Claims
- 1. A web coating system comprising:
a first web coating line having a first primary web unwind stand, a first web coating station, and a first web windup stand, all substantially arranged with respect to one another so as to define a first web travel path through which at least a portion of a first web may be passed; a second web coating line having a second primary web unwind stand, a second web coating station, and a second web windup stand, all substantially arranged with respect to one another so as to define a second web travel path through which at least a portion of a second web may be passed at least a portion of which is offset from the first web travel path; and a web turning station disposed adjacent the first and second coating lines for redirecting a coated web from the first web coating line traveling along the first web travel path into the second web coating line adjacent the second web travel path.
- 2. The web coating system of claim 1 wherein the first and second coating stations each comprise a coating station selected from the group consisting of extrusion coating stations, wax coating stations, air knife coating stations, rod coating stations, gravure coating stations, and slot die coating stations.
- 3. The web coating system of claim 1 wherein the first and second coating stations each comprise extrusion coating stations.
- 4. The web coating system of claim 1 wherein at least one of either the first or second coating lines further comprises a secondary web unwind stand.
- 5. The web coating system of claim 1 wherein at least one of either the first or second coating lines further comprises a flame or corona discharge treatment station.
- 6. The web coating system of claim 1 wherein at least one of either the first or second coating lines further comprises a web printing station.
- 7. The web coating system of claim 1 wherein at least one of either the first or second coating lines further comprises a liquid primer station.
- 8. The web coating system of claim 1 wherein the first and second web travel paths are substantially perpendicular.
- 9. The web coating system of claim 1 wherein the first and second web travel paths are substantially parallel.
- 10. The web coating system of claim 1 wherein the turning bars redirect the coated web approximately 90 degrees from the first to the second web travel path.
- 11. The web coating system of claim 1 wherein the turning bars redirect the coated web approximately 180 degrees from the first to the second web travel path.
- 12. The web coating system of claim 1 wherein the coated web comprises a substrate material selected from the group consisting of paperwebs, polymer films, nonwoven fabrics, metal foils, and multi-ply webs comprising two or more thereof.
- 13. The web coating system of claim 1 wherein the web turning station comprises a plurality of web turning bars.
- 14. The web coating system of claim 1 wherein a second web is directed along the second web travel path while the first web is redirected to adjacent the second web travel path.
- 15. The web coating system of claim 1 wherein the coated web is redirected to substantially occupy the second web travel path.
- 16. The web coating system of claim 1 wherein the coated web is redirected in close proximity to the second web travel path.
- 17. The web coating system of claim 1 wherein the second coating station is incorporated as a part of the first coating station.
- 18. A web coating system comprising:
a first web coating line having a first primary web unwind stand, a first web coating station, and a first web windup stand; a second web coating line having a second primary web unwind stand, a second web coating station, and a second web windup stand, wherein said first primary web unwind stand, first web coating station, second web coating station and second web windup stand are all substantially arranged with respect to one another so as to define a first web travel path through which at least a portion of a web may be passed and said first web windup stand and second primary web unwind stand are offset from the first web travel path; and a web turning station disposed adjacent the first and second web coating lines for redirecting a first web traveling along the first web travel path onto the offset first windup stand and for redirecting a second web traveling from the offset second unwind stand adjacent the first web travel path.
- 19. The web coating system of claim 18 wherein the first and second coating stations each comprise a coating station selected from the group consisting of extrusion coating stations, wax coating stations, air knife coating stations, rod coating stations, gravure coating stations, and slot die coating stations.
- 20. The web coating system of claim 18 wherein the first and second coating stations each comprise extrusion coating stations.
- 21. The web coating system of claim 18 wherein at least one of either the first or second coating lines further comprises a secondary web unwind stand.
- 22. The web coating system of claim 18 wherein at least one of either the first or second coating lines further comprises a flame or corona discharge treatment station.
- 23. The web coating system of claim 18 wherein at least one of either the first or second coating lines further comprises a web printing station.
- 24. The web coating system of claim 18 wherein at least one of either the first or second coating lines further comprises a liquid primer station.
- 25. The web coating system of claim 18 wherein the first web windup stand is offset from the first web travel path at a substantially perpendicular angle.
- 26. The web coating system of claim 18 wherein the second web primary unwind stand is offset from the first web travel path at a substantially perpendicular angle.
- 27. The web coating system of claim 18 wherein the coated web comprises a substrate material which is selected from the group consisting of paperwebs, polymer films, nonwoven fabrics, metal foils, and multi-ply webs comprising two or more thereof.
- 28. The web coating system of claim 18 wherein the web turning station comprises a plurality of web turning bars.
- 29. The web coating system of claim 18 wherein the second web is redirected to substantially occupy the first web travel path.
- 30. The web coating system of claim 18 wherein the second web is redirected in close proximity to the first web travel path.
- 31. The web coating system of claim 18 wherein the second coating station is incorporated as a part of the first coating station.
- 32. A method for coating multiple webs in a coating system containing multiple extrusion stations comprising:
conveying a first web having a coating side to a first coating station in the coating system from a first unwind stand and applying a first polymer coating on the coating side of the first web at the first coating station; collecting the coated first web on a first windup stand; conveying a second web having a coating side to a second coating station in the coating system from a second unwind stand and applying a second polymer coating on the coating side of the second web at the second coating station; collecting the coated second web on a second windup stand; and wherein the conveying and coating steps in regard to the first web are carried out independently of the conveying and coating steps in regard to the second web and during at least a portion of the time in which the conveying and coating steps are being carried out in regard to the second web.
- 33. The method of claim 32 wherein the first and second coating stations each comprise a coating station selected from the group consisting of extrusion coating stations, wax coating stations, air knife coating stations, rod coating stations, gravure coating stations, and slot die coating stations.
- 34. The method of claim 32 wherein the first and second coating stations each comprise extrusion coating stations
- 35. The method of claim 32, wherein the first web is redirected from a first web travel path to adjacent a second web travel path prior to collection on a windup stand.
- 36. The method of claim 32, wherein the first web is redirected by a web turning station.
- 37. The method of claim 32, wherein the second web is initially conveyed along a first web travel path and is redirected adjacent a second web travel path prior to being coated at the second coating station.
- 38. The method of claim 32, wherein the second web is redirected by a web turning station.
- 39. The method of claim 32, wherein the first and second webs are the same width.
- 40. The method of claim 32, wherein the first and second webs are of differing widths.
- 41. The method of claim 32 wherein the first and second webs comprise the same substrate material.
- 42. The method of claim 32 wherein the first and second webs comprise different substrate materials.
- 43. The method of claim 32 wherein the first and second webs are coated with the same type of polymer.
- 44. The method of claim 32 wherein the first and second webs are coated with different types of polymers.
- 45. The method of claim 32 wherein the first web is selected from the group consisting of paperwebs, polymer films, nonwoven fabrics, metal foils, and multi-ply webs comprising two or more thereof.
- 46. The method of claim 32 wherein the second web is selected from the group consisting of paperwebs, polymer films, nonwoven fabrics, metal foils and multi-ply webs comprising two or more thereof.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/978,392, filed on Oct. 16, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09978392 |
Oct 2001 |
US |
Child |
10721954 |
Nov 2003 |
US |