How Marketing Conditions are Changing Machine Builders Direction, 1997 Polymers, Laminations & Coatings Conference Proceedings

Over the past decade, the product changes by film and lamination users, and the advancements in raw materials, have caused the equipment manufacturer to redesign their equipment to meet these changing requirements. Over the next decade this trend will continue and ever increasing requirements will require the OEM’s to further redesign, upgrade and automate the product lines.

These equipment changes are being driven increasing efforts in:

-Cost controls
-Increased packaging machine speed
-Substrate quality
-Market attractiveness
-Gauge reduction
-Government regulation

Blown film has been considered the low end technology and, therefore, has been the slowest to address those customer requirements. Over the last decade, blown film technology has changed dramatically, but today only 3-4% of blown film is manufactured using the new technology available. This paper will discuss the driver that will push 40-50% of the blown film producers to utilize these technologies.