We present our new cooling ring and automatic film thickness control system, featuring an innovative triple airflow.
WHAT IS VENTO AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
Vento is a system for controlling and adjusting the thickness profile of blown extruded film, consisting of an air-cooling ring and a film thickness gauge.
The extruded film, shaped into a tubular form through inflation and cooling, is monitored in thickness. The ring receives the measurements from the scanner and creates a 360-point thickness map of the tubular film, which forms the basis of Vento’s smart operation. The system processes the deviation between the measured thickness and the target thickness at each point, and the software—developed entirely in-house by Doteco—commands the ring to apply the appropriate corrections.
The correction process takes place by modulating the intensity of air jets arranged radially around the bubble. Where the film is thinner, the air cools it, limiting any additional stretching; where the thickness is greater, the jet is partially or fully closed, reducing cooling to promote thinning.
Vento’s goal is to achieve a film with constant and defined thickness through the use of cold air introduced into the chamber. The air acts on individual points thanks to a high number of valves—up to 90—which, when opened, allow modulation of the airflow and therefore the film temperature, achieving greater or lesser control of thickness distribution during the bubble formation process.
EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY
The goal of the system developed by Doteco is to guarantee the highest product quality standards according to customer specifications. For example, a 50-micron film, to meet certain quality standards, requires a measurement system capable of characterizing the flatness of the material. With constant measurement, quality increases thanks to continuous control, improving productivity.
Vento allows the line to reach steady-state conditions in shorter times, reducing waste and consumption during start-up and production changeovers, precisely thanks to continuous self-adjustments. The impact on sustainability is also significant, thanks to reduced times and waste, as well as the greater energy efficiency of the ring in distributing air for film cooling and control.
DIFFERENTIATED FLOWS, ACCURACY AND MODULARITY
The design of the ring chamber, with its characteristic spiral shape, ensures uniform pressure. Process control provides stable and repeatable correction both inside the chamber and in the air delivered to the film. The operating flows are three, distinguishing this system from those currently on the market: the first, dedicated to control, is independent from the second stabilizing and “locking” flow of the bubble, and from the third cooling flow.
Vento also features speed control of the thickness gauge. The device measures the thickness of the film in tubular form, quickly generating thickness maps to accelerate corrective action. With more profiles obtained over time and continuously refined, regulation becomes increasingly precise. The ability to control speed enables a 50% improvement in film uniformity within the first 10 minutes of operation, thanks to the servomotors that control the valve airflow, ensuring very fast profile adjustments.
FOR NEW OR EXISTING LINES
The possibility of installing the solution both on new lines and within retrofitting projects for existing lines makes Vento a fully compatible solution capable of integrating into the production lines of OEMs, end users, and, in general, companies that produce blown film for technical applications, with particular reference to the flexible packaging sector, including food packaging.
For more information about VENTO, contact us by sending an email to doteco.sales@doteco.com
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