Web Tension & Guiding
Bringing production efficiency to web fed applications
Automation has revolutionised converting processes as this report from Martin Automatic describes.
F
or more than five decades Martin Automatic has helped packaging converters to improve their productivity with tailor-made solutions.
The scope of the company’s technology has taken it into a variety of markets, and most products that are manufactured on a reel have been processed by Martin equipment at some stage. In label converting, Martin is well-known for its range of narrow- web automatic butt splicers and transfer rewinders, but the company is also known for its significant presence in roll-fed processes in other industries, such as high-speed, low-tension roll changers using tape and heat-seal technology in wide-web coating and laminating of nonwovens, tissue, and films.
These products are fed into continuous processing lines by other Martin unwind/splice platforms to produce, for example, disposable nappies, feminine care products, absorbent pads, sanitising wipes and facial masks.
The Martin Automatic unwind and rewind units are fitted to ProPrint’s new Edale press.
Other markets for Martin technology include paperboard products and folding cartons, beverage carriers, and disposable cups and plates.
Today, Martin Automatic employs 175 people worldwide and its reputation is defined by the efficiency of its technology, such as the inertia compensated dancer roller and, in more recent years, the Airnertia idler roller, which offers high- speed, low-tension processing.
More importantly, the business has leveraged its extensive understanding of automation to develop solutions that reduce waste and enhance profitability for a long list of companies.
Integrating automatic butt splicers and rewinders into production lines provides Martin’s customers with significant cost savings
and waste reduction. One aspect of material waste is partially used rolls. Typically, these will contain less than 600 feet of material that typically is sent for recycling or to landfill. This is wasteful and reduces profit. Martin’s technology allows converters to incorporate partially used rolls efficiently into their production runs or be utilised for cleanup and make-ready. Users of automatic splicers typically improve production speed by 15% or more, because straight line production involves fewer starts and stops, and automation gives the operator confidence to run the press faster. Automatic splicing also results in better process quality because the press can be run at a consistent speed, avoiding fluctuations in, for example, UV power output and associated curing intensity.
Eliminating manual changes also allows web tension to remain constant, helping to ensure that colour matches stay consistent across a run.
Two recent examples of Martin’s flexible technology bringing production benefits are at Iconex in Tennessee and at ProPrint in the UK. At the American plant, MBS automatic butt splicers were fitted to existing production lines to support the company’s growth in innovative labels – but when the coronavirus spread rapidly were switched to converting paper rolls for sanitising wipes, “without missing a beat”, according to plant manager, Jim Price.
In the UK, ProPrint has installed an Edale 430mm web press exclusively to produce linerless labels and fitted it with an MBS unwind/splicer and LRD rewinder to allow non-stop production at 135m/min. Operations manager Bob Green claims: “we save 50–100m of material per roll change and have boosted productivity by at least 20%.”
Xwww.martinautomatic.com
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April 2022
www.convertermag.com
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