M.A. Supplies Group

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Material Handling and Converting Equipment

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SIDEWINDER II Slitter/Rewinder

Model SR-3010 Web Capacity: 30" diam. x 10" wide

DESIGN AND OPERATIONAL INFORMATION

The SR-3010 is a 10-inch slitter/rewinder that can be equipped with rotary shear knives, razor blades, or crush knives for slitting. Maximum roll diameter at the unwind arbor is 30 inches, and 25 inches at the rewind arbor. It is designed to be a rugged, simple to operate unit requiring minimal maintenance. Many of the design features are exclusive to the SR-3010, and are patented or have patents applied for.

The construction of the drive mechanisms is quite unique in comparison with other slitter/rewinders. Unlike traditional designs in which the nip rolls at the slitter station are gear driven, the nip rolls on the SR-3010 are free turning. Instead of relying on the nip rolls to pull the web through the machine, the SR-3010 utilizes the rewind arbor to pull the web through the machine. The free turning nip rolls rotate as a result of the web passing between them. They are geared to the shear blades (or anvil roll), so that as the nip rolls turn, so do the shear blades. The shear blades actually turn at a slightly greater speed than the nip rolls, thereby providing optimum cutting characteristics.

This arrangement of driving the rewind arbors and not the nip rolls eliminates the necessity of utilising a clutch mechanism at the rewind shaft. Because there is no clutch, the forces acting on the web are very uniform and evenly distributed all the way form the unwind to the rewind. The amount of force required to pull the web completely through the machine is very small, being between 1 and 2 pounds when the web tension (supplied by the unwind station) is backed completely off. Even with the rotary blades engaged, it takes less than 3 pounds to pull the web through the machine. The clutch mechanism utilised on conventional slitter/rewinders requires a large amount of power to drive it. The SR-3010 does not have a clutch, and that is why it can operate with a much smaller motor. The advantages to the user are 1: less power consumed during the day, and 2: no clutches to maintain!

The SR-3010's ability to provide very low web tensions offers another big advantage in the slitting and rewinding of delicate webs, such as perforated label stock. In addition, the extremely smooth starting and stopping characteristics supplied by the motor controller on the SR-3010 also greatly reduces the possibility of web breakage. The SR-3010 has few rivals when it comes to the slitting and rewinding of perforated materials.

The SR-3010 can be equipped with dual rewind arbors. The dual rewinds offer all of the advantages of the turret system found on more expensive machines, but without the disadvantages of the turret system. The dual rewinds can be activated with the flip of a switch. They can be run independently or in tandem. The ability to operate in tandem allows the operator to alternately stagger the rolls one up and one down, thereby providing a fool-proof method of separating the labels. At other times, the operator can be preparing the cores on one core holder while the other core holder is winding up.

The SR-3010 is a belt-driven machine, as opposed to a gear-driven machine. Belts have certain advantages over gears. They are very quiet. They have a very long service life. They are very inexpensive to replace if they should ever need replaced.

WEB TENSION

Web tension on the SR-3010 is maintained at the unwind station. A regulator located on the console allows the operator to dial in however much web tension is desired. A "dancer" located at the unwind station gradually releases the brake (controlling the tension) as the roll gets smaller. This results in a constant tension being maintained in the web at all times. Because of the unique method of maintaining web tension on the SR-3010 and the wide range of tension settings available to the operator as a result, the dual range rewind clutch required on other machines for rewinding small diameter cores is eliminated, saving money and maintenance expense.

AUTOMATIC WEB CLAMP

The machine is equipped with an automatic web clamp. The clamp is located underneath the last idler roller around which the web passes before reaching the rewind arbors. When the motor is switched off, either automatically or manually, the web clamp will close against the idler roller. This prevents the web from losing its position on the idler roller while the operator is changing cores.

WEB GUIDE

The SR-3010 can be equipped with either Coast Controls, pneumatic web guide system or an Accu-Web electronic web guide system. The Coast Controls system reads any type of web, clear or opaque.

The Accu-Web unit must be equipped with the proper sensor, either LED or ultrasonic, depending on whether the web is clear or opaque.

The web guide unit on the SR-3010 serves two functions. The first function is to steer the web into the slitting station so that the web can track consistently and accurately. The second function is to provide a means of adjusting the web as it is passing through the slitting blades. The large, round handwheel located on the front of the web guide allows the operator to adjust the web precisely between the cutting knives quickly and easily.

SLITTING STATION

The slitting station can be equipped with rotary shear knives, crush knives, or razor blades. When equipped with the shear knives, a unique shifting device has been designed that allows the operator to simultaneously lower the blades and shift them over with a single lever. This valuable feature prevents the upper knives from being accidentally lowered onto the lower knives, which could cause blade damage. The single lever design eliminates the possibility for error that is inherent with the dual lever designs, and is exclusive on the SR-3010.

Blade adjustment is a simple process. When setting up the blades for cutting, a reference dowel, located adjacent to the blades, allows the operator to measure over to locate the blades quickly and accurately. The open top to the knife station permits easy operator access to the blades for adjustment.

MOTOR SELECTION

Because of the highly efficient drive train on the SR-3010, the amount of power required to drive it is significantly less than for conventional slitter/rewinders. For that reason, a 1 horsepower motor provides plenty of power for most label applications. (Conventional slitter/rewinders would require 2-3 horsepower to obtain comparable performance). A stepped pulley arrangement permits the operator to move the drive belt to a higher power range for those occasional jobs where very large rolls need to be rewound. The 1 horsepower model does not require special wiring to be hooked up. It can be plugged into a standard 110 volt outlet with 20 amp capacity.

For users who are rewinding large rolls regularly (25 to 30 inch diameter), a 2 horsepower motor makes the SIDEWINDER a very powerful workhorse!

CORE HOLDERS

The SR-3010 can be fitted with a wide range of core holder sizes. 1 inch, 1-1/2 inch, 1-3/4 inch, 2 inch, 3 inch (standard), and 4 inch are all available. Changeover is quick, approximately 1 minute.

INSPECTION

The SR-3010 can be set up for label inspection capability. A strobe lamp can be mounted to the front of the machine. When this is added, a forward inspection tower is also added to lengthen the web path and to provide a good viewing area for the operator. A label counter can also be added to the machine. (missing label detector will soon be available)

To optimise the capabilities of the inspection features, an Electronic Speed Control can be added to monitor and adjust web speed automatically. A representative can explain this feature in more detail.

ADDING FEATURES

Features and options may be added after the machine has been purchased. Some items, such as the dual rewind arbor, will require a factory technician to perform the installation. Most items can be installed by the user.

THE "ET" - ELECTRONIC TENSION CONTROL

The Electronic Tension Control option allows fine adjustment of the tension to each rewind roll independently. This is done by varying the tension between the cutting station and the rewind rolls. Unsupported films and normal label stocks can be "tuned" to the tension desired without stretching the material or breaking the perforations.

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