Last year, we introduced a unique gauge to the marketplace called HazePro that measures the haze of plastic films. This is a very exciting technology to us who are involved in the gauging industry, and especially to the end users who are responsible for the quality production of film products. This is not a
HazePro
new measurement method, as companies have been measuring haze in their quality control labs for many years. The big innovation is that we figured out how to do it precisely on-line (during the manufacturing process) for real-time, true quality assurance and greater insight into changes in process conditions.
Let me take a couple of minutes to explain what haze is and why it’s so important in the production of plastic films.
It’s all about quality
Haze is that milky or cloudy appearance you see in plastic film, and it’s a critical quality parameter for manufacturers. Haze is caused by the scattering of light in transparent material. It can be affected by several factors (we’ll get to this in a minute.) In scientific terms, it is the percentage of light transmission that deviates greater than 2.5 degrees. The lower the haze measurement value, the higher the clarity of the material.
Here’s why it’s important
In flexible packaging applications, first impressions are everything. A hazy film can make a product appear low in quality in the eyes of the consumer. In certain applications, a film with high clarity is desirable to clearly see the
NDC Technologies’ HazePro
packaged contents. In other applications, a high level of haze in packaging may be necessary to make colors, graphics and text appear vibrant and deliver a visual impact.
Haze as an on-line tool is more than just a haze measurement. Changes in the haze level can indicate problems with your process conditions, such as cooling too fast/slow, shear, flow issues, plasma surface treatment, variation in regrind content, an issue with an extrusion layer and more.
How haze is measured
During the extrusion process, NDC Technologies’ HazePro gauge accurately measures the amount of light that is diffused or scattered as it passes through a transparent material. These on-line measurements enable manufacturers to immediately confirm the product quality and adjust the film extrusion process to tightly maintain the desired product appearance. Manufacturers receive critical process information in real time, enabling them to make process adjustments to control the level of haze.
HazePro is also immune to ambient changes as well as process variations, such as web flutter. Haze measurements comply with ASTM standard D1003 for transparent materials.
Measuring both haze and film thickness
There are many applications where manufacturers of transparent plastic film could benefit from better controlling both the haze and thickness of their products. Because of this need, NDC Technologies came up with a system solution that offered the best of both worlds. This innovative and highly versatile system consists of a tandem setup that incorporates both the NDC’s HazePro haze gauge and FilmPro thickness sensor.
The FilmPro sensor complements HazePro by precisely measuring the thickness and basis weight of films. FilmPro effectively measures thin film to thick sheets with multi-layer discrimination. This includes applications involving clear, pigmented and tinted films, as well as microporous and coated products.
Both haze and film thickness measurements occur simultaneously, and process adjustments can be automated for real-time control of these parameters.
The FilmPro sensor
The FilmPro sensor complements HazePro by precisely measuring the thickness and basis weight of films. FilmPro effectively measures thin film to thick sheets with multi-layer discrimination. This includes applications involving clear, pigmented and tinted films, as well as microporous and coated products
Typical applications
Both HazePro and FilmPro can be used for the quality control of:
- Optical films
- Packaging films
- Flexible packaging films
- Agricultural films
- Solar panel films
- Coatings on glass (such as solar panels)
- Anti-glare films on computer screens
Manufacturers realize numerous benefits
The HazePro-FilmPro measurement system solution offers many advantages over conventional gauging systems and enables plastic film and sheet manufacturers to improve product quality, increase productivity, boost process efficiencies and realize significant production savings. In addition, all measurement systems are backed by NDC Technologies’ dedicated worldwide customer service and support organization.
Learn more about HazePro.
Learn more about FilmPro.
About Jay Luis - NDC Technologies
Jay Luis is the Global Marketing Communications Manager for NDC Technologies, a leading provider of intelligent, connected measurement and control solutions. He has worked in the technology sector for more than two decades in a marketing leadership role and has published numerous technical articles and other content on a broad range of industrial topics. Mr. Luis is a member of several industry associations. He can be reached at 937-233-9935, email: jay.luis@ndc.com, www.ndc.com.
