New Pilot Coater Helps Contract Manufacturer Expand

…excerpt from Converting Magazine January 2010

High-tech coating extends far beyond medical films to solar energy, fuel cells and flexible electronics.

A recently-installed pilot coater from Faustel has helped Carestream Health, Inc. stay versatile and flexible, attracting new customers who work with Carestream’s solid technical staff to explore new coated substrates.

“This operation is intended to help customers by providing fast and low-cost production and process-development capability,” says Bruno Merry, general manager of Carestream’s Advanced Materials group. “In the few months since the pilot coater was commissioned, we’ve been very happy with the number of people who have taken advantage of the facility.”

The Faustel LabMaster line is described as a “Plug & Play”—pre-engineered pilot coater/laminators designed for R&D and narrow-web production coating/laminating. Pre-engineering allows both a lower price and a shortened delivery cycle. The compact unit arrived at the facility preassembled on a unitized frame. There was virtually no mechanical installation, no electrical interconnections to be made, and no internal ducting was required, Merry explains.

“Our coating operation is now more versatile and flexible since adding the pilot coater,” says Merry. “Potential customers can use it for small-volume production, product development, and to experiment with various combinations of substrates and coatings,”