Blades for Windmöller & Hölscher plastic film machines
Slitting and converting slitting blades for W&H plastic film machinery
Windmöller & Hölscher machines for extruding, printing, and converting flexible packaging film
Windmöller & Hölscher is a world-leading manufacturer of machinery and systems for the production and processing of flexible packaging. W&H was founded in 1869 and has a wide range of high-tech machines and lines for film extrusion, printing processes, industrial sack systems, and converting lines. "Passion for Innovation" is true for all products in paper, woven, and plastic materials.
Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT) are strong mantras for W&H. Since 2015, the company has been digitizing its technology, calling the entire process PACKAGING 4.0, which includes intelligent machines, integrated processes, and intuitive control. Windmöller & Hölscher makes machines and equipment for 3 major industries: paper, woven, and film.
We will take a closer look at plastic film production and converting lines.
Windmöller & Hölscher Machinery for Blown & Cast Film Extrusion
Plastic blown and cast film is the core essence of the Windmöller & Hölscher machine line-up. The company has a strong position in film production, film printing, film bag production, and Form-Fill-Seal-Sacks (FFS). The machines that transform pellets to film, like Varex, Optimex, and Filmex, are household names for flexible packaging companies.
Film production lines by W&H
W&H core business is machinery for plastic film extrusion and converting. Three different processes accomplish this: blown film, cast film, and tape extrusion. When the film is created, it needs to be winded. Alternatively, it can be cut and printed upon before being winded. The crucial question is whether this step can occur simultaneously or as a distinct process.
To do so, it is vital to understand the extruder and die technologies that provide perfect melt homogeneity and melt distribution. These are the keys to a successful extrusion process that gives the film a consistent thickness across all individual layers and barriers. Precise temperature and stretch rollers give the film its desired characteristics.
A range of machinery is available for extrusion, printing, and converting:
- Machinery for blown and cast film and tape extrusion: blown film lines, cast film lines, tape extrusion and coating lines, winders, stretching unit, woven lines, retrofits.
- Machinery for printing: CI Flexo Presses, Stack-type Flexo Presses, Rotogravure Presses, Inspection & Automation systems, Winding systems
- Machinery for converting: New Paper Sack line, Tuber, Bottomer, Material flow & palletising, Converting systems, Form, Feal and Seal, Small Bags / Carrier Bags machines
W&H blown film lines for flexible packaging industry
Blown and Cast Film Extrusion Lines:
- VAREX II – Modular blown film line for PE, PP, PA, PLA, EVOH, ionomers, and recycled/biomaterials.
- OPTIMEX II – Optimized for 3- or 5-layer films.
- OPTIMEX II FFS – Designed for heavy-duty sack applications.
- AQUAREX – Unique water-quench blown film line with upside-down extrusion.
Cast Film Lines: FILMEX II – Supports 3 to 11 layers, film widths up to 4m, and outputs up to 2500 kg/h. Used for stretch, barrier, CPP, and CPE films.
Tape Extrusion and Coating Lines:
- TIRATEX – Produces polyolefin tapes from PP.
- FILATEX – For cylindrical winding of polyolefin tapes.
- ECOTEX – Coating and laminating lines for extrusion applications.
Slitting & Converting on Windmöller & Hölscher Machinery
Varex, Optimex, and Filmex might be world-class in film extrusion. However, to ensure customer usage, blown and cast plastic films must undergo cutting. This event usually happens in the slitting and winding department. From a manufacturer's perspective, it is a superb advantage to do the cutting inline just before the winding.
Inline Slitting with Filmatic Winders
After extrusion, we must slit and wind the film for delivery or further processing. W&H’s Filmatic winding systems are engineered for inline slitting and reliable roll formation. Features like laser-supported core alignment and light curtain safety systems ensure operator efficiency and safety.
To cut film cleanly and efficiently at high speed, the choice of slitting blade is critical.
Sollex has been making cutting-edge performing blades since 1927. We have a wide range of blades for different films and processes. We are proud to say that our 60mm long three hole blades perform really well in Windmöller & Hölsher's machines. We also have slotted slitter blades that perform beautifully in Filmatic stations.
Sollex Razor Blades for W&H Extrusion and Converting Lines
Choosing the optimal blade for your film is related to the type of film, speed, and film density. For instance, LDPE and LLDPE are technically easy to cut. Tough, strong materials like LLDPE with very high film density take a hard beat on the blade. Sollex has a number of knives and blades with a proven track record in W&H’s machines, but the best way forward is usually to test our different blades in your process.
We’ve worked with many customers running Windmöller & Hölscher, Reifenhäuser GmbH & Co. KG Maschinenfabrik, Macchi, Colines, Costruzioni Meccaniche Luigi Bandera S.p.A equipment, and certain Sollex blades keep coming up as top choices:
- 5Z / 5LZ slotted razor blade: a unique zero-friction-coated razor blade perfect for reducing dust and heat in the cut and handles PE, LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, BOPE,PET, PIR, PCR films well
- 5K slotted razor blade: a reliable, ceramic-coated razor blade for general-purpose film slitting
- 5T slotted razor blade: long-lasting blade with titanium TiN cutting edges for slitting PE and PET polymer films
- 2-020-Z or 2-030-Z 3-hole razor blade: slitting blades with zero-friction coating as thinner alternatives to 5Z blades
- 2-020-K or 2-030-K 3-hole razor blade: converting razor blades with ceramic coating as thinner alternatives to 5K blades that can slit a wide range of films
- 4-60-030-Z or 4-60-030-K long 3-hole razor blade: coated slitting edges with ceramic for extreme durability, ideal for high-speed lines or abrasive films
Each of these models has proven to perform well in blown film and cast film systems, especially when the goal is high throughput and consistent edge quality.
Download PDF with Sollex Blades for Plastic Industry
Your choice depends on what type of film you are making. The W&H machine may produce record-level output. But Sollex blades will make it possible to slit your film in line. Therefore, you can steer clear of costly slitting processes that require rewinding. Contact Sollex today to find the right blade solution for your plasticx film production setup.
