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Addex has partnered with Pearl Technologies to create a very robust, “smart” bubble cage that will debut at K 2022 in Dusseldorf, Germany. The cage features Addex’s proprietary 100% pure digital automatic controls. The Addex + Pearl Digital Bubble Cage provides smooth, consistent bubble-diam control and features Pearl’s unique patented cage arm technology. Each cage arm is fabricated from a lightweight custom aluminum extrusion with a smooth, fully radiused active surface that always faces the bubble. Surface-modified with Pearl’s SM24 “Extreme-Slip” ultra-low COF hard coat material, the resulting design offers extremely long wear life and superior quality film without blemishes, tracks, or chatter marks.

Addex has engineered control over stepper motors to perform precise repeatable axis adjustment for vertical positioning of the cage, as well as the horizontal adjustment for bubble diameter fully integrated with their fully digital IBC Control System (DIBC).

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Addex claims this is not your standard industry bubble cage. Addex’s corporate depth of process knowledge coupled with an overarching objective to make equipment that is downright operator-friendly was the impetus behind this “smart” Bubble Cage + DIBC and the resulting Å - Operator Assist technology that goes along with it. Additionally, all the components of the system are remote service friendly, allowing maintenance-friendly diagnoses/troubleshooting from afar, avoiding delayed and costly in-person technical service calls.

Photo: Addex

Upon startup, the operator loads a previously memorized setpoint and the Dcage + DIBC automatically adjust themselves, making for faster, greener changeovers, freeing the operator to focus attention elsewhere. Setups are saved similar to seat adjustments in a car, and once selected, DIBC sensors are linked with the digital cage positioning — if the system sees the bubble coming too close it won’t allow the cage to come in too tight. It feeds on all of its inputs to decide what to do — ensuring success for every operator, novice or experienced.

Addex’s Digital IBC Control (DIBC) uses patented, split, fully-digital ultrasonic sensors that eliminate errors caused by interference common to other systems and enable the air flow intake and exhaust to react to the slightest changes in bubble size, all the while retaining high precision and accuracy over the resulting bubble size. Additionally, a fully digital stepper motor valve control retains this high degree of precision to ensure tighter control over the entire process, as well as repeatability.

Also new to the Addex line-up and displayed as part of the Digital Bubble Control System is the Short Stack Intensive Cooling, the latest iteration of Addex’s patented Intensive Cooling technology. Short Stack is an enclosed two-level, stacked Intensive Cooling system that guarantees 15-20% output gains with low-melt strength materials that typically are impossible to run on other raised-up cooling systems, and up to 50% gains with easier to run, high-melt strength materials. 

Addex’s CSS system offering also includes quality-enhancing gauge control, provided by the Addex EGC (External Gauge Control) Intensive Cooling auto-profile air ring, which sits atop the Short Stack and controls 100% of the airflow to the air ring. Fully digital, very high resolution of the control is assured by a multitude of control zones that can be moved to any “in” or “out” position within each channel.

Addex’s proprietary mapping software processes the raw profile input from several profiler options, including the Kundig K-500 Rotamat KT thickness measuring system (showing a K 2022), plus all other Kundig and NDC profiling options. The mapper combines profiler signals with feedback from reversing haul-off position and nip roll speed to achieve 1° film profile mapping—producing best-in-industry twist and turn compensation due to Addex’s sophisticated mapping. Kundig rotomat mounting points are included standard, providing excellent stability support for the bubble that keeps the bubble on center for better quality profiles that translates into enhanced film quality.