Rider Roll Control System

The Rider Roll Assembly is used on two drum winders where the winding rolls build up vertically and the weight of the winding rolls are supported by the drums. This type of winding system is used extensively in paper mills and other paper conversion industries.

The function of the Rider Roll Assembly is to provide a mechanism by which a controlled downward force is applied to the winding rolls such that the nip loading in the contact area between the drum(s) and the winding rolls can be controlled.

The Rider Roll Assembly consists of:

• a dead-weight beam of known weight,
• a roll assembly for vertical force application to the winding rolls,
• a controlled force-relieving system, and when applicable,
  
• a drive system to accelerate and decelerate the rotating inertia of the rider roll (This is not fitted on all systems)

The need for this force application and relieving function is because the impression induced into the winding rolls due to winding roll-to-drum nip loading, has a direct influence on wound-in-tension of the winding rolls. Without the influence of a Rider Roll, the progressive weight increase of the winding rolls would result in an undesirable increased nip impression and consequential increase of wound-in-tension and possible damage to the paper as the winding rolls build up. However, depending on the paper being wound, optimum winding roll structure is realized when wound-in-tension is relatively constant or progressively decreases as the winding rolls build up.

Universal Converting Equipment has developed a PLC controlled rider roll control system that can be used to control hydraulic or electrically operated rider roll systems. This system can easily be fitted to a wide range of two drum winders and will result in improved roll density control and so improved product quality.