Advantages of Slot Coating Technology

Advantages of Slot Coating Technology

Slot coating technology offers several major benefits when compared to traditional roll coating technology. Customers have reported considerable cost savings and process improvements as a result of partnering with Nordson to make the switch to slot coating.

Benefits of Slot Coating vs. Roll Coating

• Improve coating fluid yields with a pre-metered slot die system that applies all of the coating f luid to the substrate via a positive displacement pump and slot die.

• Achieve coating property consistency with a closed slot coating system, designed to reduce contamination and emission of volatiles while maintaining consistent fluid properties throughout the entire production run.

• Boost end product yields with a uniform coat weight produced by the slot die’s manifold geometry, which is designed to uniformly distribute the fluid based on its rheology.

• Increase production rates with a slot coating system, allowing for better control of the crossweb uniformity and capability to increase the percentage of solids, thus reducing drying time.

• Reduce downtime for product changeovers with a slot die designed for a large window of coating widths and thicknesses.

• Expand production capabilities with a multi-layer slot die designed to apply up to 3 fluids in one pass.

Nordson offers converters slot die coating systems that deliver a precise, uniform flow to the web at a constant rate. Premier™ Fixed Lip and Ultracoat™ Flexible Lip Slot Dies are custom designed for a wide range of fluids, including solvent and water-based coating, slurries, paint, hard coating, UV curable, adhesives, and many more.

At our dedicated facility, experienced technicians use state-of-the-art equipment to manufacture multi-layer slot dies to precise tolerances after precision grinding and hand lapping. The result is a die that is not only flat and straight, but also has an exceptionally uniform slot gap.

No matter what your coating needs are – from laboratory devices to production systems for adhesives, magnetic media, paint, solar, glass coating and more – a customdesigned slot die system will increase your production efficiency and provide significant cost savings.

Features of Nordson Slot Die Technology

• Die manifolds are custom-designed to specific coating requirements using our proprietary die manifold software and fluid rheology supplied by customer for each fluid that will be used.

• A variety of options available, including fixed lip dies for improved coating consistency and f lexible lip dies for better control of coating process parameters.

• Full System Solution: Single & Multi-layer Dies, Die Positioners & Stations, and Fluid Delivery Systems.

Case Study Application: Electronic Components

Key Considerations:

Coat weight thickness reduction to 5.7gsm

• Self-metered slot technology with precision die to web gap control

• Addition of vacuum system to control lay down of coating at thin coating weights 

Coat weight tolerance - yield improvement

•   High precision flatness of dies  (< 2μm)

Success Factors: 

Thickness control

• Cross web uniformity (2%)

• Thinner coatings (2.5 micron dry)

• No edge bead 

Yield increases

• Reduce streaking

• Eliminate bubbles and repellencies

• Reduce web breaks

Case Study Application: PSA Label Adhesive

Key Considerations: 

• Supplying a bubble-free delivery system 

• Quicker product changeover 

• Operator training

Success Factors:  

Coat wider range of products

• Thickness ranges from 10 to 200 microns

• Viscosities from 20 cps to 3,000 cps

• Coating width 

Yield Improvements

• Downtime

• Line speed increases

• Defect reduction