DEP launches custom coating operation

Surrey, UK-based DEP, a manufacturer of film products for demanding applications in the printing and graphics industries, has opened a coating plant at its new site at Runcorn in Cheshire. 

The operation is housed in a modern, 20,000 square foot facility, and will offer both solvent and aqueous coating of web-fed materials. The plant will be able to handle a wide range of materials, including films, foams, papers, fabrics and foils up to 1,600 mm wide. 

The new operation will initially comprise two coating lines, and will offer both clean room and non-clean room coating facilities to cater for all types of customers. The newly installed clean room is rated to ISO Class 7 (US FED STD 209E Class10,000), and will be able to offer the cleanliness required for today’s high specification applications in demanding optical, medical and other markets. A wide range of coating techniques can be employed, including gravure, slot die, reverse roll and Meyer bar, and these are supplemented with a full range of converting capabilities including slitting, guillotining and precision sheeting. The coating lines will offer both thermal and UV curing facilities. 

DEP’s new venture will focus on offering a custom coating and laminating service to customers in demanding markets such as medical, security, speciality labeling and high quality graphics. The manufacturing site is in full compliance with all current emissions legislation. 

Jack Kahn, director of DEP, said: ‘I am very excited that we will be able to combine state-of-the-art custom coating expertise with DEP’s renowned customer service to provide an excellent offering to customers looking for the best in web-fed coating. We have put together a management team with vast experience in custom coating, and are looking forward to the challenges our customers bring to us.’