ALPHA MARATHON Film Extrusion Technologies has introduced its AMDS die technology, which offers blown film manufacturers more flexibility to design rugged film structures for use in end markets such as packaging, health care, food, agriculture and construction.

The design is based on AMDS module, which has two identical spiral channels flowing in opposite directions, officials said. This lessens the gauge variation of each individual layer and improves the overall thickness uniformity. By combining these two layers, any gauge variation in one layer will be cancelled by the other, and this produces a stronger and more uniform final product.

A computer simulation program designs the geometry of the low-pressure, multilayer AMDS dies based on the resin's behavior as it flows through a blown film die, officials said. The dies have a flow-mixing channel that ensures proper homogenization of the melt flow.

These patent -pending, layer sequence flow-mixing channels are used to homogenize the melt entering the die pin area just before the layering of the film structure, officials said. This will allow processors to modify the film's structure to meet future requirements in packaging, health care, food, agriculture and construction industries.

AMDS die technology boasts a stackable design, which provides superior streamlining and mixing of melt flow
 

Decreased residence time and streamlined polymer distribution modules allow for rapid purging and order changes. This results in dramatic improvements in productivity and scrap reduction.

The AMDS has a stackable design, which provides superior streamlining and mixing of melt flow, officials said. The design features interlayer temperature isolation, which helps improve film properties. There is a feedblock system, which is newly patented, that allows the two separate layers of melt to flow in two different directions. This means that processors can extrude two different materials in the same disk and duplicate the number of layers but also allow new materials to be introduced to the film's structure.

 

A patented feedblock system allows the two separate layers of melt to flow in two different directions

 

The AMDS dies are designed for simplicity and flexibility to add layers to the die configuration. They are available with three to 50 modules (up to 100 layers) and in die sizes of 100mm to 1,000mm.