Vertipass is the new system for the production of PIR insulation board containing rigid foam which features vertical injection of the foam prior to the compression phase in a conventional horizontal laminator
PIR insulation board, primarily used in construction sector, requires an even distribution of the foam between the two paper surfaces, so to not affect the insulation performances.
Often the production of the PIR insulation board with traditional methods already on the market shows several problems concerning the laydown and the distribution of the chemical:
- in a multi-head pouring plant, the foam sometimes presents irregularity during the polymerization phase, due to the overlapping of the jets;
- the adhesion of the chemical to the upper paper sheet is not optimal.
To fix these problems, Cannon have designed and patented a new system which features vertical injection of the foam prior to the compression phase in a conventional horizontal laminator.
VertiPass, conceived for continuous production of flexible facing PIR insulation boards containing rigid foam, uses the upper and lower flexible facings to form a converging hopper where the liquid is poured into and transported by the movement of the two facings.
How does it work?
More specifically, the adjustable thin gap between the two papers conveying systems (see picture x) is filled by the liquid that immediately distributes itself on the whole width, which is large as the final panel. While the conveying systems rotate, the sandwich of paper – liquid PU – paper is delivered in a conventional continuous laminator. Here it is kept under pressure while the liquid reacts and expands.
In this way, the chemical has perfectly wetted the whole surface of both paper sheets, preventing the formation of irregularities derived by the presence of trapped air bubbles, particularly of those near the top facing material.
The thickness of the panel can be changed simply increasing the output of the high-pressure dosing unit and adapting the set and the speed of the conveyor.
Some advantages?
VertiPass presents three main advantages:
- Excellent density distribution: this system allows to laydown the foam evenly over the entire width of the panel before it starts to cure.
- Improved adhesion to the flexible facings materials: the liquid PU is in contact with both the paper sheets since the very beginning of the pouring; in this way, the flexible facing materials are very well-wetted by the chemical, resulting in better bonding between the surfaces and less potential air bubbles.
- Just one mixing head: being the PU squeezed between the two paper sheets and thus distributed, only one mixing head is necessary, with consequent improving of mixing quality and process stability, and savings in terms of maintenance.
Cannon VertiPass system is the best solution for the production of top quality PIR insulation boards.