Lab-to-production coating on one control architecture
IMC standard coaters use the same fluid delivery philosophy as our production coating lines — pre-metered flow, Coriolis mass flow measurement, and closed-loop coat weight control — packaged in compact, defined configurations. Data generated on the lab coater is directly relevant to the pilot machine and the production line that follows it.
01Lab Coater →
Narrow-web coating for formulation screening and process development. Compact design with interchangeable coating methods, minimal fluid volume requirements, and process parameters that transfer to pilot and production scale.
02Pilot Coater →
330–500 mm web widths; slot die, comma, and gravure coating heads available. Explosion-proof Class 1 Group D configurations available for NMP and volatile-solvent processing — the same hazardous-environment engineering discipline as our production battery coating lines. Multi-zone convection drying with the thermal processing capability of full-scale systems.
03Production Coating Lines →
There is no fixed "standard" production coater. IMC engineers full production coating lines to order: web width, coating method, drying length, solvent system, and line integration built around your product, on the same fluid delivery and controls architecture as the lab and pilot machines. Your pilot recipes scale onto a production line designed for them — this is the core of what IMC has built since 1948.
Standard capability
Fluid delivery: progressive cavity metering with Coriolis-based closed-loop flow control, scaled for lab flow rates. Controls: recipe-driven HMI with full data acquisition for scale-up documentation.
Model comparison
| Lab Coater | Compact Pilot Coater | Linear Pilot Coater | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max web width | 305 mm | 330 mm | 500 mm |
| Coating methods | Comma / reverse roll std; slot die, gravure opt. | Slot die, comma, reverse roll, gravure cartridge heads | Slot die std; comma cartridge opt.; dual-side via second pass |
| Coat weight control | Precision metering | Precision metering | Coriolis closed-loop; wet film ±1.5 µm |
| Line speed | 0.5–3 m/min | 0.5–10 m/min | To 30 m/min |
| Drying | 2 zones, to 150°C+, solvent-rated | 2–3 zones, to 150°C+, NMP-capable | Multi-zone 2 m sections (6 m+), to 180°C+, HEPA |
| Coating modes | Continuous, stripe; patch opt. | Continuous, stripe; patch opt. | Continuous, patch, lane — recipe controlled |
| Hazardous rating | Solvent-rated dryer | Solvent-rated dryer | Explosion-proof available (Class 1 Group D) |
Specifications shown are representative platform capabilities; each machine is configured to the application.
Applications
- Battery electrode slurry development
- Pharmaceutical and transdermal film coating
- Printed electronics and functional films
- Membrane casting
- General coating process development
