You are seeking for superior film-reel edges, slit quality, and enhanced machinery reliability to optimize your production's uptime? Then the key may well lie in your choice of industrial razor blades.
Importance of Film slitting
Thanks to our long experience we have found that the quality of film slitting is intrinsically tied to the selection of the blade for the job. Consequently, we embarked on a comprehensive study focused on film slitting to ascertain the profound impact of razorblade selection on the quality of the slit. This investigation was a collaborative effort between ExxonMobil Chemical and Fortisblades.
The test on mLLDPE
Our rigorous test took place at the European Technology Center in Brussels, Belgium, under the supervision of the Processing Application Converting Technology (PACT) team and a quality controller from Fortisblades. In this experiment, we assessed the slitting performance of three different razorblades and a Fortisblade on a monolayer of metallocene-catalyzed linear low-density PE (mLLDPE) film over a continuous five-hour period. At the conclusion of each hour during this test, we inspected the blade edges and sampled the film.
Results of different industrial razorblades
Using a microscope, we inspected the films cut by the various blades for the presence of dust particles, in addition to conducting visual inspections for the "postage stamp" effect along the edges.
Elongated film edge
After five hours, the film edge slit by the all-purpose razor blade clearly shows a “postage stamp” effect. On the film edges slit by the standard industrial blade and the tin-coated blade, there was friction between the film and the blade, and consequently, film elongation, thus a “postage stamp” effect. The Fortisblade resulted in a straight and clean cut.
Generally, a roll of poorly slit film can easily be recognized by the high reel edges. There is a noticeable difference between the reel edge resulting from an all-purpose razor blade and the straight reel edge coming from the Fortisblade.
Dust particle forming
An additional effect is the formation of dust particles. In this test we also see a clear decline in dust particles when using Fortisblades. Dust particles can lead to winding problems and rejection of the roll by the customer.
Reducing unplanned downtime
Using the wrong blade can lead to premature wear and potentially cause unplanned downtime. Different razorblades are designed for specific materials and tasks. Choose a razorblade that is suitable for the material you need to cut and you will obtain a longer blade lifetime.
Conclusion
The results of this test display that slitting performance is greatly influenced by the type of blade that is chosen. When choosing a blade, keep the following benefits in mind:
- Increased uptime of machine
- Safety and extended blade lifespan – A longer blade life results in a lower replacement frequency, reducing the inherent risks associated with blade changes
- Consistent cutting for straight reel edges
- Smooth winding and unwinding
- Fewer wrinkle
- Improved laminating and printing quality
- Enhanced slitting performance for dust elimination
- Film solutions for clean-room applications
- Improved print and laminating quality
- Reduced maintenance through less dust removal
