Slitting & Rewinding
How can a duplex slitter be more productive, safe and cost eff ective than a turret slitting machine?
In the early 70’s Duplex (Twin rewind shaft) slitting machines were predominantly used throughout most industries. During the 80’s dual turret machines were developed and gained popularity through the 90’s and beyond as they were proven to be more productive. So now we are well into the 21st century, has this changed and if so why? By, Alan Jones, managing director, Universal Converting Equipment
unload the fi nished rolls and place and position the new cores on the outboard rewind shaft while the inboard shaft is winding, thereby signifi cantly increasing productivity. This is the major gain of a turret machine with the increase in productivity outweighing the increase in cost. Unfortunately, this primary advantage no longer exists due to safety regulations preventing operators from approaching the outboard rewind shaft while the inboard is turning (even at low speeds). This prevents the operator closing the fi nished rolls and loading/ positioning the next set of cores whilst the machine is running. Installing additional safety systems such as light barriers, safety pressure mats or safety laser scanners do not meet the safety regulations due to the stopping time of the machine and the proximity to a serious hazard. This issue can be overcome by adding equipment to close the rolls and automatically load and position the cores thus removing
T
o understand this, we need to consider the machine operation: The historical benefi t of a turret machine is that you can close and
the need to approach the running machine. However, this further reduces access to the machine when required by the operator. The productivity gains of a turret over a twin shaft machine are lost without automatic roll
closure, automatic core loading and positioning. Compromising operator safety by ignoring safety regulations is not an option. However, even with this automation, the turret has the disadvantages of a larger footprint,and being a more complex and expensive machine, which is more diffi cult to thread up and operate than a traditional duplex (twin shaft machine). At Universal Converting Equipment we produce turret and duplex machines. However, since the development of Universal’s automated X8 we have not supplied any turret machines. Quite simply, they no longer make sense. The Universal X8 overcomes the turret issues, it loads and precisely positions cores without operator input or error. It automatically closes the finish rolls and attaches the tails to the new cores, all without the operator approaching the machine. To add to this the machine is safer, easier to operate and has a smaller footprint than a turret machine.
22
Dec 2025/Jan 2026
www.convertermag.com
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