Slitting and rewinding

5 June 2006




Parkland improves productivity

Parkland’s new Series III duplex centre rewind slitter is said to extend the capability of the company’s established SM150 range even further. The first machine has already been delivered to a customer in Europe. It can slit web widths of up to 2,050mm, with a maximum rewind diameter of 800mm, and operates at up to 600m/min.

The new model is designed to improve productivity and reduce operator effort through the use of mechanized handling systems at both the unwind and rewind ends of the machine. An integral shaftless unwind carriage uses hydraulically operated pick-up arms fitted with stepped chucks to locate and lift the parent reel. The arms can move independently or together, so as to offer the option of centre or offset winding.

A completely redesigned pendant mounted panel allows the operator to access the controls from different working positions. A laser core positioning system is said to save time and ensure precise alignment when changing slit widths. Time is also saved through the use of multi knife blocks on the bottom shaft. Dovetail mounted top knifeholders with razor-in-groove slitting attachments and pushbutton pneumatic knife engagement are provided.

The rewind shafts are also cantilevered. When the machine is running, they are clamped pneumatically into bearing housings in a pivoting side gate. To remove finished reels, an unload trolley engages with the shaft ends and the side gate is swung clear. An automated push-off mechanism slides the reels off the shafts and onto the corresponding trolley arms, for transportation from the machine.

Improved guarding is provided in accordance with the latest health and safety requirements. A two-stage laser beam detector at the rewind end warns when personnel approach the limit of the ‘safe’ working area and automatically shuts down the machine if they continue to move closer.

The entire slitting zone is enclosed with a ‘see-through’ polycarbonate guard, and a grab wire at the splicing table enables the operator to stop the machine in the event of an emergency.


Automatic turret option

Automatic turret slitters from DCM Usimeca offer the benefits of an automated turret sequence, but the operator still plays an active role in reel removal and new core loading. The company says this helps to keep down the capital cost of the machine.

Versatility is another plus factor, the company states: machines can be supplied in simplex single shaft turret or duplex shaft turret configuration, with speeds up to 600m/min. Integral shafted or shaftless unwind stands are available with overhead or operator platform designs for access to quick change or automatic knife systems. Full automatic tension control is performed by DCM’s own Pilot system.

The machines feature AC drives with PLC control, a modem link, and screen interface with memory control.


Latest Vectra to boost production of small label rolls

New to the Vectra range from AB Graphic International is a four-spindle turret rewinder for producing small rolls of labels at high speeds.

This 330mm web width turret rewinder can produce rolls in diameters from 30-150mm. Speed is dependent on the diameter of the mandrels used, with up to 150m/min possible using 30-50mm diameter mandrels. Up to 90m/min is said to be achievable with 12-25mm mandrels.

Features include closed loop tension control, a cycle time of 8.5/min, auto fill hot melt core gluing, constant mandrel end support for small diameter mandrels down to 12mm, touchscreen controls and a job save facility for up to 500 jobs. A programmable system is included for print and apply label closure, and the line is completed with a high speed automatic core loader, and auto roll eject for finished rolls.


Atlas is FILMtech’s favourite

When fast growing US metallized film producer FILMtech decided to expand its slitting capacity, it had no hesitation in returning to the supplier of its first machine – Atlas Converting Equipment.

“We process a huge range of materials on our Atlas CW800 film slitter like BOPP, CPP, LDPE, nylon, polyester and PVC - but it just keeps on running,” explains operations manager Keith Stansberry. “It is such a good machine that we did not hesitate in buying a second one, which will be installed this summer. It is extremely flexible and versatile, and runs round the clock, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without any reliability issues, producing excellent finished reels at up to 800m/min. The longer it keeps running, the higher our productivity,” he adds.

FILMtech operates from a 4,250m2 facility in Bean Station, Tennessee, with two vacuum metallizers, including a General EHF machine installed last year. The company handles web widths up to 3,300mm and roll diameters up to 1,000mm for films between 10-50 micron. Production has now reached over 5,000t/year and includes both metallized and clear barrier coatings, with surface treatment if required, heat seal films and optical densities ranging from 0.2 to 3.0+.

Stan Braycotton, product manager for Atlas Slitter Rewinders, explains: “The first CW800 at FILMtech, installed in June, 2004, had four rewind stations processing materials up to 3,300mm wide. The new machine to be installed this year will be a similar specification.

The CW800 is the most successful secondary film slitter in the Atlas portfolio - more than 50 are now working with metallizers, CPP and BOPP film lines worldwide.


Winding without problems

To ensure “perfect winding of diverse blown film products”, Windmöller & Hölscher developed the Filmatic TX turret winder. Features include minimum contact pressures, adhesive-free web transfer at the beginning of a new roll, centre and gap winding from roll start, and reverse rotation capability.

When operating with W&H’s Varex blown film lines, the TX can handle films between 1,600-3,600mm width at up to 200m/min - and up to 450m/min when downstream of Filmex cast film systems. Maximum roll diameter is 1,000mm. Windows based touchscreen monitors at each winding unit are said to make the winder easy to handle.

For multiple roll production, the machine can be fitted with heated knives, spreader rollers and a slitting roller draw. The heated knives use only minimum cutting pressure, reducing edge build-up and extending edge life. The roller draw is said to ensure constant web tension for trouble-free slitting.

A roll shaft lifting and extracting system facilitates handling and, to suit space available, the Filmatic TX can be installed with winding units back-to-back or face-to-face.


Planet suite

Soma’s Planet series slitter rewinders are modular machines capable of handling paper, films and foils in web widths 1,100, 1,350, and 1,600mm. The Saturn, Jupiter and Venus models are designed for thin foils and cartonboard while the Pluto is said to be a cost effective system with integrated unwind for speeds up 400m/min.

Unwind units can be supplied with either air expansion shafts or for shaftless operation, for parent rolls of 1,000, 1,200, and 1,500mm diameter. They include web edge guides, manual or vacuum splicing table and tension control unit with either AC or pneumatic braking.

Slitting incorporates infeed banana roller, edge trim removal and web adjustment rollers to limit telescoping of rolls and can be through razor or rotary knife for slit roll diameters of 600, 800, and 1,000mm. Rewind units feature constant tension control, lay-on roller, hydraulic unloading, anti static bars and powerful AC motors that permit use as an independent rewinder.

Latest addition to the Planet family is the “robust, high performance” Venus II for slitting wide web films and foils at high speed. It operates from an unwind diameter of 1,500mm and is available in widths of 1,100, 1,350, 1,600, and 1,850mm. Capable of up to 700m/min, it features automatic knife positioning, automatic laser core positioning and touchscreen controls.


Specialist in winding systems

Somatec designs customer specific systems, together with all the necessary service required for the winding and unwinding of material webs in the paper, plastics film and non woven materials industries. Founded in 1996, the company says it has commissioned numerous machines for well known companies. Its winding systems are claimed to offer ease of operation, good accessibility for maintenance, and high flexibility for webs of varying width and weight.


Sapphire capable of cutting copper

Ashe Converting Equipment claims few other manufacturers could have matched the bespoke Sapphire slitter it supplied for processing a copper material. Not only was the nature of the material challenging, the machine also had to be configured for cleanroom operating conditions.

This heavy duty Sapphire was provided with tangential rotary shear slitting and incorporated closed loop tension control. Ashe chief engineer Keith Fordham says tangential slitter geometry was the most practical method, “as rigid or stiff materials can be deflected away from the blade without damage. In the tangent slitting system, a web is in contact with the lower slitter only at the cut point. Top blade penetration is significantly greater than in a wrap system, but knife holder mounting geometry is much more critical.”

The slitter for copper processing was also provided with robotic unloading of slit rolls that in this application can weigh as much as 750kg.

At the other end of the slitting spectrum, Ashe offers a machine for start up companies “or those operating on a fixed budget”. The Onyx all-electric duplex slitter will handle web widths of 1,300-1,600mm at a maximum speed of 300m/min. It has a full shaftless unwind, web guiding, razor/shear slitting, and duplex differential winding with full lay-on control – including back rollers.

The control system is designed around a two-motor AC flux vector drive with a full colour diagnostic touchscreen to make set-up easy. Tension control throughout the machine is fully automatic using PLC algorithms for diameter computation, and the machine incorporates Ashe’s own differential rewind shaft as standard. The Onyx will slit a wide range of flexible packaging, printed and plain films, laminates and paper.


Trimmers tackle tough jobs

Special purpose equipment manufacturer CM Machinery recently supplied a set of its heavy duty shear cut trimming heads to a German company for installation on a rubber conveyor belt manufacturing line being built for an Asian customer. The heads are suitable for cutting rubber sheet up to 40mm. thick.

The self contained units comprise a pair of 250mm diameter circular blades held in position to each other by a fixed steel spine plate. The blades are motorized by independent drives, which are variable speed to optimize the cut quality of the product edge for the follow-on processes. Able to cut very thick and tough products, they are produced in two sizes, with 175mm and 250mm diameter blades. Versions can be provided for either slitting or edge trimming.

CM says the units are sturdy, provide quick and easy blade changing and can be supplied individually or in multiples. Previously, the company has provided a number of customized arrangements of the twin blade heavy duty cutter head, for products including plastics, textiles, non wovens, composites, floor coverings and conveyor belting. They can be provided as stand alone units or complete with positioning support rails within a customised slitting section.


400th Conslit from Kampf

Kampf Maschinenfabrik recently celebrated delivery of its 400th Conslit high capacity roll slitting and winding machine. The customer was Mondi Packaging Flexibles, in Austria. To mark the occasion, the management of Kampf held a celebration for its employees involved in the project, and for representatives from Mondi Packaging.

Conslit II is the latest version of the proven two-spindle machine, said to offer higher running speeds, faster slitting width change-over, and minimal set-up times. Overhead routing of the web enables it to meet the highest hygiene requirements for products such as packaging films for pharmaceuticals and foodstuffs, says Kampf.

The Conslit II is claimed to be the only two-spindle roll slitter with working widths of over 2,000mm.

Filters through

Illinois, USA, based TDC Filter Manufacturing produces dust collecting air filters using several types of filter material, including felt and paper. In response to a customer’s need, the company devised an innovative filter material and design. A new slitter was required to convert the product, as project engineer Yury Kabakov explains.

“We needed a machine that could slit material very narrowly and rewind it. It also needed to be able to keep up with our production speed requirements.” After checking several manufacturers, he decided to purchase an 84in Magna slitter rewinder from Contech. It was specified with a 1,000 lb unwind with three inch airshaft, score slitter, and auto web guide.

“The Magna was a high speed machine priced better than similar models from other manufacturers,” he remarks. “Most importantly, Contech was willing to custom design the equipment to our specifications.”

Since its installation, the Magna has been running so smoothly that TDC has been able to run other filter materials on the same machine. “We’ve been able to use the slitter for a wide range of other filters, including felt and cartridge, without a problem,” confirms Yury Kabakov.

Short reels a speciality

Latest development from Laem System is the RB4 high performance single turret slitter for paper and non extensible materials. It has been designed to maximize the productivity of extremely short meterage finished reels. Different versions can be supplied to suit exact production needs.

The machine features centre winding technology on a single expanding shaft, with the pressure of a full width lay-on roller. To guarantee the most accurate winding tension control, the machine’s process area is mounted on a trolley that moves backwards and forwards as the diameter increases. The operator can place the core(s) on the other expanding shaft and unload the finished reels(s) while the machine is running. Unloading can be manual or with an optional series of trolleys.


Taking care of tension

Tension control plays an important role in slitting – to provide for proper slit positioning and perfectly wound rolls. Bjorn Olesen, of Danarota Technic, the European Division of Montalvo, says: “For good web control, the tension should run at equal to or less than 10 per cent of the yield point of the product being slit. Constant unwind tension is essential on all slitting machines to ensure good tracking and slitting. Accurate and stable tension is also a requirement of the rewinder, to facilitate rewinding and thus avoid core crushing.”

With Montalvo closed loop tension control systems, tension is programmable and controlled from the unwind through the entire machine and into the rewind. “You have the ability to set and maintain very precise control,” states Bjorn Olesen.

Danarota’s loadcell based closed loop method of control can be used anywhere on a machine. It is also said to be free from most of the resonance problems associated with other systems used on high speed machines. Once installed and calibrated the system requires minimal operator involvement. Another advantage is its ability to interface with machine control logic.

AB Graphic acquires Flytec

AB Graphic International has acquired Flytec Spezialmaschinen, Germany, for an undisclosed sum. Flytec’s products cover pharmaceutical label inspection, label dispensers/applicators, booklet insertion machines and vision camera inspection systems.

Mike Burton, managing director of AB, comments: “The acquisition is a natural and progressive fit for us. We have worked with Flytec for a number of years, incorporating their optical vision inspection systems on our slitter rewinders. The product range enables our group to broaden its offerings and service support without any real product overlap”. Renamed AB Graphic International GmbH, the company will retain its manufacturing facility in Baesweiler, under former owner Michael Leidgschwendner.

Flytec has traded primarily in Germany and the Benelux countries and this customer base will be developed through the AB Graphic network of distributors.


Knifeholder with automatic adjustment

Based on the patented Dienes PSG-DF shear cut knifeholder, the Genius system provides automatic adjustment to suit the material to be slit. According to Dienes, the benefits include a “dramatic” increase in knife life, lower regrind costs, constant slit quality, increased safety, and higher productivity. It is also said to be well suited for very difficult slitting tasks.


Six from SRC

SRC Systems recently supplied six of its model 590 shaftless slitter rewinders to a customer in India. Cosmo Films, of Aurangabad, produces lamination films and will be using the SRC machines for razor slitting. The PLC controlled 590 has a maximum web width of 2,000mm, roll diameter of 1,000mm (1,000kg) and minimum slit width of 40mm.



Contacts

AB Graphic International
Tel: +44 (0)1262 671138
Ashe Converting Equipment
Tel: +44 (0)1473 710912
Atlas Converting Equipment
Tel: +44 (0)1234 852553
CM Machinery
Tel: +44 (0) 2838 333341
Contech
Tel: +1 316 722 6907
Danarota Technic
Tel: +46 75 57 27 11
DCM
Tel: +33 01 41 37 52 70
Dienes
Tel: +49 2206 605 0
Kampf
Tel: +49 2262 81 327
Laem System
Tel: +39 014245 5719
Parkland International
Tel: +44 (0)161 762 9737
Soma Engineering
Tel: +420 465 350 823
Somatec
Tel: +49 05151 10652 0
SRC Systems
Tel: +44 (0)1473 726445
Windmöller & Hölscher
Tel: +49 5481 14 0





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Windmller & Hlscher
SRC Systems
Somatec
Soma Engineering
Parkland International
Laem System
Kampf
Dienes
DCM
Danarota Technic
Contech
CM Machinery
Atlas Converting Equipment
Ashe Converting Equipment
AB Graphic International

Improved productivity from Parkland Improved productivity from Parkland
RB4 is Laem's latest RB4 is Laem's latest
Latest offering from Soma Latest offering from Soma
Tigre turret slitter from DCM Usimeca Tigre turret slitter from DCM Usimeca
Automatic knife adjustement by the Genius Automatic knife adjustement by the Genius
Atlas CW800 suits FILMtech Atlas CW800 suits FILMtech
"Perfect winding" promised by W&H


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