Label converters have worked tirelessly to optimize their press runs. And when quality issues arise, static electricity can often be identified as the culprit. Contamination of the web often leads to poor print quality, and the latest supplies serve as a remedy. With brands becoming ever more demanding and looking for shorter lead times, converters cannot afford the costly delays associated with static issues and the resulting web contamination.

Meanwhile, static suppliers have entered into numerous OEM partnerships to deliver state-of-the-art presses that can avoid the common pitfalls associated with static electricity on a web.

The negative aspects of static can further impact printing businesses by increasing production costs, the number of product returns, and also OSHA reports due to employee injury. 

“Static, simply put, is the result of an imbalance of electrical charges on a substrate, generated through the friction or separation between two objects – a web rapidly unwinding from a roll, for example,” remarks Matt Fyffe, general manager, Meech International. “When not controlled, static can attract dust, dirt and any number of other assorted particles, causing machinery to become blocked or damaged and, ultimately, compromise the quality of the end product. This can include print being out of register, small holes appearing in extruded film, and a sub-standard end product that will lack visual impact, or even have to be rejected and reproduced.”

“Dust and other organic material are present in the air and can be bound to the substrate by static charge,” states Kevin Coldren, global product manager, Simco-Ion. “If this contamination remains on the material before converting, the material is compromised throughout the entire process. High output, active static bars continue to eliminate static in challenging, high-speed environments.”

According to Fyffe, the typical remedy for a narrow web press is to install a web cleaning system before the first print station, with static control systems before each of the other print stations to make sure the web stays static-free. A thorough system such as this will result in a spotless web – vital in a sector where consistently high levels of quality are essential for commercial success.

Historically, static was not considered a top cause of poor print quality, but that mindset has been changing in recent years. “Static generation has been coming up more and more with our customers,” says Joe Moran, applications engineer, Static Clean International. “It definitely seems to be a growing market. Whether it’s pinning material to a roll, increasing the quality of in-mold-labeling, or even pinning two pieces of material together prior to sealing are all examples of what some customers are looking for in this market. This sometimes creates the opportunity to sell ionizers to neutralize the material after generating static, as well. Customers are grasping electrostatic attraction (ESA) more now that inspections continuously get more and more stringent. This is the case especially in the medical device, pharma, and life science markets.”

There are other concerns for printers, too, as the web is not the only aspect of a production environment in danger. “Left unchecked, static can also present a serious health and safety risk,” comments Fyffe. “Aside from the obvious likelihood of unpleasant electric shocks, static charges can cause sparking, which poses a significant fire risk.”

Static control products have seen a significant evolution. Static Clean’s Moran notes that DC technology offers high performance static neutralization due to its HV integrated power supply, 100% coverage, IP67 rating, shockless operation, remote monitoring capabilities, and more.  These are all features that AC ionizers do not have.

“The AC bars have an effective and overall length due to space needed for internal components,” explains Moran. “AC bars require an expensive and separate power supply/block.  They also do have remote monitoring intelligence to show when the bar needs to be cleaned, is experiencing a fault of some sort, or is working.”

In the future, converters would be wise to look to static issues on-press. Plus, technology will continue to evolve to meet the latest trends of data collection and automation. “Systems of tomorrow may focus on predictive elements that enable possible problems to be addressed before it becomes an actual problem that impacts production,” says Coldren. “These types of intelligent products will communicate in real time, thus satisfying customer requirements for Industry 4.0 and demands of the future.

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Converters would be best served to create a product checklist when investing in new static control products, notes Moran. For example, certain static bars cope with different web speeds. Proximity to the material is essential – as is the thickness of the material – and the material must be in free air space due to collapsed field concerns. Static Clean International offers ATEX certified static bars and power supplies, if needed.

Suppliers have responded with numerous new products to meet market demand. Meech International, a manufacturer of static control and web cleaning solutions, has launched the 650QAC ionizing bar. The 650QAC, available as part of Meech’s existing Hyperion range, effectively combats electrostatic discharge on the production line of electronic products.

Fyffe comments, “This launch marks an incredibly exciting time for Meech as we increase our presence within the electronics market, where static control is imperative. Meech has decades of expertise within static control, so we are excited to see how our solutions can enhance the productivity and profitability of manufacturers within this market.”

Production lines within the electronics industry, particularly flat panel screen products, are at high risk of electrostatic discharge on the production line due to the build-up of static during the assembly process.

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can destroy sensitive electronic components or cause damage that may not become evident for weeks or months later. Products that don’t pass quality checks run the threat of being disposed of immediately. Alternatively, latent defects, identified later in the product’s life, can cause deterioration in performance. Without effective static control measures in place, electronics manufacturers risk increased costs, consumer dissatisfaction and a tarnished reputation. 

Meech’s 650QAC is a highly effective ionizer for the electronics manufacturing industry, due to its ability to ionize down to a residual voltage of less than (+/-) 35 volts, within seconds, enabling it to keep up with the rapid speeds of a busy production line while maintaining excellent performance. An “Air Boost” feature extends the range of ionization up to 400mm, while TICC (Total Ion Current Control) enables the voltage to remain at a low level for up to days at a time. This means that less downtime is needed by factory staff to clean the bar. Moreover, bar mounting distance presets can be enabled via the 650QAC integrated touchpad to optimize performance. Further adjustments can be made to settings if necessary, offering users peace of mind that the bar is optimized for the application, therefore reducing staff downtime, and saving time and costs.

The bar has the added benefit of being compatible with Meech’s SmartControl Touch, which allows users to monitor, control and adjust the performance of multiple connected Hyperion ionizing bars and sensors via an integrated touchscreen or remotely via a mobile phone, tablet, or remote desktop. The ionizing equipment’s performance is easily tracked by SmartControl Touch, which uses Meech’s Ion Current Monitoring Technology to monitor the ionizing performance. 

Meanwhile, Simco-Ion recently unveiled its new line of 24V static neutralizing bars. Designed with M12 connectors, these bars allow for more power to the pins, keeping the bar running in harsh environments and allowing for monitoring capabilities.

The IQ Easy LP Static Neutralizing Bar has been engineered to be the most compact and powerful ionizing bar with built-in high voltage power. Comfortable with both high-speed webs and class 6 clean rooms, its patented ion output allows it to achieve the lowest possible residual charges in a wide range of applications. The mid-range IQ Easy Static Neutralizing Bar has an integrated high voltage power supply and requires only a low voltage input of 24V DC, allowing for a safer, cleaner install. Its rugged design features tungsten emitter pins and is IP-66 rated for durability and easy cleaning.

The shockless IQ Easy Air Assist Static Neutralizing Bar combines compressed air and the IQ Easy static bar into one integrated design. This design enables long-range ion delivery while consuming less plant air than standard air knives or air assisted pulse bars. An air tube runs the length of the bar between high densities of long-life tungsten emitters. Small perforations in the tube release jets of air, picking up ions produced by both polarities.

In addition to new products, Simco-Ion also provides a Static Check-Up program. This program allows prospects and existing customers to have a static expert analyze production lines and offer recommendations for static control solutions or improvements.

Simco-Ion’s Static Check-Up program is a no-obligation, on-site visit where company experts will identify areas generating static charge, measure the amount of static charge being generated, as well as the performance of existing systems, and then provide recommendations to improve on performance and safety.

Static Clean International has focused on two key product lines: the DC static bar line and the DC Ionizer Line with air assist. The DC static bar line includes the 4103, HS/LR 4203, NEOS, XIFOS, 4203C, 4203UC. Meanwhile, the DC Ionizer Line with air assist line features the AK4200 and FL24VUC.


TAKK Industries introduces new series of static eliminators

Along with longtime partner Fraser Anti-Static Techniques, TAKK Industries has introduced a powerful new series of static eliminators, which have been designed to deliver neutralization. The X-SERIES is a new product line elevating electrostatic control to a new level, which aims to provide customers with smart technology for best-ever performance and reliability.

The entire range of X-SERIES products has built-in adaptive intelligence, automatically adjusting the ionization output of the bar as required. Built around the most advanced technology yet, the X-SERIES products surpass the excellent performance of the previous NEOS products, eliminating static more effectively than ever.

James Cater, CEO, Fraser Anti-Static Techniques, states, “We are delighted to bring the X-SERIES range to market, raising the bar for static elimination worldwide. Our team of engineers have been working tirelessly on developing and testing these products so we can deliver exceptional performance to customers. The X-SERIES range provides the reliability and smart technology Fraser Anti-Static Techniques is known for and can eliminate static more effectively than ever – the best just got better.”

The X-SERIES has a new user interface and visual indication displays, which show the operating mode and level of charge detected in real-time. The low-profile footprint means the X-SERIES models can deliver powerful static elimination in compact areas. Electrical connections are identical to existing NEOS bar installations, minimizing downtime and allowing for quick, no-hassle upgrades to the X-SERIES.

The X-SERIES features several models. The X-33 is touted as the most powerful bar in the TAKK lineup, which is ideal for long-range static control applications where high power static neutralization is needed.

Meanwhile, the X-20 is suitable for a broad range of applications where consistent performance and enhanced reliability are key. The X-12L is a medium range, 12kV bar suitable for increased distance static elimination.

Finally, the X-12F is a short-range static eliminator specifically designed for rapid, close range static elimination at the fastest
machine speeds.