MWES Doubles Customer Productivity With New Web Handling Equipment

Published: June 27, 2019

When a mid-size web handling company turned to Midwest Engineered Systems (MWES) with the need to explore a more dynamic and consolidated version of their existing silicone coating web handling process, MWES delivered a new system that increases production capacity and the overall cost effectiveness. MWES prides itself with taking on web handling projects others find too difficult, this task was no different.

“This installation offers our customer next level capability that has the ability to scale along with business growth,” said Steve Bougie vice president of web handling. “We achieved this by listening to our customers’ needs and providing a system that provides growth capabilities for now and the future.”

The customer’s process had a number of challenges that made the system unable to keep up with demand. The new system was designed to address the need for greater flexibility and speed through a bigger shaftless unwind, along with a more advanced inline printing system where ink is applied and coated in the same process. These aspects are needed for the ability to print more efficiently at a higher rate of speed. The system also allowed the printing and coating in the same pass to keep up with demand.

MWES engineers used their skills and knowledge earned from developing and implementing other highly complex web handling systems to design a new system to address the need for greater flexibility and speed. MWES integrated a bigger shaftless unwind, along with a more advanced inline printing system where ink is applied and coated in the same process to help boost system performance. The system also was built with a certain extensibility in mind ensuring the system remains relevant and useful for years to come.

MWES delivered a solution that addressed the customers’ needs while creating the opportunity to increase production by 30 percent. A new three roll coater made the coat weight process much more precise allowing for better results with less material. Overall cost effectiveness was achieved through a bigger shaftless unwind allowing the movement for different types of material at a larger size.

Read more about the web design process MWES built for silicone coating line at https://www.mwes.com/silicone-coating-line