ECS-JM Benchtop Roll-to-Roll Melt Extrusion and Rolling System for Ultrathin Polymer Membranes, EJMBR2RMERS

A Benchtop Roll-to-Roll Melt Extrusion and Rolling System is an advanced laboratory-scale processing platform designed to bridge the gap between small-batch beaker formulation and pilot-line production. It is uniquely suited for fabricating continuous, solvent-free polymer membranes, thermoplastic films, and flexible solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) (such as PEO-, P(VDF-HFP)-, or TPU-based matrices).

The main components of the R2R melt extrusion and rolling system are: (1) Micro-Extrusion Feeding & Melting Unit: Feeder / Barrel: Features a precision servo-motor-driven screw rod (typically fabricated from nitrided steel, e.g., 38CrMoAlA) housed in a heated melting cylinder. Thermal Zones: Multi-zone independent PID heating chambers capable of reaching up to 300℃ to 350℃, ensuring complete thermal homogenization of viscous polymer melts and polymer-ceramic composites without thermal degradation. (2) Precision Extrusion Die: Built from hardened tool steel with highly polished flow channels. Features an adjustable slot-die head (typically 200-300 mm width) with micro-adjustable lip gaps to control initial extrudate thickness, typically producing raw continuous sheets ranging from 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm. (3) Calendering / Rolling Module: Multi-Roller Stack: Comprises precision-ground steel rollers (often hard-chrome plated) configured as a 2 or 3-roller vertical or horizontal calendar stack to flatten, smooth, and gauge the extruded melt. Gap & Pressure Adjustment: Manual or micrometer-driven gap settings allow exact mechanical reduction of membrane thickness. (4) Tension-Controlled Winding Device: A decoupled, variable-speed take-up winder (0-60 RPM) equipped with torque or tension feedback to prevent stretching, tearing, or wrinkling of the continuous elastomeric or solid electrolyte membrane

References:

K. Platen, et al., Continuous Mixing of Solid Polymer Electrolyte via Solvent-Free Extrusion With Automated Material Addition, Polymer Engineering and Science, 2025, 65, 4932-4940

F. Scharf, et al., Inert atmosphere protected pilot-scale extrusion of polyester-based solid polymer electrolytes for lithium metal batteries, Energy Storage Materials, 2026, 90, 105363