Liquid Coating & Laminating Tips | Part I

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The first step in building a world-class liquid coating line is properly defining the application. Product development in flexible packaging, labels, tapes, window film and paint protection present challenges to both converters and machinery manufacturers. Whether considering a new coating line or running new applications on an existing line, it&#;s important to evaluate various parameters to optimize production. This first blog will cover key questions to help establish a baseline as well as information on coater selection and coating formulations.

Key Questions:

1. What substrates are to be coated?
2. In what order are the webs coated?
3. What are the limitations of the web temperature and tension?
4. What are the parameters for web handling, tension, roll diameters and weight?
5. What are the surface treatment levels and requirements (i.e. corona, flame)
6. What are the formulations?
7. How do the formulations get applied to the web?
8. How do you dry the formulation?
9. What are the safety and design parameters of the formulation?

Here is a generic product structure defining the order in which the product is produced.

After answering those questions, take a look at coater selection.

Parameters considered here include:

• Line speed
• Substrates
• Coating formulation
• Finished criteria
• End-use
• And appearance

You&#;ll also want to consider your geographic location, local regulations and workforce capabilities.

Basic coater types include:

• Gravure
• Reverse roll
• Slot die
• Rod coater
• Smooth roll
• Air-knife
• Curtain coater
• Dip and squeeze
• Knife-over-roll
• Hot melt
• And other variations

Evaluating coating formulations comes next.

Properties for assessment include:

• Functionality
• Coat weight
• Wet thickness
• Solids
• Viscosity
• Shear stability
• Percentage of each component
• Percentage of coverage
• pH, whether it is solvent or water-based
• And application speed and temperature

In the next blog, we will take a look at the types of liquid coating substrates and characteristics, substrate surface tension/corona treatment guidelines and dryer selection.

Do you have questions or comments about this blog post? We&#;re happy to hear from you &#; comment below.

If you have any questions regarding our liquid coating machines, please visit: https://davis-standard.com/converting_system/liquid-coating/ or marketing at .

Cheers,

The D-S Connect Blog Team

As sales and demand begin to rise and successively, production output, there are two primary considerations during this transition. Do you organically grow and increase in-house capacity and resources? Or, do you outsource production to a contract manufacturer? There are many benefits to contract manufacturing and to APV, outsourcing is the fastest and least risky strategy to meet business demands with efficiency and certainty. As one of the Top 25 North American Paint and Coatings Manufacturers recognized by PCI Magazine, APV offers the following 10 major tips and questions to consider when finding a manufacturer that works best for your business.

1) Does outsourcing really fit my strategy?

First and foremost, you should ask yourself: how would outsourcing meet my short and long-term goals? Alan Lakein says it best; &#;failing to plan is planning to fail.&#; Have an honest discussion with your manufacturing partner about your vision. This includes current demand, long-term volume projections or growth modules, as well as strategies to acquire additional opportunities for growth. 

Are you interested in learning more about coating line suppliers? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

Why? Manufacturers want trusted partners and to be a part of your business operations, not just &#;jobs&#;. They want to understand your world, so be transparent! A manufacturing partner will do what it takes to be supportive and empathize through challenges or growing pains. With empathy comes the willingness to be flexible and adapt. APV prides itself on its relationships with long-term customers. Today, these customers have very different business strategies compared to 20 years ago and as a partner, we have adapted to the changes that can range from economic impact to supply chain to consumer demand to product formulation additions or modifications, etc.  

2) What price will produce your required profit?

At APV, we ask this simple question upfront: what is your price target? Why do we ask this? We want to identify if our pricing will align before we get further into the contract. If pursuing a B2B partnership, it is important to talk openly about this first thing. Both companies should humbly identify what pricing (or profit) do we need to be successful. We use the word humbly, as there are many factors to consider alongside the ideal price; for example, product quality involves the quality of raw materials and specific manufacturing processes needed to meet QC specifications. To accommodate these factors, it almost always demands a higher cost, so consider the tradeoff to a low price target. 

Another important factor, concerning price target, is the total cost savings of outsourcing. Take into consideration the total savings from decreased labor, raw material procurement, overhead, and cap-ex such as new equipment and manufacturing space for increasing capacity. Do not just look at the price of the product. Other secondary benefits to outsourcing that contribute to price target, profit and also risk level include: reduced scrap, minimal handling and/or inventory of raw materials and finished goods, quality control is owned by the contract manufacturer, to name a few.

3) Do you need research and development assistance or strictly toll producing an existing recipe? Is the answer the same for your short- and long-term growth strategies?

At APV, we believe that manufacturers looking to outsource should find a partner that offers R&D in addition to manufacturing services. Ten percent of APV&#;s staff are chemists and experts in their fields in both water-based and solvent-based technologies. Sometimes a product formulation is nearly complete but needing one additional property or tweak. Maybe after years of maturity in the marketplace, a product needs a differentiation characteristic to inspire increased sales. Here is an example. APV has manufactured a long-term customer&#;s clear top finish for flexible vinyl used in the architectural industry for structures and tents. Years later, in certain environments, there had been complaints of mold growth on the product. After a couple of discussions, APV was able to incorporate a unique anti-microbial additive and modify their original formula to solve this performance issue while staying within the price target. This is a great example of a true partnership and adapting to challenges to succeed together.

4) Take a second look at the Non-Disclosure Agreement.

Not all NDA&#;s are created equal; however, most of them are difficult to read! We get it. However, you will want to make sure that the NDA is what we call &#;two way.&#; Meaning, that it protects both companies. Either APV or our customer will produce an NDA between companies. Both parties must be fully protected, and it is a key first step in establishing a mutually beneficial relationship for the long haul. 

5) Who will be sourcing, buying, and inventorying the raw materials and packaging?

The answer to this question plays a major role in the price target tip #2 as well. Identify if you are looking for a complete turn-key operation from your contract manufacturer or would like to handle some or all the ingredient sourcing, ordering, and inventory management. APV has a dedicated team and assigned sales representative that works together to makes sure materials arrive on time before batches being made. Whether internally handled or working directly with outside buyers, APV is very accustomed to supporting a variety of different buying options. 

6) Ask the contract manufacturer, what is the standard lead time, and how often are orders ready on time? Ask yourself, what are the effects of a late order to my business?

Lead time commitments are imperative to running a successful business operation. When evaluating multiple contract manufacturers, the answer to this question could make or break an outsourcing contract. This question is sometimes overlooked until later in the discussion. At APV, we let our clients know up front that we have a standard three week lead time and continually track on time and late orders. We also track the reason why orders were late so that we can learn and fix any reoccurring issues. Currently, our on-time delivery rate is over 90%.

7) Ask the contract manufacturer about communication.

There are many circumstances where consistent and clear communication is critical. Don&#;t forget to ask how often you will be communicated with about things such as the status of your orders, when production is in process, the timing of shipments, payments, and terms, etc. Also, who specifically do you reach out to when you have questions. APV takes a team approach to this providing a direct line of communication to multiple staff members including a technical sales representative, customer service representative, and chemist. All personnel is in constant communication with each other as well as production and shipping. When customers call in, they reach a real person in the office who can direct them to the appropriate person. The goal is to get questions answered as quickly as possible.

8) What are your requirements for Quality Control and how will a prospective contract manufacturer fulfill this?

Most coating formulations require a standard range of QC specifications such as gloss, viscosity, color, particle size, etc. Does your formulation require a unique criterion that needs to be measured in every batch? The testing and quality checks required are based on the formulation and specified by the customer. Finding out if a prospective contract manufacturer is certified to any formal quality standards and will conduct additional testing needed can make or break your decision to move forward with them. APV&#;s large QC laboratory is fully equipped for a variety of standard and industry-specific testing. Certified to ISO quality standards, we take a customized approach with our customers and test and record all standards and additional specifications required. We also inventory batch retain samples for future reference if needed. 

9) Learn about your options for shipping.

It is essential to learn what your options are for shipping your products efficiently, timely, and at the lowest cost. Identify where the product needs to go whether international or domestic and the process for paying for shipping. Also, depending on the hazards of the product formulation, offering the contract manufacturer&#;s regulatory team the product&#;s Safety Data Sheet upfront will be critical in learning if it can be shipped to the desired location. Also, maybe you require products to be shipped to one warehouse or drop-shipped to multiple locations. All shipping details are important to provide a contract manufacturer. early on. APV&#;s regulatory and shipping departments offer vast knowledge and experience that can help ensure products arrive efficiently and as quickly as needed.

10) What happens to production in the event of a natural disaster or a government shutdown?

The COVID-19 pandemic, fires, or other unexpected events can be detrimental to production. When making the decision to outsource your manufacturing needs, reliability is key. A secure plan in place to follow when the unfortunate happens is critical to long-term success. APV is an essential business that services a variety of key industries in the country and globally. We have two separate manufacturing facilities in Akron with different utilities and fire suppression systems, as well as duplicate manufacturing equipment at each location to sustain production in the event of a disaster. 

Thanks for reading this quick guide on important considerations when outsourcing manufacturing. If you need help manufacturing any liquid chemical product such as paints, primers, inks, disinfectants, cleaners, etc., please reach out to us to discuss your needs at , 330.773., or www.apvcoatings.com.

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