Mark's Coating Matters

Published: April 24, 2012, By Mark Miller

Coating Matters... it really does! I had a disagreement with a colleague once about the value of fluid coating. He argued that coating is simply one of the steps in the converting process; no different than extruding the film or slitting the final roll of tape. I argued that a slice of film without glue can't add value to the final customer. How much adhesive you put on the substrate, what chemistry is in the adhesive, how the adhesive is applied to the film – this can change a simple film into anything from a road sign to a brightness enhancement film for a TV to a household box sealing tape. How you slit down the final product, how you compound the film, what you print on the final product, almost nothing creates the magic coating does.

The coating head is the heart of the converting machine. Understand how chemistry and mechanics combine to process your product, and you are light years ahead of others in your industry. So to the colleague that argued that coating does not matter, I say: Show me another converting step that adds as much value and differentiation as the fluid chemistry that makes substrates shine (sometimes literally)... Coating Matters!

Starting today, the blog "Mark's Coating Matters" will dig deeper into the content that is presented monthly in PFFC. If there is a question that you would like to investigate further, feel free to contact Mark D. Miller, President of Coating Tech Service, LLC (www.coatingtechservce.com) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 612-605-6019.