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AQ10268 WORK AREA 961.04 PROJECT NUMBER: TITLE: REVIEW PERIOD: PERSON RESPONSIBLE: 961.04.002 Project ULTIMATE March - August 1996 R. Oliver PROJECT OBJECTIVE: To identify realistic manufacturing processes for the outer wrapper component of Project ULTIMATE smoking articles. STATUS: An order has been placed for a CLEXTRAL BC21 extruder following the relatively successful trials of cores and outers on the BC21 in the Dev. Halls. Outers had excellent form and surface finish and were remarkably coherent and stable. However, densities were high and permeability low. Trials conducted at Clextral mid-July went well, previous runs were reproduced and outers were produced on a 9 barrel machine with 100% of the Pedite fed using a side-feeder at barrel 6 limiting the exposure of the machine to the highly abrasive Perlite. Final specification is now complete. The extruder will be installed and commisioned in the Dev. Halls in Dec after the necessary re-arrangements have taken place. The ancillaries and downstream equipment have been designed/specified and should also be available in Dec. The extruder and ancillaries can be used to produce the core wound onto spools and then re-configured to coat the core cord with the outer sheath. Trials to establish the feasability of coiling extruded core proved successful where the core cord was wound onto drums of various sizes under low tension. The cores had to be in a semi-set state at the winder in order to allow bending/yielding. To compensate for loss of shape, a further down size and re-shape operation will be needed on the coating line. Conditioning of dry cores will allow subsequent paying-off. A specification for a low tension winder was determined and an order placed on Kabel Teknik for delivery in November. A modified helical rotor pump has been sourced which will handle highly viscous slurries. This will be used in conjunction with a X-head die to coat cores with pre-mixed Perlite/Alginate slurries. NEXT STEPS: • Trials using modified helical rotor pump to extrude outer in Sept. • Expedite extruder, ancillaries and downstream equipment. • Installation and commisioning of extruder in Dev. Halls in Dec. , Design and build rig for extruding sheath on formed rod. REGENTS PARKROAD MILLBROOK SOUTHAMPTON SOI58TL O