Consumables
Meech International Aims for Clean Sweep at Labelexpo 2009
Monday 13. July 2009 - Meech International will firmly position itself at Labelexpo as a major supplier of web cleaning technologies, with the official worldwide launch of ShearClean.
This non-contact system is the latest addition to the Witney, UK manufacturers line-up of web cleaning systems and is suitable for sectors ranging from narrow web label printing (litho, gravure, flexo) and converting to food packaging and pharmaceutical applications.
“The addition of ShearClean to the Meech range opens up a whole new range of applications where contact cleaning systems may not be the method of choice,” says Adam Battrick, International Product Manager, Cleaning Systems. “Examples might include scratch-prone finishes, substrates featuring special coatings or decorative labels destined for premium consumer goods.
“ShearCleans principle of operation is unique in the markets we are targeting and we believe its ease of installation, its effectiveness in removing dust and debris from an extensive range of materials and its low running costs, will make it attractive to companies operating in a variety of markets who are looking to improve the productivity and quality of their lines. Indeed, pre-launch trials have shown extremely encouraging results.”
ShearClean can be supplied to match any reel width up to 1.2 metres and equipment speeds of up to 400 metres per minute. The system simultaneously cleans both sides of the web and can be used with materials as diverse as paper or film. Printers wanting to remove debris from the web prior to printing could fit ShearClean before the first unit, while pre-printed reels could be cleaned before packaging.
ShearClean incorporates two cotton-covered rollers, which are positioned 0.5 mm either side of the web. The rollers spin at high speed – 4,000 RPM and upwards in the opposite direction to that of the web and the air currents generated break up the boundary layer on the surface of the web, allowing the highly effective vacuum system to remove particles that were held in that layer.
ShearClean can be tailored to suit customers requirements not just in terms of size but also in sophistication. For instance, Meech can provide various control upgrades to create a fully programmable unit. The company has also made use of its expertise in static control and has incorporated static elimination equipment into ShearClean, which significantly improves the effectiveness of the cleaning process.
Representing Meechs superior range of contact web cleaners will be the Tornado F4. “The Tornado F4 is easier to install than any other contact web cleaning system on the market, resulting in dramatically reduced installation costs,” says Adam Battrick. Having drawn on the experience the company has gained from installing more than 200 web cleaning systems at customer sites during the design process, the Tornado F4 is a highly efficient and effective system. Aimed at label, digital and carton printers plus bag making manufacturers, the Tornado F4 is available for single sided cleaning of webs up to 1,200 mm wide and for double sided cleaning of webs up to 600 mm wide.
In addition to Meechs web cleaning technologies, the company will exhibit the 977CM, an innovative technology that breaks new ground in the field of electrostatic control and enables customers to significantly increase their process productivity and profitability. The 977CM, which features a fully automated closed-loop feedback system, boasts a sensor bar that detects residual voltages on web paths and rewinds and communicates with the 977CM unit to instruct it to tune its output thereby ensuring the best possible charge neutralisation for the current operating conditions.
ShearClean can be seen on the Meech International stand (9 G-26) throughout Labelexpo and will be available from the companys worldwide network of subsidiaries and distributor.