PORTFOLIO - IPM - International Perforation Management
NANO MICRO perforation technology - optical online porosity control
IPM – International Perforation Management - is a small size high-tech engineering company, based in South East Asia and China, specialised in developing, manufacturing and commissioning of LASER, ESP ELECTROSTATIC perforation machines as well in OPTICAL ONLINE POROSITY control systems for tipping, cigarette, plug-wrap, packaging and other paper webs.
For small/wide web LASER perforation machines/systems we cooperate with very competent business partners in China that we are glad to present an overview about our production technologies
Nano Micro technologies - incredible archipelagos of applications
Web material as regenerated cellulose films, filter, cigarette, tipping, roll-your-own RYO paper, transparent, coated special, bag or packing papers, bonded fabrics, spun bonded non-woven, technical textiles, fabrics, laminate with base weights from 20 g/m2 to up to 150 g/m2, up to 20 g/m2 LPDE coating films, are perforated electro statically nano, micro, or by laser (mechanical hot or micro needle) with micro or macro holes for wide range of application purposes.
Electrostatic NANO MICRO PERFORATION, based at micro discharging and sparking, Bluemlein and Plasma Tunnel effects with gas atomic ionization in Nanosecond time windows.
The pores are statistically irregularly distributed with size ranges from 100 nm up to 80 μm diameter and analogically, under LASER or micro macro PERFORATION, arranged in diameter sizes from 60 up 200 μm, at best non-inclined holes und rows of holes of diverse arrangement comprehension.
For the human eye invisible electrostatic nano or micro perforations may be arranged in areas as well as in zones with specific distances within its web. Controlled pore sizes in wide ranges from 100 nm to 80 µm diameters by holes sequences up to 16 million pores per second and 0.1 bis 3 mJ discharge energy for each Pore.
Arrangements of zones are usually carried out in width from 2 to 6 mm and pore density of 15 up to 250 pores per cm2 whereas the perforation of areas results in pore densities of up to 5 million pores per m2. ESP perforations allow porosity levels from 80 to 2500 C. U., web widths from 100 to 2000 mm at web speeds of up to 500 m/min, depending on porosity and material consistency in relation to its ability to perforate.
Conventional laser perforation
Possible to perforate by pulsed and focused laser beams are holes sizes from 60 to 200 µm at density of holes of typical 10 to 30 holes per cm length, holes sequences up to 400.000 holes per second at a maximum of 32 hole rows by laser distributed over the width of the web with traditional systems or machines on the market.
Porosity levels from 100 up to 3000 C. U. by web widths up to 500 mm at web speeds of up to 600 m/min are archive able, depending on porosity and material consistency in relation to its ability to perforate.
IPM laser perforation processes
IPM owns development of LASER PERFORATION technology LPM-1 (patent grand DE102004001327) operates with quad laser beam inputs of 8 KW optical power input ( fast flow or SLAB laser with 10.6 μm wave length ) to an upper/lower dual beam multiplexer to generate up to 200 individual laser perforation beams/rows/lines across the web, combines automatic laser perforation head positioning, focus setting, by web speeds up to 400 m/min, web widths up to 2000 mm, up to 4,000.000 holes per second. Each laser perforation lines are archive able from 100 up to 2000 C.U.
Jumbo-roll-by-roll production, optical online porovision and simultaneous perforation line positioning control, full feed-back system for constant porosity levels are further features. Each laser perforated jumbo roll is ISO production data controlled, benefit and certificated.
details http://www.microperforation.com/lpm-1.html
Other
industry areas
The conception
of high power twin laser beam multiplexers enable many possibilities in other
industry application fields as cutting, cut-offs, welding, surface finishing,
drilling, polishing, forming, surface treatment, roughness improvement.
Each of the 200 single perforation head can be positioned in X directions across the running web or other laser treated material sheet, substrates, blocks etc.
The automatic processes, equipments and devises opening completely new possibilities in industry, science, military or space laser application. Patent grant of process and device with DE102004001327.
Further laser features
A patent pending Micro Laser Line perforation technology MLL-1 generates sinus, waves, zigzags or other kinds of perforations cryptograms, designs as multiple or quadruple pairs of micro laser lines in web direction. Hole, slot or star sizes in ranges from 60 up to 200 μm are possible. Provide for tipping, cigarette, packaging or other kind of paper, plastic film or other web material.
Special features of micro laser line perforation enables fundamental new product characteristic in scripts, e.g. for mouthpieces with tipping paper, CTP on cigarette filters, product indication with visible perforation holes, brand name, company logo, indications, anti counterfeiting designs, cryptogram, etc.
In addition for other industry, medical, science or military purposes, material and applications fields.
Patent pending for process, device and product property DE102004012081.
Ventilation of mass products
Electrostatic perforation has been used since 30 years for ventilation of non filter, RYO or filter cigarettes to create a directed and guided air bypass or Lindstroem principle. For this purpose, cigarette paper for some non filter or RYO cigarettes and almost every kind of filter cigarettes tipping papers are perforated electro statically OFFLINE in zones from 2.0 – 6.0 mm width or in rows with ONLINE or OFFLINE by use of slow, fast flow, sealed-off or SLAB CO2 gas or diode laser in order to reduce the harmful substances such as nicotine and condensate down to allowed values. Another effect is the possibility to control the degree of ventilation of Cigarettes.
Online micro perforation – porosity profile
Many years ago IPM had developed a multiple online electrostatic micro perforation OESP-1 units at cigarette making machines which was patent applied with EP0460369 and DE4018209.
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP0460369.html
The method and the device for electro-erosive perforation of cigarette paper basically operates with at least two pairs of electrodes which are ignited at the same time in such a manner that each perforation section is treated twice in order to provide a corresponding intensity of perforation, taking into consideration the duration of ignition and the web speed. In particular, the invention operates with at least four pairs of electrodes (I to IV), between which the web (10) of cigarette paper to be perforated is moved through. The cigarette paper is moved in the longitudinal direction of the cigarette to be produced later, the width corresponding to the circumference of the cigarette plus an overlap section for bonding. Perforating is carried out transversely to the direction of movement, that is to say an accurately defined zone section is produced around the circumference of the cigarette. The pairs of electrodes are arranged at a distance which corresponds to half the cigarette length (a, b, c) when four pairs of electrodes are used. The first and the third pair of electrodes are ignited simultaneously. A distance-dependent control causes the second and fourth pair of electrodes also to be ignited simultaneously when the previously perforated sections have traveled the distance of half a cigarette length. Each section is perforated four times, the speed at which the web (10) can be moved being determined not by the spacing (half a cigarette length) of the pairs of electrodes but by the spacing of the pairs of electrodes in each case simultaneously ignited (one cigarette length). This provides for uniform, intensive and very powerful perforation and the cigarette paper treated can be continuously supplied to the cigarette machine for further processing in the longitudinal direction of the cigarette.
That electrostatic micro perforation process enables cigarette or tipping paper while cigarette making processes to reduce nicotine and condensate levels for non-filter and filter cigarettes as well. The OESP-1 devices opens fully new possibilities for cigarette or tipping paper ventilation during cigarette manufacturing by entire perforation cassettes integration into cigarette making machines as Max-S, Protos 80, Protos 90, Mark-9 etc.
Advantages during manufacturing
Compact all-over-dimensions, direct mechanical integration of perforation units, easy functional interfacing and full EMI acceptance in order of EN or NEC standards archiving high production efficiencies with controllable ventilation grades on highly automated cigarette making machines.
Liability and system investment
The ESP process OESP-1 has a high liability and is realizable with low investments and low running costs when compared with online macro or micro laser perforation processes. An online porosity control system OPSS-1 monitor continuously the air permeability, called optical online porovision or porosimeter, with a state-of-the-art technology to obtain a close-loop/feed-back to the perforation unit to keep ventilation grades constant.
Conclusion: Online micro perforation processes are possible to use for other mass products and application fields with full system integration in entire production lines as bag, sack, packaging manufacturing etc.
details http://www.microperforation.com/online-perforation-cigarette.html
Product properties with electrostatic perforation
One of the foremost postulation which can be applied to many application purposes and products containing bonded fabrics, bag or packaging papers, non-woven, etc. with gas or steam permeability but water impermeability.
Further substrates or micro engineered membranes for micro filtration, fractionation, nanopattering, nanomembranes, nanophotonics, microbiology, catalysis, gas, alcohol, liquid or blood separation, battery separator foils or others are possible with ELECTROSTATIC NANO MICRO PERFORATION TECHNOLOGY, depends of material structures and perforability.
Which means pore sizes from 10 nm up to 10 µm diameter by up to 5 million pores per m2. This is due to the water’s greater surface tension as dyne level and hydrophobic property or wetability through the relatively small sizes of nano or micro pores. These and other advantages of the pores necessarily demand the application of the ESP perforation method because alternative perforation or processes are physically NOT feasible, too expensive or simply uneconomical and would not allow successful product applications.
To archive new nano or micro perforation demands IPM developed power electronics perforation units which working as upward converters with IGBT, BJT, MOSFETS, FRETFET or HVFET for ultra short power pulses from 10 ns up to 20 µs, high current peaks up to 300 Amps, base frequencies up to 200 KHz on plug-in ferrite transformers to generate 50 Kilovolt to each sparking electrode. Patent grant DE10328937 for power electronics.
details http://www.microperforation.com/igbt-esp-unit.html
Online porovision control
Since naturally porous web materials or web materials to be perforated are processed with speeds of up to 600 m/min by web widths of up to 2000 mm are used, pneumatic porosity control, hence measuring whilst touching the web are highly difficult. Further difficulties of pneumatic measurements are the disadvantages of rising of web tension, material abrasion, folding, leakage at measuring head, impurities, non linear processing, calibration problems and scanning effects.
Thus, optical measuring offers better ways for transmission measuring the pneumatic static permeability for naturally porous or nano, micro or macro perforated webs. The conditions mentioned above can be easily met by using the optical porosity or porovision control technology thanks to the mentioned product processing and online control, extremely small pore dimensions, relatively high track speeds and a good value repetition. That full independent from principle material facts as consistence, thickness, weight, coloring, formation, smoothness, brightness, opacity, and other influences. Patent pending for process and device DE10251610 - China patent grant 200310104764.
Therefore, IPM – International Perforation Management – has developed a pending, stationary and transverse optical porovision control processes and systems which working with multiple color and wave length sensors, a precision line laser, scanning speeds from 20 – 200 mm per second, porosity ranges from 80 up to 3000 C.U., perforation lines detection by 0.1 mm, nano micro holes sizes from 500 nm up to 200 µm diameter and up to 250 holes/cm2.
To detect the multiple wave light transmissions and perforation profiles values to determine each envelope curves of porosity profiles and their integral values with a sensor internal DSP controller unit and Firmware simultaneously.
Thus direct feedback into the perforation system makes it possible to compensate any changes in terms of porosity and perforation locations so that each jumbo roll production up to 25,000.00 meters as well single or quad bobbin sets can be produced and controlled without intermediate stops and certificated in quantity, quality in order of ISO 9000/9001 or others production standards.
details http://www.microperforation.com/opss-1-optical-online-porosity.html
OPSS-1 optical on-line porovision control - download OPSS-1
Outlook
The electrostatic nano or micro perforation usually applies within ranges of the refinement of fine paper, packaging webs, bonded fabrics, non woven, filter, bag or paper alternative material webs of most diverse kind especially when additionally or traditionally treating processes can not achieving the high require characteristics for physical, process or economical reasons
Our highly modern, industrially approved electrostatic perforation technology which relied 24/7 operation can be integrated into existing rewinding, slitting, refining machines as well in entire production lines. Also, they can be used as completely independent perforation processes or machines.
New ranges of applications will be made accessible as new NANO MICRO product properties with special features will be developed.
Actual press release: Micro-perforation of running webs
http://www.flexo.de/de/aktuelles.htm
27.02.2008 - Jetzt erschienen: Flexo & Gravure Asia 1-2008 (in Englisch)
http://www.flexo.de/download/fga/1-2008/Inhalt_FGA_1_2008.pdf
IPM –
International Perforation Management – has developed many different kind of
laser or electrostatic perforation processes especially for new product
characteristics. Their devices, systems and machines are in use world-wide.
IGBT dual high power, high frequency, high voltage switching units
Patent grant DE10328937
Introduction
On a high level operate engineering company develops a dual, high power, high frequency switching unit which works with hybrid drives, compact EMI safe semiconductor stages, supporting capacitors, high voltage ferrite transformers to generate HV short pulses and sparking groups. Advantages are based on uses of standard circuits with extended semiconductors for e.g. nano, sub or micro perforation applications, corona treatments etc. The company is looking for science or industrial partners who are interested in a licence agreement and / or technical co-operation.
Working principle
Industry application of electrostatic perforation for fast running paper webs using IGBT, MOSFET or HVFET semiconductor power stages. These circuits working as upward converters with power pulses in ranges from 5 µS up to 25 µS and high current peaks up to 300 Amps on a serial connected inductivity and loading capacity that the secondary ferrite transformer coils supply sparking electrodes up to 50 KVss.
The circuit works itself with alternating clock frequencies and changes of pulse widths a common load condenser and coupled primary inductance of a ferrite high voltage transformer as upward power/pulse converter and non resonance frequency operation.
A safety circuit logic and two hybrid drivers allows a alternately switching of semiconductor A and B which generating higher operation frequencies and power levels meanwhile the electrical and thermal conditions remains on each in the same range as a single switching unit.
Circuit advantages
A controlled pulse timing into a certain time window with a constant or variable frequency generating hole sizes and hole sequences with high voltage sparking through the material webs by nano or micro perforation. The repeating frequencies of the entire circuit can up to the double switching frequency as of each semiconductor stage.
A changeable current in the spark channel are feasible with total switching frequencies up to 150 kHz. And in the same time the dual semiconductor switching unit allows a double power level as just only with one switching element is possible.
Dual IGBT, HVFET or MOSFET semiconductors in high power, high current, high voltage circuits obtain in electrostatic nano, sub micro perforation, corona treatment or other switching application frequencies up to 250 KHz, power level up to 30 KW and more. Higher power efficiencies and harder switching periods are further advantages.
In conclusion the approximately double frequency and power level operation obtains higher switching efficiencies, much more perforation power or higher corona treatment levels which are depend of the industry application.
PS-250-4 Multi bobbin perforation machine - download PS-250-4
Electrostatic perforation processes and machines, corona treatment, surface treatment, high power switching devices, power supplies, AC&DC and other switching converter systems, drives, etc.
Fine paper, cigarette, packaging or other fine paper industries, corona system manufacture, switching device manufacture, high-power converter equipment, AC/DC, DC/AC industry etc.
The new dual semiconductor circuit design allows applications to build hybrid drives, semiconductor high-level stage, upward, downward or other converters or generators which operating with supporting capacitors, high-voltage ferrite transformers in an extremely compact and modular design. Several advantages are the high efficiency of pulse/power transmission and energy ratios.
Traditional corona or other type of medium generators up to 30 KHz operation ranges are easy to modify to a double frequency and power levels operation.
perforation machine PS-1000 - PS-1200 - PS-1600 - DB-150 - PS-250
PS-1200 wide web perforation machine - download PS-1200
Nano Micro Laser Perforation
High-power laser multiplexer for many industry applications as well for LPM-1 wide web micro perforation machines for tipping, packaging paper, non-woven, spun bonded, textile or other material substrates
Patent grant DE102004001327
Introduction
A German-Thai-Chinese high-tech engineering company offers completely new possibilities with high power CO2 laser multiplexers for wide web applications as well for micro perforation with JUMBO-ROLLS with up to 200 individual laser perforations rows, automatic laser perforation head positioning, focus setting, web speeds up to 400 m/min, web widths up to 2000 mm and more. Several types of material web, e.g. paper, packaging, coated sheets, films, foils, metal sheets and other types of substrates can be micro perforate or treated. We are seeking for R&D, science or industrial partners in licence agreement, technical cooperation, new product or applications in USA and EU.
Working principle of high-power laser multiplexer
Through 2/4 KW dual laser beam sources, two or four level high-power laser multiplexers designed for certain wave lengths from 500 nm up to 10.6 µm, new two level rotary cubic elements, or two quadruple beam splitters or polygons bent facets, using of new developed CO2 hollow waveguide fibres realizable up to 200 optical single channels with assembled focus heads direct on the production web material. Without very extravagant, expensive of optical elements, alignments, lenses, divert mirrors, extended mechanical designs, etc.
Pulses sequences up to 4,000,000 per second, single shoots between 0.5 up 3.0 mJ, time windows from 1 µs up to 100 µs and e.g. holes sizes from 1 µm up to 100 µm or microns are possible.
Description of wide web micro laser perforation
Wide web laser perforation processes, equipment and machines permits e.g. tipping or packaging paper web width up to 2000 mm and more, up to 200 single laser rows across the web by holes sequences up to 4,000,000 per second. Depends of material consistence, perforability, holes sizes and densities web speeds up to 400 m/min, web widths up to 2000 mm, 25,000 meter roll-by-roll, automatic perforation head positioning and focus control, up to 20 bobbins in one cut which means up to 160 bobbins are now archive able without machine downtime. In addition the key element and integrated OPSS-1 porosity/position scanning system complete the feed-back and robot control system. The optical online multi sensor porosity/position control system OPSS-1 is located just behind the laser perforation section and rewind stand to control the perforated material web continuously and supply the data stream to the master PC and close loop.
Highly automated and motor adjustable focusing optics one each perforation heads are free position able across the material webs. That automatic procedure and their robot devices open now fully new ways in wide web laser perforations or other material treatments in high speeds ranges, large number of optical single channels and high pulses or holes sequences.
In addition with the optical online control systems OPSS-1 porosity, hole qualities and all hole row positions are continuously controlled and differences immediately compensate over master PC controlled feedbacks to the perforation system. Production rolls and products are finished without intermediate stops in high qualities and large quantities.
Other applications
The new high power laser beam multiplexer open many other application fields, e.g. cutting, cut-offs, welding, surface finishing, drilling, polishing, forming, surface treatment, roughness improvement, etc.
Each of the 200 single perforation head can be positioned across the running web or static positioned material substrate. This automatic processes, equipments and devises open up completely new possibilities in industry, science or military or space laser applications.
MLL-1 – nano micro laser line perforation for web material as paper, metal or many other substrates and applications
patent pending DE102004012081
Introduction
The German-Thai-Chinese engineering company offers an innovative type of NANO and MICRO LASER LINE PERFORATION technology - that is world wide new. That type of perforation for web, sheet or substrate materials allows a high level of freedom in holes positioning with a variety of perforation designs as wave shapes, zigzag lines etc.
The special characteristics of the technology create fundamentally new product properties. It is adaptable to existing systems. They are looking for industrial partners of license agreements and/or technical co-operation.
Description
Conventional off line laser perforation machines and processes generating straight hole lines in the web direction of the cigarette tipping paper – as coaxial shape - or other material sheets. The exception is spray laser designs with randomly distributed holes in certain zones such as electrostatic perforation.
The new
nano micro laser line perforation technology generates sinus, waves, zigzags or
other kinds of lines of perforations hole in web direction as pairs of micro
laser lines.
Tipping paper is the paper around the cigarette filter.
Various new elements move each single laser beam in a sideways direction.
Product and
process advantages
Existing and new laser perforation machines/systems
Applications and summary
The nano micro laser line perforation MLL-1 of web or sheet materials - such
as any kind of paper, metal, insulation, plastic - allows a high level of
freedom in hole positioning freedom with different perforation designs in the
form of waves, zigzag lines or other which result e.g. in optimized air
distribution characteristics in cigarette filters.
The special features of the nano micro laser line perforation create
fundamentally new product properties, e.g. final products for mouthpieces with
tipping paper on cigarette filters or other products of this kind which indicate
a brand name and is recognize able for everyone - if the holes are visible or
can be seen with a magnifying glass. Or anticounterfying and non copy able.
Just
like a perforation cryptogram. This is performed by means of Piezo oscillators
for laser beam deflections, as actuators with added metal optics or asymmetrical,
rotary reflection cones. Mathematical functions and sequences are coupled by web
speed.
The points of envelope curves of the selected perforation shape are calculated
and computed beforehand for the single holes and hole groups and monitored
during the perforation procedure by a programmable control system.
Innovative Aspects
MLL-1 nano micro laser line processes allow many applications with certain
beam diverts.
Main Advantages
Use of new beam divert elements allows easy and attractive modifications to
existing laser systems.