Pearl Technologies spreader bars are being used in many applications with a number of different materials because they are so easy to install and operate.
They are being used on paper, film, foil, non-wovens, fabrics, carpet and laminated products with phenomenal success. Pearl's spreaders are being used to prevent wrinkles from occurring, even in the thinnest of webs. Some of the spreader bars can be chilled for use with hot films or seals, or heated to help cure coatings.
The drag is so low that many customers are using them in place of idlers. Some customers have reported the ability to handle webs previously unmanageable in their process.
Pearl Technologies pre-bends the spreaders to a specified height and uses an adjustment wheel to increase or decrease the bow. The shorter the spreader, the lower the range of bow.
For example, a 20" bar should yield at least 3/4" of travel. A 36" bar should yield at least 1-1/4" of travel. A 60" bar would yield nearly 2" of travel. We even make spreaders for customers that request the ability to make the bow move above and below center (convex and concave).
Pearl Technologies can provide two types of surfaces:
- Ultra-low COF replaceable plastic covered spreader
- SM-24 surface modified spreader.
The ultra-low COF plastic was originally designed for "blown film" applications particularly with sticky films such as butyls, surlyns and stretch film. Its primary function is to be as slippery and durable as possible. This wear surface has provided years of service in the blown film industry.
Replacement of the ultra-low COF plastic part is relatively inexpensive and easy to perform. You simply slide the plastic off of the base profile and slide a new one on. It takes less than 30 seconds to change. Life expectancy varies. Most have over 4 years of continuous use. It all depends on web tension and abrasion of web material.
SM-24 is more slippery than Teflon® and harder than tool steel. We believe this may never wear out. Our polished extrusion has a water jacket extruded in the profile so that water cooling for lower friction and full cooling of web are possible.
Some Pearl customers are heating the spreaders to use as a curing/drying aid. Note: Because plastic works like an insulator, we do not recommend chilling or heating with anything but the SM-24 surface modified type.
An "end adjust" spreader is offered as an option. This spreader bar permits adjustment of the bow height from the end. This option eliminates reaching into the moving web to adjust bow. This option can be motorized for hard to reach places.
Advantages of Pearl spreaders include:
- Perfect for thin, fragile or stretchy materials
- No web tension needed
- Fully adjustable bow- can be adjusted on the fly without tools
- No moving parts to breakdown or seize
- No web tracking because of no moving parts
- Self cleaning through surface polishing by web
- Can be heated or chilled for process enhancement
- Ultra-Low COF long life replaceable plastic covers
- Extreme SM-24 surface modified bow option that will not mark most sensitive webs
- Spreaders up to 24 ft long