Slitting & Rewinding
Automation breakthroughs in narrow web slitting for bottle labels
without manual adjustment.
• Automated roll offl oading: Once the rewind is complete, fi nished rolls are safely and quickly removed, ready for downstream packaging— again, with no operator required. The result is a fully integrated system capable of running continuously, with productivity levels unmatched.
FROM PARENT ROLL-TO-PACKAGED PALLET
What sets this achievement apart is the ability to truly handle the process from Parent Roll- to-Packaged Pallet. Incoming master rolls are loaded, slit, rewound and offl oaded onto conveyor systems with no human intervention. Once on a conveyor the fi nished rolls can be weighed, labelled, bagged and palletised automatically. By streamlining the slitting stage, converters can achieve unprecedented uptime and output, maximising the investment in post slitting automation.
I
nspection systems have been used in the printing and converting industry for decades now. We see new generations come and go. Automation in slitting technology is nothing new, it has evolved steadily to meet rising demands for precision, speed and consistency. However, the challenge has been most obvious in the production of bottle labels. Narrow slit widths and demanding rewind requirements have long presented bottlenecks in effi ciency. Today, those limitations are fi nally being overcome, thanks to advances in automation.
Over the past year at Universal Converting Equipment, our engineering team has perfected the automation required to handle bottle label production seamlessly, from “parent roll-to- packaged pallet”, with no operator intervention. This milestone represents not only a technological leap forward but also a redefi nition of what productivity and reliability look like in the converting world.
THE CHALLENGES OF BOTTLE LABELS Bottle label production brings unique demands that conventional slitting setups struggle to meet.
28 September 2025
Labels must be slit to extremely narrow widths with high precision to ensure fl awless application on high-speed bottling lines. Compounding this challenge, the industry standard requires rewind rolls on 6-inch cores, diffi cult to manage when adding automation with delicate, narrow webs. Historically, these two factors have necessitated signifi cant manual oversight, slowing throughput and adding cost.
AUTOMATION AT EVERY STEP Our latest generation of slitters is designed to eliminate those ineffi ciencies by automating every stage of the process. From roll closure and roll start to the automatic positioning and offl oading of fi nished rolls, each step has been engineered to operate without operator input. • Roll closure & roll start: Automated mechanisms guarantee secure, repeatable roll builds every time. The days of manually attaching tail ends to cores to start rolls and taping down fi nished rolls are over.
• Automatic roll positioning: Narrow web rolls are positioned with pinpoint accuracy, ensuring flawless alignment on 6-inch cores
PRODUCTIVITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE Automation often raises concerns about fl exibility, but our technology has been built to adapt. Whether a converter is handling short runs or long campaigns, narrow widths or broader applications, the machine’s automated intelligence optimises setup and throughput. Combined with robust mechanical engineering, this ensures not only higher speeds but also consistency and reliability, key qualities when serving the fast-moving consumer goods sector. Redefi ning the future of slitting The automation breakthroughs we’ve achieved represent more than just incremental improvement. They redefi ne what’s possible in label slitting by removing manual bottlenecks and driving true end-to-end productivity. For converters supplying bottle labels, a segment where precision, speed and cost control are paramount, the impact is transformative. As the demand for bottled goods continues to grow worldwide, converters now have the tools to keep pace. With fully automated slitting solutions, they can meet customer expectations with confi dence while setting new standards of effi ciency for the industry.
www.convertermag.com
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