Innovative Film Slitting Technologies for High-Performance Thin Films and Flexible Electronics
Customer Care 2025-01-07
Market Trends in Optical Films for Electronics Applications
The rapid advancement of flexible electronics—such as E-paper, smart packaging, medical sensors, solar cells, automotive components, and touchscreens—is driving significant progress in substrate technologies. High-performance materials such as optical-grade PET and ITO conductive films not only enhance transparency to over 90% but also offer exceptional bendability and durability, achieving material thickness as low as 6 µm to meet the demands for lightweight and high-performance applications.
Thin film slitting has become a critical process in the advancement of flexible electronics, ensuring precise handling and minimal defects in ultra-thin substrates.
Global Innovation Leadership
Global innovators from Asia-Pacific, North America, and Europe are actively driving breakthroughs in optical film and flexible electronics technologies. The Asia-Pacific region, led by China, Japan, and South Korea, focuses on the development of transparent conductive films, battery separators and optical substrates capable of delivering higher resolution. By 2024, the region has been reported dominating the global market with more than 40% market share. In addition, North America holds a leading advantage in solar cells and medical electronics, while Europe focuses on smart packaging and sustainable applications.
These technological breakthroughs are driving improvements in energy efficiency and device functionality, positioning “ Precise Slitting Technology ” as an indispensable expertise in material processing to ensure optimal quality and performance of high-end materials.
Slitting Technology for Ultra-Sensitive Optical Films
Optical film PET materials are widely used across industries, including precision applications such as high-resolution displays, automotive panels, and large-scale architectural glass, as well as new energy materials. During slitting or trimming, optical films are extremely sensitive to tension variations and speed fluctuations, making precise speed control and tension management crucial. Thin film slitting requires meticulous control of tension and cutting mechanisms, as the ultra-thin nature of these materials makes them particularly sensitive to damage.
The tension control system is designed to automatically adjust according to the substrate thickness, minimizing errors in tension during speed changes. Slow-speed operation is commonly employed for ultra-sensitive optical films to achieve precise slitting and trimming while effectively preventing static buildup and film wrinkling.
Nicely Machinery continually enhances its slitting and Roll-to-Roll technologies, achieving slitting tolerances of less than ±0.1mm and automatic knife positioning tolerances of less than ±0.02mm. These advancements ensure clean, burr-free cuts and prevent damage, while precise tension control guarantees top-quality results in every detail.
Common Slitting Data for Optical Films：
| High-Performance Film |
PET, PI, multi-layer films. Thickness range of 4 µm – 350 µm. |
|---|---|
| Material Width： | 500 mm – 3200 mm. |
| Slit width | Few cuts or trimming only. |
| Rewind Diameter： | 400 mm. ( up to 600 mm in some cases) |
| Slit Speed： | 5 – 200 m/min. |
Nicely's EG-7009U and EG-8003U series slitter rewinders are equipped with fully electric drive control systems and advanced rewinding technology. By integrating automation with precise tension control systems, these machines ensure consistent and stable rewind quality, delivering exceptional performance. They are the ideal solution for processing optical films with multi-layer constructions or highly sensitive coatings, across a diverse range of high-performance substrates.
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EG-7009U
Duplex Shaft Integrated with
Hanging-Type Rewinder |
EG-8003U
Secondary Slitter with Individual
Driven Winding Station |
|---|---|
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Operational Capability：
EG-7009U is designed for film converting up to 2500mm in width, with a shafted winding system and hanging-type rewinder, offering improved rewinding flexibility for roll slitting and doctoring.
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Operational Capability：
EG-8003U is designed for processing technical films with widths from 1700 mm to 3200 mm. It features individual motor driven winding stations offering advanced automation and precise control for excellent output quality.
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Key Innovations for High-Performance Films
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Hanging-Type Rewinder Design
Nicely's hanging-type rewinder stations, first introduced in 2018 with the EG-7009U , incorporating dual-shaft center rewinding mechanisms. The design features linear horizontal movement, ensuring stable and precise tension control throughout the rewinding process—essential for managing sensitive films with stringent quality requirements. In 2024, this innovation was expanded to the EG-8003 series, delivering advanced solutions for wider functional films while addressing customized rewinding and unloading requirements to meet diverse user needs. -
Enhanced Precision in Slitting Section
- Independent Top & Bottom Knife Units – Precision-engineered to allow real-time adjustments to blade depth and positioning for optimal cutting quality tailored to various material properties.
- Enhanced Slitting Accuracy – Features individual motor drive systems and an intuitive touch panel interface, enabling quick and precise knife settings, reducing setup time and improving operational efficiency.
- Particle Elimination – Equipped with a dedicated suction system at each knife station to remove debris, dust, and particles, ensuring the integrity of optical films by minimizing slitting contamination.
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Optional Features for Enhanced Performance
Nicely offers a range of optional upgrades to meet specific optical application requirements：- Dust removal rollers – Used during material operation to remove surface dust and prevent product damage due to contamination.
- Defects inspection device – Customizable to detect and mark defects in real-time, ensuring product quality.
- Motorized web threading system – Pulls material into position for slitting, significantly reducing manual web threading and downtime.
- Individual trim winders – Specifically designed for handling trim material, allowing independent winding of waste material, ensuring smooth operation of the main roll.
- Auto knife positioning system – Enhances knife precision and positioning speed.
- Finished roll handling system – Customizable to fit customer facility needs, optimizing the finished roll transfer process and increasing production line efficiency.
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These features enable clients to achieve higher productivity, efficiency, and quality, particularly for high-performance optical film production.
Meeting Diverse Industry Needs – Narrow Web Applications
Nicely’s EG-7005 series slitting & doctoring machines are specifically designed for narrow web substrates, making them ideal for micro-chip and flexible printed electronic composites. With a web width typically controlled within 600mm, this series is highly recognized in the market for its precision slitting, stable rewinding, and defect marking capabilities, offering exceptional performance for handling delicate materials.
The simple and operational-oriented design further enhances production efficiency, making it a perfect solution for high-end flexible electronic materials in post-processing applications.
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Collaborating with Industry Leaders
At Nicely, we collaborate with leading manufacturers of high-performance films to provide tailored slitting solutions that meet the highest quality standards. We are dedicated to driving industry advancement with innovative solutions for optical film applications. We welcome strategic partnerships to foster industrial innovation and contribute to your success.
For further information for your specialty-film applications, please contact us.
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Related Models
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EG-7009 series
for Flexible Packaging |
EG-8003 series
for Flexible Packaging |
|---|---|
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Roller width : up to 2500mm
Mechanical speed : 800 m/min.
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Roller width : max. 8000 mm
Mechanical speed : 1000 m/min.
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