In our case, the protective film should be applied using the “stop and go principle” – i.e. not continuously but over specified lengths, interrupting the application for a length “X” and then reapplying it. And all this without creases or bubbles! There were no role models: Refoil had to solve the task by trial and error. Refoil solved these challenges. As the system had to fulfill this task in the future in a line for the production of high-quality trapezoidal sheets, the greatest care and reliability was required.
Technical details:

• The protective film had to be able to run at a maximum throughput speed of 10 m/sec in 3-shift operation. This means that the film had to be changed without stopping the machine.
• Bubbles and folds under or in the film cause imprints during further processing – e.g. profiling – that do not allow our current understanding of quality – this had to be solved with stretch rollers and controlled film tension during the entire process.
• The real challenge, however, lay in the application itself, which Refoil solved to the operator’s satisfaction using a familiar but adapted technique