Medical films instead of office material films thanks to line conversion

The manufacture of medical films, as produced by the Japanese parent company, seemed much more promising. These were previously imported from there for the American market and distributed by Achilles USA. A time-consuming and cost-intensive undertaking. “To make us less dependent on expensive supply chains, it made sense to produce the medical film directly at our plant in Everett,” says Carson Reid, Manufacturing Project Engineer at Achilles USA. But there were a few challenges to overcome: "For one thing, we had no previous experience in manufacturing these films. Secondly, we didn't have suitable machinery," says Reid. In order to exploit synergy effects and save costs, the Reifenhäuser line was to be retained as the basis and supplemented with the necessary components.

Expertise and a proven team make the case for Reifenhäuser CSC
The Achilles USA managers turned to Reifenhäuser CSC for the retrofit. After all, the contacts had never been broken off, the line to be modernized had fulfilled its purpose and Reifenhäuser CSC had all the necessary documentation for the system. The consulting expertise also spoke in favor of the specialists from Germany. "Our contacts at Reifenhäuser are not only familiar with extrusion systems, but also with plastic compounds and had become familiar with our processes. The decision to engage Reifenhäuser again was an easy one," summarizes Reid. This also meant that Hüseyin Pek, service technician at Reifenhäuser CSC, came into play. He had already been involved in setting up the first system, which was a huge advantage for Reid: “Being able to rely on the same service team again after all these years is really rare.”

When Achilles USA made contact, the work began for Pek and his colleagues: "First, we ran trials with the old line before starting tests in our research and development center. This allowed us to determine which system configuration would be best for processing the original recipe." After all, it was essential to achieve the same high-quality film as the Japanese parent company.

Following the extensive tests, it was clear which components of the existing line could continue to be used, and which had to be added. It also became clear that some parts would have to be manufactured from scratch. A larger Achilles team from the USA and Japan were convinced of the approach and the proposed solutions at Reifenhäuser's headquarters in Troisdorf. This laid the foundation for later working hand in hand on the conversion of the line. In addition, Reid and his team in the USA had to set up a clean room around the line. This was the only way to create the basic hygiene conditions for medical films.

Precise specifications to be met

When Achilles USA ended production on the old line in 2024, the dismantling of the parts that were no longer required began. Assembly of the new components began in August 2024. Reifenhäuser CSC integrated two additional small extruders into the line, and a new feed block now enables the production of the required number of film layers. The clear focus of the conversion was on the hot part area and forming. In addition to four new dies including a die heating station and a precisely adjusted dryer, the surface of the cast roller was also important. Its embossing is what gives the melt coming out of the dies its unique structure. This structure is important because it enables the medical film to function later on. Achilles USA relies on a rubber coating manufactured by Reifenhäuser CSC for the coating of the roller - which also has to apply precisely timed pressure on the film.

The conversion was commissioned successfully.

Once the conversion is complete, the line will be able to produce up to 650 kilograms of film per hour. The medical film consists of five layers and is between 0.1 and 0.35 millimeters thick. It is used to produce a variety of bio-bags for different purposes in the pharmaceutical industry. The film must not dissolve on contact with vaccines and must have an excellent barrier effect so that no liquid can penetrate it. To achieve this effect, various barrier materials such as EVOH and LDPE are processed in the film.

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