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How to Improve the Efficiency of Slitting and Rewinding Processes

January 10, 2025 by Joe Gowman

In converting, efficiency is crucial. High-speed automated slitters like the Universal X8 process materials at remarkable speeds but can be hindered by poor-quality parent rolls. Defects in these rolls cause downtime, reduced throughput, and increased costs. Addressing these defects early is vital to peak performance.

Universal Converting Equipment’s X2XL roll doctor machine offers a solution by inspecting and reworking parent rolls before slitting. This proactive approach prevents imperfections from disrupting operations, ensuring smooth processing.

Why Parent Roll Quality Matters

The principle of “quality in, quality out” applies strongly to slitting and rewinding. Even advanced systems rely on high-quality input to deliver consistent results. Wrinkles, edge damage, or printing and laminating defects in parent rolls can disrupt processing. For highly automated systems like the Universal X8, the speed and throughput amplify the impact of these problems, leading to substantial downtime. Addressing parent roll quality is essential for achieving greater efficiency.

The Role of the X2XL Roll Doctor

The X2XL simplifies preparation by correcting common roll defects. It inspects and reconditions rolls, allowing the removal of defect areas then aligning the roll properly. This reduces stoppages and ensures uninterrupted operation of high-speed slitters.

A key feature of the X2XL is its reversibility. The machine can run in either direction, which is crucial when working with printed materials. These must return to their original direction before slitting to prevent backward print. The X2XL also supports various inspection systems to identify defects and flags. It can scan entire rolls, log issues, reverse to defects, and stop for corrections. This process enables operators to produce rolls with zero flags—a key goal for efficient slitting.

The doctoring process can also involve the removal of edge trims, available as an option on this machine.

Safety and Customisation

The X2XL prioritises safety with features like the ability to pick up and lower rolls directly to the floor, reducing manual handling. It meets stringent safety standards and offers customisable safety systems tailored to customer needs. Options include physical guarding, laser safety barriers and laser area scanners, ensuring comprehensive protection.

A Holistic Approach to Efficiency

Investing in high-speed slitters like the Universal X8 is important, but ensuring material quality is equally critical. By incorporating the Universal X2XL roll doctor into workflows, businesses can maintain consistent output and maximise efficiency. A seamless combination of the X2XL and X8 ensures high-performance converting operations.

For businesses aiming to excel in automated slitting and rewinding, prioritising parent roll quality is essential. Addressing roll defects proactively creates a streamlined, efficient production process and maximises returns on equipment investments.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Universal Converting Equipment will be exhibiting at ICE Europe 2017 and ICE USA 2017

March 3, 2016 by Andrew Laws

ICE 2017 Exhibition

Universal Converting Equipment at ICE USA

Universal Converting Equipment has exhibited at ICE Europe in Munich many times. ICE Europe 2015 was particularly successful, with interest in the company, and in-particular our Universal X6 slitter exceptionally high.

ICE Europe is a great opportunity to spend time with our long-term customers, as well as to meet potential new customers.

We are pleased to announce that in 2017 we will also be exhibiting at ICE USA in Florida. Interest in the Universal X6 in the American markets continues to grow exponentially. Exhibiting at ICE USA is a great opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of our X6 slitter rewinder. Universal has recently announced the establishment of a service centre and showroom in the USA which will house a Universal X6 slitting machine and a range of other equipment.

We are proud of the technological advancements we continue to make with the Universal X6 Slitter Rewinder. Efficiency options like automatic knife and core positioning, closed loop rewind tension control and compact design make the X6 a popular machine for slitting all flexible materials. Universal offer free online and telephone support to customers to back up the comprehensive machine diagnostic systems. Universal are committed to providing customers excellent ongoing support wherever the machines are located worldwide.

In addition to the Universal X6 we will also be exhibiting a Universal CCA Automatic Core Cutter and a Hot Melt Adhesive Coating Station.

ICE Europe 2017
Munich
Stand number 527
21st – 23rd March 2017

ICE USA 2017
Orlando, Florida
Stand 205
25th – 27th April 2017

Universal X6 Slitter Rewinder
The Universal X6 Slitter Rewinder

Filed Under: Events, News, Uncategorized

ICE Europe 2015 – our review

March 27, 2015 by Andrew Laws

Overwhelming interest in the X6 Slitter at ICE Europe 2015

This year’s International Converting Exhibition (ICE) in Munich appeared to be the best-attended ICE exhibition to date, both in terms of delegates and exhibitors. Here at Universal Converting Equipment, we decided to book a larger stand, and to take more machinery than in previous years. This was a decision that paid off. The two main machines on the stand were both sold with other orders placed at the exhibition.

We were overwhelmed by the level of interest in our Universal X6 Slitter. The machine we took was configured to showcase the most popular options, as chosen by our customers. The X6 was loaded with a BOPP jumbo roll and features like automatic knife setting proved popular with the large crowds who gathered to watch the regular demonstrations. Despite having eight salespeople on the stand, there were times when everyone was busy and we could not speak to all the people coming onto the stand.

Universal Converting Equipment stand at ICE Europe 2015

In addition to the slitter rewinder we also exhibited a hot melt adhesive coating station. There were a number of other hot melt system suppliers at ICE, but several delegates mentioned to us that we appeared to the be the only exhibitor who could provide the coating equipment (heads, hoses and tanks) in addition to designing and building the control systems and complete machines.

The Universal CCA Automatic Core Cutter on our stand generated a lot of enquiries, as did the RT2 roll handling trolley. One customer was so impressed with the Automatic Core Cutter that he bought one on the spot, just a short while after signing on the dotted line for the Universal X6 slitter also on the stand.

ICE Europe is well-established as a great opportunity to network with industry colleagues, and this proved to us yet again how substantially important the Universal X6 is for converters of flexible packaging, as well as for companies slitting papers, label stock and hot stamping foils.

Filed Under: Events, Uncategorized Tagged With: ICE Europe 2015, review, slitters

Record sales month for hot melt adhesive coating module for printing presses

November 18, 2011 by Andrew Laws

Universal Converting Equipment sold six HMCS 420’s during November 2011, a modular device that enables hot melt adhesive coating capability to be added to print presses and other web fed processes.

Touch screen HMI

The Universal HMCS 420 allows printers to coat hot melt adhesive in-line on their print presses, enabling them to service customers requiring adhesive coating without incurring the costs associated with installation of a dedicated line. The coating systems are designed to give the same precision of coating normally only achieved on dedicated hot melt coating lines.

The hot melt adhesive can be applied either as a continuous coating, as striped coating or patch coating in registration with the print design. A complete range of hot melt adhesives can be applied including pressure sensitive, heat seal, dry peel and UV curing. Applying adhesive on a press or finishing line allows special products to be manufactured which cannot be produced on standard label stock. End uses have included liner-less labels, security labels, promotional labels and fold out labels. Several high profile labelling companies were among the recent orders and interest in this innovative product continues to grow.

“The secret to high quality coating is precision positioning of the coating die. Safety regulations restrict access to the coating system when the machine is running. As a result, we have designed a motorised adjusting system so the key settings can be adjusted via the touch screen display. These positions form part of the product recipe and can be recalled at a later date when the product is run again. In essence, we’ve taken the ‘black art’ out of in-line coating while making the process both accurate and flexible.” Explains Managing Director Alan Jones.

The Universal HMCS coating system is available in a number of standard widths. It can also be customised to suit special applications.

Find out more about the HMCS 420…

Filed Under: News, Sales, Technical development, Uncategorized Tagged With: hot melt, label product

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A trading division of:
Universal Control Equipment

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03265730

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