offer a massive benefit. Research in Germany has shown that MRSA infections have risen from less than 2% in 1990 to over 20% in 2012, with around 80,000 patients contracting hospital acquired infections every year. A high proportion of these infected patients die as a result.

SafeCoat 600 series coatings can be used on hand rails, door handles – anything that has to be touched in a mass transport location, along with building services such as water filtration systems and air conditioning ductwork.

Impreglon Germany have worked on the development of SafeCoat 600 series and have successfully trialed it on tram grab rails. Impreglon UK is now in a position to offer SafeCoat 600 series to UK and Ireland clients.

Impreglon Group acquires SKR AG, Dunningen, a heat and hardness treatment company.

Effective August 1, 2013 Impreglon Oberflächentechnik GmbH, Lüneburg has acquired the operation of former SKR AG, Dunningen. With state of the art production equipment and a 'one stop shop' range of the most common heat and hardness processes, SKR established itself as one of the leading service providers.

Depending on the required properties Impreglon offers a broad spectrum of coatings, also now onto surfaces which have been heat or hardness treated. The new acquisition enables Impreglon to offer its customers the complete know how of surface technology from one source.

With 31 plants in 13 countries on 4 continents Impreglon is one of the worldwide leaders in the field of surface technology.

Impreglon Group Grows Despite Weak Economy

Even with no new acquisitions, sales in the second quarter of 2013 rose to a new record of nearly 30 million Euro. With total sales of 58 million Euro for the first half of 2013, it appears that the forecast of 120 million Euro for the year will be achieved. But an even more positive development is the dramatic improvement in profit margins. At 0.13 Euro in the second quarter of 2013, the profit per share nearly doubled compared to the same quarter last year and more than tripled over the results of the first quarter of this year.

If management's expectations are confirmed, with no further weakening of the economy in the second half of 2013 and stabilized sales in the western European automotive industry, the Group targets might even be exceeded. After the acquisition of 'TOP Oberflächen GmbH' in Würzburg, Impreglon is planning to acquire one or two more companies in the course of the rest of this year with the intention to reduce the proportion of automotive business in favour of other sectors.

With 30 plants in 13 countries on four continents around the world, Impreglon is a global leader in surface engineering.

Effective July 1, 2013, Top Oberflächen GmbH of Würzburg has become a 100% daughter company of Impreglon SE, Lüneburg.

Founded in 2000 as a spin-off of the Fraunhofer-Institut, Top Oberflächen develops and produces Nano lacquer and scratchproof coatings for plastic components under clean room conditions. As the Impreglon Group is mainly active in the coating of metal components, the new Top coatings will enable Impreglon to widen its range of services and offer Top products through its worldwide sales network.

With 30 plants in 13 countries on 4 continents around the world, Impreglon is a global leader in surface engineering.

Impreglon UK enjoys a successful show at Subcon 2013.

Subcon 2013 is an exhibition aimed at subcontractors and as Impreglon derives a lot of work from subcontractors, it was felt that exhibiting here would be of benefit. And it was. We had a good position near the centre of the show and welcomed many new prospective clients onto the stand. The general consensus is that this has been a very worthwhile show for Impreglon and management are hopeful of generating new business as a result.

Impreglon Group on target to reach sales of 120 million Euros in 2013.

Despite an economy in Europe and Asia that has been weakening since the last quarter of 2012, the first quarter of 2013 showed increases in both sales and earnings as compared to the previous quarter. Sales reached a record high of almost 29 million Euros, but earnings were heavily influenced by the profit margins of the eight companies acquired in 2012/2013, which were lower than those of the rest of the companies in the group. Added to this are special factors such as plant relocations and the merging of Impreglon Lasertechnik with Maschinenbau Jessenitz to form the new 'Impreglon Engineering,' as well as the costly delay in commissioning of the Ropal production system.

Neither of these factors should have a negative effect on the results beginning in the third quarter. Measures have already been implemented to improve the earnings situation of the new acquisitions. An increase in EBIT of about 500,000 Euros can be expected in the second quarter and will continue to rise throughout the year. In addition to the acquisitions earlier this year, there will be no more than 2 - 3 acquisitions in 2013. Instead, the focus will be on consolidation and increasing earnings of the new companies in the group. The margin situation should continue to improve in 2013.

Impreglon is a global leader in surface engineering.

Rotary Die Anvil Roll Coating




Application
When labels are printed, various shapes and sizes are stamped out of the roll of labels with a rotary die.
Requirements
During the stamping process, the blades on the counter-cutting rotary die need to touch the metal surface of the anvil roll. The surface of the anvil roll needs to be very hard wearing and very smooth, but, even so, can become damaged.
Coating
StarCoat® applied to the anvil roll provides extremely durable protection against wear and effectively protects the anvil roll against damage and wear. Superior to chrome plating, StarCoat® lends itself to being superfinished to achieve the level of smoothness required.
Benefits
Increase in productivity due to more stamping operations. Less frequent repairs and replacements.

StarCoat®
- Extraordinary wear protection

Impreglon Group grows with new technologies and new sites in Germany.


Gossmann-PAC and ALZI Metallveredelung join the Group. Effective January 1, 2013, Impreglon Group has acquired two additional coating companies in Germany (in Bad Camberg and in Wünschendorf/Gera). With their surface technologies both plants ideally complement the 'One Stop Shop' concept of the Group. While Gossmann-PAC is a specialist for robot applied coatings for locking, sealing and sliding which may be applied on top of pre-applied Impreglon surfaces, ALZI adds corrosion protection coatings and complete assembly jobs.

After six acquisitions in the past year management plans to consolidate, improve margins and slightly reduce the speed of acquisitions in 2013. After sales of 90 million Euro in 2012 the group expects to increase sales again in 2013 by 30 million to 120 million Euro.

With currently 30 locations in 13 countries on 4 continents, Impreglon is one of the worldwide leading companies in the field of surface technology.

Impreglon Group surpasses its own sales forecast.

The year 2012 was characterized particularly by the continuation of the 'Buy & Build' strategy. With six acquisitions on four continents in five countries, it was a record-breaking year for the Impreglon group in terms of acquisitions.

Sales rose 20% over the previous year (75 million Euro), with organic growth accounting for about half of that. The preliminary results, particularly EBIT and EBT, were influenced negatively by special factors such as the delayed start up of a new plant and acquisition expenses. After initial analysis of the numbers, management has decided to use 2013 to concentrate on consolidation and to continue the 'Buy & Build' strategy with no more than one or two acquisitions and without capital increases.

The group companies' budgets as well as re-emerging economic optimism are reasons for management to confidently anticipate 2013.
With 28 plants in 13 countries on four continents around the world, Impreglon is a global leader in surface engineering.

Sales for the full year 2012 were 90,888k Euro, up from 75,485k Euro for 2011.

Coating Solutions for the mining industry that increase profits and productivity

For many years Impreglon has been providing solutions for extreme wear and corrosion in the mining industry. Our coatings were developed with our customers in mind for the most demanding applications. Impreglon applies ceramic and carbide coatings with hardness levels of up to 69 Rc. These coatings greatly increase wear resistance while optimizing mating properties on sealing surfaces.

Our wide array of coatings can be matched to the corrosive environments, both liquid and gaseous, to optimize corrosion resistance. By tightly controlling spray parameters we can achieve low porosity coatings (in some cases less than 1%) and in other cases we can seal the porosity to prevent penetration of corrosive agents. Call us today to speak to one of our experienced staff about the many ways we can help to improve your bottom line.

guy@impreglon.co.uk or 01827 871400.

Coating Solutions for the Power Generation industry.

Impreglon  has served the power generation industry for many years. Our unique coatings are developed to withstand corrosion, wear and extremely high temperatures. These properties are crucial when working with the demanding challenges of both on shore and off shore power generation plant. Call our experienced staff today to find out how we can help you solve your most complex issues.


Wind Turbines

One of the most significant problems with wind turbines is atmospheric corrosion. This becomes even more crucial when the wind turbine is placed in saltwater environments. Thermal spray coatings are a better option than traditional paint coatings. Thermally sprayed Aluminium or Zinc coatings from Impreglon offer a much more durable finish while paint coatings are very susceptible to damage. Our coatings will greatly increase the life of your components no matter where they may be located. With our wide range of coatings and our experienced staff, Impreglon can offer our customers a customized solution.