Precision Slitting Machines: Accurate Cutting for All Materials

Categories of Slitting Machines

Considering the material, there are two main types of slitting machines. They are log slitting machines and rewind slitting machines. In the log-slitting machines' model, the roll of material is treated as a whole, the log, and one or more slices are taken out of it without a specific unrolling and re-reeling process.

On the other hand, in rewind slitting machines, the web is unwound and passed through a machine, which passes through a cutting tool such as a knife, and then is wound on a shaft to form a narrower roll. If the diameter of multiple narrow strips of metal material is much larger than its width, it is called pancake.

Speaking of rewinding and slitting machines, it is called slitter, slitter rewinder, or a slitting machine. These names about slitters can be used interchangeably on the same slitting machines.

 

Cases with Extreme Narrow Width

In some cases, when the bandwidth is particularly narrow and the material is thin, the pancake (as described above) will become unstable. The rewinding process will occur on a bobbin-shaped reel that is wider than the slit width, and the web oscillates across the reel as it is rewound. For these extreme cases, the metal material may be different in order to achieve a specific purpose.

 

Tool Applications of Slitting Machine Line

If you want to cut hard materials, such as sheet metal, high carbon steel, etc., you can't use the blade. Instead of blades or knives, improved forms of shearing are used for cutting purposes. There will be two cylindrical rolls with matching ribs and grooves for cutting the large roll into multiple narrower rolls.

This continuous metal processing line is both practical and precise. Generally, it is more precise than most other cutting processes in the industry. However, rough edges such as burrs often appear on the edge of the slit, so further finishing is required.

The geometry of these rollers is determined by specific tolerances in addition to the type of material and the thickness and width of the workpiece. For this type of application, it is also called die-cutting, or shearing.

  :: Read more: What Is Steel Coil Slitting Line?

Die-cutting & Shearing

In the field of metal processing, die-cutting or shearing refers to the process of cutting a stock without chip formation or the use of burning or melting procedures.

In theory, if the cutting blade is straight, the process is called shearing. If the cutting blades are quite curved, they are shear-type procedures. Today, the most commonly used shearing materials in the market are metal sheets or plates, but it is also possible to shear rods.

Shear machining includes (but is not limited to) blanking, piercing, roll slitting, and trimming. Cutting methods are not limited to metal processing, but are also widely used in the industrial fields of paper and plastic manufacturing.

 

Related Specifications of Slitting

The problem of slitting machines (slitting lines) related to customers and decision-makers is complicated during the purchase process. These issues are based on the final product requirements.

They are the minimum slitting width, slitting number, slitting shaft, the material of slitting blade, hardness of slitting blade, the essence of proper slitting material, proper slitting thickness, proper slitting width, proper interior diameter, suitable outer diameter, maximum coil weight, maximum coil weight, the end product of coil interior diameter, the end product of coil outer diameter, maximum coil weight of end product, running speed, slitting width accuracy, power supply, feed direction, machine central height, and net weight.

 

How to Cut Well on the Slitting Machine?

In the official procedure, a punching blade is used to push the workpiece against the mold, which is the fixed blade required by the operator. Generally, the gap between the two is about 5% to 40% relative to the thickness of the material, but it also depends on the material specifications.

Clearance is defined as the separation between blades, which is measured at a point where a cutting action occurs and is perpendicular to the direction of blade movement. This will affect the completion of cutting (to correct the burr problem) and the power consumption of the machine. This process places the material under high local shear stress between the punching tool and the die.

 

What is the Mechanism of Slitting?

The workpiece will fail when the punching is activated about 15% to 60% of the thickness of the workpiece, because the shear stress is greater than the shear strength of the workpiece, and the remaining material is torn.

The machines used to produce slit coils are usually composed of unwinding, slitting, and recoiling. The thickness and width of the coil can be cut depending on the machine's specifications. The machine used in the slitting process can run ferrous and non-ferrous materials. The model depends on the type of machine and can be used for sheet metal or rolled coils.