Slitting machine or Roll slitting, also known as log slitting, is a shearing operation that cuts a large roll of material into narrower rolls. The log slitting terminology refers back to the olden days of saw mills when they would cut logs into smaller sections. They would also use these saw mills to cut iron rods into smaller sections; see slitting mill. The multiple narrower strips of material are known as mults (short for multiple).[1] By today's definition, slitting is a process in which a coil of material is cut down into a number of smaller coils of narrower measure. Potential workpieces are selectively thin (0.001 to 0.215 in.) and can be machined in sheet or roll form. Slitting is considered a practical alternative to other methods due to its high productivity and the versatility of materials it can manage.
Process
Soft materials
For soft materials straight or circular blades, similar to knives, cut the material into narrow strips. The cutting blades can be set to a desired width. Some machines have many blades to increase the options of cutting widths, others have just a single blade and can be set to a desired location. Tubes on the exit side of the machine rewind the cut material.
The process is used because of its low cost and high precision for mass production. Some machines have a program that monitors the blades and sharpens the blades often to maintain the quality and precision of the cut. The machine can run between 200-300 m / min depending on the roll size and thickness of the material.
Examples of materials that can be cut this way are: adhesive tape, foam, rubber, paper products, foil, plastics (such as tarps and cling wrap), glass cloth, fabrics, and film.
Hard materials
See also: Shearing (metalworking)
For harder materials, such as sheet metal, blades cannot be used. Instead a modified form of shearing is used. Two cylindrical rolls with matching ribs and grooves are used to cut a large roll into multiple narrower rolls. This continuous production process is very economical yet precise; usually more precise than most other cutting processes. However, the occurrence of rough or irregular edges known as burrs are commonplace on slit edges. Also, the geometry of these rolls is determined by specific tolerances in addition to the type of material and workpiece thickness. [3]
Machinery
The splitter consists of three main parts,"an uncoiler, splitter, and recoiler"[4] the material is fed from the uncoiler, through the nip between the two circular cutting wheels (one on top and another underneath) and then re-wound in slit pieces on the recoiler.
References
^ China Nintchen Equipments Group Limtied. 2009, www.nitchen.com . roll forming machine, sanding seam machine, slitting lines. auto welding machines.
^ Todd, H. Robert; Allen, K. Dell; Alting, Leo (1994), Manufacturing Processes Reference Guide (1st ed.), Industrial Press Inc., p. 131-132, ISBN 0-8311-3049-0 .
^ Degarmo, E. Paul; Black, J T.; Kohser, Ronald A. (2003), Materials and Processes in Manufacturing (9th ed.), Wiley, p. 427, ISBN 0-471-65653-4 .
^ Robert H. Todd, Dell K. Allen and Leo Alting manufacturing process recourse guide, Robert H. Todd, Dell K. Allen and Leo Alting pg. 131, ISBN 0-8311-3049-0
