DOYLE#WebClean Contact Free – Contact-Free Web Cleaning for Sensitive Material Webs

Gentle removal of dust and particles without mechanical contact – for maximum material quality, reduced downtime and efficient high-performance production processes.

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In modern printing, converting and film-processing applications, scratch-sensitive substrates such as plastic films, laminates or nonwovens are increasingly used. These materials react very sensitively to mechanical contact, while even the smallest particles can lead to quality defects, production waste or downstream processing problems.
Conventional contact-based cleaning systems often reach their limits in these applications, as brushes or mechanical contact modules may stress or damage the material surface. At the same time, requirements for surface cleanliness and process speed continue to increase.
A high-performance contact-free web cleaning system enables reliable removal of visible and sub-visible particles without touching the sensitive substrate. This allows stable production conditions, high product quality and efficient processes even when processing delicate materials.
An efficient inline web cleaning system therefore becomes a key factor for stable high-speed production processes.

Contact-free web cleaning is particularly recommended for sensitive or high-value substrates where mechanical cleaning elements can only be used to a limited extent. It also offers clear advantages at very high web speeds or in applications with demanding surface quality requirements.
Typical decision criteria include:

• Scratch-sensitive or soft material surfaces
• Very high web speeds
• Sensitive coatings or functional layers
• Applications with high surface quality requirements
• Processes where mechanical contact must be avoided

In such cases, contact-free cleaning can provide a particularly gentle and process-stable solution.

Contact cleaning systems use brushes or mechanical elements that physically remove particles from the material surface. They offer very high cleaning efficiency and are often the most economical solution in corrugated and paper applications.
Contact-free systems, on the other hand, utilize controlled airflow and vacuum technology to remove particles from the web without mechanical interaction. This minimizes the risk of surface damage or disturbance.
Rule of thumb:

• Robust substrates → often contact cleaning
• Sensitive substrates → often contact-free cleaning

The optimal solution always depends on material properties, process conditions and quality requirements.

DOYLE#WebClean Contact Free systems are based on an aerodynamically optimized high-speed vacuum principle. At the extraction point, an accelerated airflow is generated along the surface of the material web, mobilizing and removing loose particles as well as particles bound within the boundary air layer.
The precisely controlled airflow creates strong flow acceleration directly above the substrate surface. This allows both visible and sub-visible contaminants to be removed effectively without the need for mechanical cleaning elements.
The result is a highly effective and material-friendly cleaning solution specifically developed for sensitive and scratch-prone substrates, while being fully compatible with high-speed production environments.

• Contact-free cleaning without mechanical stress on the material
• Removal of visible and sub-visible particles
• Ideal for scratch-sensitive materials
• Very low maintenance requirements
• Energy-efficient operation with minimal consumables
• Stable process conditions at high web speeds
•  Easy integration into existing production lines

By using contact-free cleaning technology, surface quality of sensitive substrates is improved while maintenance requirements and machine downtime are reduced.

• High-value film and foil processing
• Coated or functionalized substrates
• Sensitive converting applications
• High-speed web processing lines
• Quality-critical printing preparation stages

DOYLE#WebClean Contact Free systems are configured project-specifically according to machine layout, substrate and production speed.
Typical design parameters include:

• Cleaning principle: contact-free high-speed vacuum cleaning
• Material contact: none
• Integration: inline in the material web
• Substrates: films, foils, laminates, nonwovens
• Maintenance requirements: very low
• Energy consumption: application-dependent

Additional custom configurations are available.