Electronics
Electronics
Steel belt-based film casting and thin film lamination
Smartphone screens and a range of LCD, LED, and plasma technologies are increasing the demand for high-performance optical film, which relies on precision casting. There is also a growing demand for thin film for use in circuit boards. IPCO’s innovative continuous casting system based on steel belt technology dramatically improves on earlier processes. We also offer double-belt presses specifically designed for multilayer film lamination. Find out more.
How IPCO addresses the challenges of working with thin film
Greater control for optimal results
Our film casting unit applies a uniform layer of liquid product onto a highly polished stainless steel belt with outstanding consistency of thickness and a high level of tolerance. The standard process is for the belt to carry the product through a Venturi dryer for the quick and efficient evaporation phase. The result is a film that is almost completely free of tension, both laterally and longitudinally. The product is then removed from the belt in either finished or ‘green’ form.
Throughout the process speed, temperature distribution, moisture levels and air speed are all controlled, giving greater efficiency, higher production rates, and superior quality.
The key components of the process are:
Film casting unit based around a super-mirror-polished steel belt
Venturi dryer
Steel belt film casting unit
These units offer:
Ultra-efficient, continuous production
Ability to cast extremely thin films
Film thickness/flatness to fine tolerances
High film clarity
Multiple process zones within one machine
Low stress in the formed film
Complete polymerization
Ability to produce films from materials that can’t be thermoformed (e.g. polyamide)
Can be supplied with super mirror-polished or fine-ground belts as required
Venturi dryer
The dryer was developed in close collaboration with TSE Troller. It uses a permeable metal foam above the film, to which a flow of tempered air is applied from above. This creates a low negative pressure where the air meets the film for a constant, even suction flow that delivers a homogenous drying effect. The result: improved product quality and reduced drying times.
The dryer offers:
Significant increase in product quality
High energy efficiency
Prevention of skin formation
Thickness profile to precise tolerances
Homogenous laminar flow
Elimination of imperfections and faults
Two-dimensional homogenous drying profile
Minimized thermally induced shrinkage
Significant increase in product quality
Significant reduction in drying section length
Film laminating with Thermopress SB double belt press
This specialist double belt press offers:
Flat, hard and smooth surface for a high-quality finish · High thermal conductivity for efficient, controlled pressing
Strength and durability for maximum productivity
Anti-corrosion and wear-resistant properties
Ability to work at high temperatures and under high pressure
Solutions tailored to you
IPCO can supply and install individual film casting system components, a fully integrated system or complete turnkey solutions incorporating application such as slot dies. We are very happy to work in partnership with technology manufacturers to develop the ideal processes for you. This may include exploratory work to develop and test solutions at our Productivity Center near Stuttgart.
IPCO’s credentials in industrial processing equipment
Experience
50+ years
Designing and supplying specialist steel belt technology for the electronics industry.
Global support
80+
Service technicians spread over more than 25 countries.
Sustainable approach
60%
Of our 2023 energy consumption was from renewable sources.
Your partner in high-productivity steel belt-based film casting and film sheet lamination
IPCO’s super-mirror-polished steel belts
In working with thin film, whether casting or laminating, the material on which it is processed directly affects the quality of the end-product. Our super-mirror-polished steel belts and double belt presses are ideal. For the highest-grade surfaces we use a steel with very low inclusion levels, to deliver an exceptionally smooth, high-quality surface for film and film laminates without imperfections.
The steel we use comes in three grades: 1000SA, 1200SA and 1650SM.
Film casting
The need for precision-engineered, high-performance film has never been greater, but it can be challenging for high-volume production.
The more traditional method of extrusion with calendering rolls has limitations when working with polymers and is unable to cope with solutions (with solvents) that require high levels of heat for evaporation. That’s why IPCO has developed a process based around our super-mirror-polished steel belts for continuous high-quality film casting. The process is designed to make optical thin film of a quality no other method can match, via an ultra-efficient production process.
The continuous casting process relies on the exceptional surface quality provided by the IPCO steel belt, which transports the cast layer through a series of carefully controlled phases involving heat and mass transfer via evaporation or through a separation process in a precipitation section.
The process is suitable for, among other products:
CPI film – a colorless and transparent high-temperature-resistant polymer optical film used for flexible and LED screen technology, printed circuit boards, photovoltaic cells and battery manufacture
TAC film – cellulose triacetate, a protective polarizing optical film used in LCD displays
LCP film – liquid crystal polymer, a thermoplastic with a highly ordered structure that can be used as an insulation layer in 5G circuitry
Film or sheet lamination with IPCO Thermopress SB double belt press
Films that are used as a substrate for the displays on smartphones and notebook pcs, as well as circuit boards, require an extra processing phase in which they are laminated in a specialized process within a high-quality double belt press system.
IPCO Thermopress SB is designed to produce high-quality thermoset/thermoplastic composite materials. Its ability to heat and cool under isochoric or isobaric pressure in one continuous process ensures easy and reliable production of a uniform product. Controlled heating, reaction, cooling, pressing and tempering are combined into a single modular system with all the controls needed to ensure efficient operation and optimum quality.
Industry processes
Processes we support
Conveying
Efficiently transfer materials and products across various stages of industrial production.
Freezing
IPCO’s advanced freezing systems with stainless steel belts ensure faster cooling, product quality, and exceptional energy efficiency.
Oil skimming
IPCO’s steel belt oil skimmers deliver fast, efficient oil removal from water for reliable performance across industries.
Drying and dehydration
IPCO’s drying systems deliver precise moisture control and superior product quality across industries.
IPCO solutions
Solutions we provide
Steel belts
Since 1901, our steel belts have been the backbone of industrial efficiency, driving reliability and performance in every process we’re part of.
Double belt presses
IPCO’s modular double belt presses can seamlessly integrate numerous processes into one continuous system, for efficient production at scale.
Venturi dryer
Effortlessly evaporate solvents and perfect your film casting process with our innovative, tension-free drying technology.
Thin film casting systems
IPCO’s high precision thin film casting systems enable the production of film products to exceptionally narrow tolerances.
Partner with us
We work together with our customers to design and demonstrate the process in one of our productivity centers. We can also help you select the most suitable accessories, such as cleanroom or packaging equipment.
Get in touch
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