Fast-paced, high-volume production facilities cannot afford downtime caused by poorly performing packaging equipment. Several conditions can harm the surfaces of packaging machines and, in turn, affect performance including: friction and wear, build-up and release problems caused by sticky substances and sanitation issues. Achieving maximum uptime for your packaging operation comes down to selecting the best protection method for your equipment.

General Magnaplate’s engineered coatings can permanently enhance the surface of metals and substrates in machines to address threats and keep packaging operations productive. Each “synergistic” coating is formulated to meet specific performance requirements for the intended application. Unlike paint-on alternatives, they become an integral part of the substrate and transform parts into chemical-resistant, super-hard, dry-lubricated products. And many General Magnaplate surface-enhancement coatings include FDA-compliant versions to ensure surfaces are non-porous and moisture proof.

Find Solutions to Common Packaging Problems

Here are some common packaging applications and their typical challenges, along with examples of surface enhancement coatings that can address them:

• Build-up and sticking. Adhesives, glues, packing films, inks and product residues can clog packaging equipment surfaces and cause shutdowns or additional maintenance measures.
  • Plasmadize® is well-suited to prevent adhesive buildup on packaging equipment. Unwanted materials simply fall right off as soon as they dry.
  • Nedox® offers excellent mold release and easy cleanup without the use of caustic chemicals and bleaches. Application examples include chutes with sticky products and preventing ink residues from forming on splash guards.
  • TNS™ coatings are formulated to provide good release from hot melt glues, pressure sensitive adhesives and other materials.
  • Tufram® permits quick and easy cleanup of both glues and inks.
• Stick-release during sealing. In many cases, conventional coatings and tapes may be too soft, or their thermal insulation properties may require users to artificially raise temperatures just to get a proper seal.
  • Nedox coatings are thermally conductive and offer better release properties, durability and wear resistance.
  • Plasmadize features permanent non-stick dry lubricity to prevent adhesive buildup on heat sealing bars and provides excellent wear resistance.
• Friction and abrasive wear. Equipment with movable parts can impact other parts of the machine. For example, aluminum arms can scrape the sides and bottoms of chutes, causing friction and slow operation speeds. And high-volume strapping machines can potentially wear out steel and aluminum components.
  • Plasmadize resolves wear and friction problems in sliding applications such as chutes and carousels.
  • Tufram protects aluminum parts against friction and creates super-hard, non-peeling surfaces that eliminate premature wear.
  • Nedox can permanently lubricate stainless steel components to prevent abrasive wear.
  • Magnaplate HMF® creates an ultra-hard surface and offers a very low coefficient of friction.
• Film and overwrap challenges. Wrapped products require a perfectly smooth, attractive finish, so packaging equipment cannot cause scratches or bubbles. In addition, dried glues tend to stick to packaging equipment. Protective coatings must resist wear, offer high lubricity and a low coefficient of friction (COF).
  • Nedox HMF imparts an ultra-hard micro finish that cannot flake, peel or rub off and has an exceptionally low COF.
  • Magnaplate HCR® fortifies aluminum parts with ultra-hard, corrosion resistant non-stick surfaces for attractive, trouble-free packages.
  • Plasmadize offers excellent lubricity to prevent glues from sticking to all base metals.
• Clean-up. Sanitation must be thorough and simple to accomplish.
  • Nedox creates a non-porous surface that helps eliminate potential mold growth.
  • Magnaplate HMF. Very few solid substances adhere to the coating, which makes cleaning easier.

General Magnaplate engineers learn your needs early in the process in order to fine-tune your coating options. We work with a wide range of metal substrates, and we have established process controls and material composition standards so you can be sure your optimal coating will have consistent, repeatable quality.

The Right Coating Ensures Trouble-Free Operation

Fast, efficient plant operations depend on reliable performance from a host of packaging machines. That means protective coatings must satisfy the particular needs of each packaging application and component. General Magnaplate engineers surface enhancement coatings that stand up to the challenges facing your packaging equipment. These synergistic coatings give your surfaces the performance attributes necessary to run trouble-free and keep pace with today’s high-speed factory processes.

For more information about synergistic coatings for packaging applications, click here.

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