5 Things to Know Before Buying Tape Rewinding Machine

Purpose and Application

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Determine the specific purpose for which you need the filament winding machine. Understand the application requirements, such as the type of products you intend to manufacture, the materials you'll be using, and the production volumes you expect. This will help you select a machine that aligns with your specific needs.

For example, if you need large capacity production output for CNG, H2, or LPG tanks probably you should consider a multi-spindle filament winding machine. It can wind from 2 up to 5 spindles simultaneously. In automated filament winding lines, if you want to be more economical and have fast operator interactions, you use pneumatically driven chucks for an automatic clamping system. Also, these multi-spindle machines have a double-drive carriage system that ensures the stability and the movement of the carriage axis is increased, and any shaking of the delivery eyes is eliminated. If you need a machine for product development where you can run different trials, you probably need a single spindle portal configuration.

Machine Specifications

Consider the technical specifications of the filament winding machine. Pay attention to parameters like the maximum winding diameter, maximum length, number of axes, winding speed, and tension control capabilities. Ensure that the machine specifications meet your production requirements and are compatible with the materials you plan to use.

For example, if you need to produce large composite parts up to 4m in diameter, you need Floor-bed and a heavy-duty unit. If you use towpreg material, you probably need 5 axes of control, for complex parts you may need more, like 6 axes of motion. Towpreg can be up to 2.5 times faster than wet filament winding. Winding speed can be over 5 meters per second, and a wide range of winding angles is possible. If you want to reduce operator interaction more, Mikrosam provides also its own patented and proven technology for automated starting, cutting, and restarting (CRS) of fibers on the winding program.

Material Compatibility

Filament winding machines can work with a variety of materials, including carbon fiber, fiberglass, Kevlar, and other composite materials. Verify that the machine you're considering can handle the specific materials you intend to work with effectively. It should have the necessary features, such as resin delivery systems, to accommodate your materials.

For example, the first thing you should know is do you want a wet or dry (towpreg) winding machine. If you need a wet filament winding machine, you need a resin impregnation bath possibly with a resin mixing system for high automation. On the other hand, towpreg winding process requires special adjustments to the fiber creel and delivery eye. Compared to traditional wet filament winding, the towpreg process can make the workplace cleaner, as there is no wet resin, and safer, as prepreg exhibits little to no emission of volatile off-gassing compounds (VOCs), and thus does not expose operators to hazardous volatile chemicals. For multi-spindle machines, our resin baths have a programmable doctor blade for the resin pick-up set. Mikrosam solution provides that each of the fiber tapes that goes to different spindles can have individual and programmable resin pick-up adjustment. This is very important for the quality of the process, especially where each spindle has a different angle of the fibers coming from the resin bath.

Automation and Control

Determine the level of automation and control required for your production process. Some machines offer manual control, while others are equipped with advanced automation features. Consider factors like ease of programming, operator interface, and the ability to customize winding patterns. Depending on your needs, you may opt for a more automated machine or one that allows for greater manual control. A Mikrosam machine comes with its own software, so no third-party software is required.

For example, WindingExpert is a software solution developed by Mikrosam that is used for the Pattern Generation of our Filament Winding machines. The software can generate a mandrel model, which is used to calculate fiber paths and winding patterns. Besides that, it provides a lot of amazing features like Cad and Excel mandrel import, a user-friendly interface, material and thickness reports, mandrel volume calculator, burst pressure calculator, G Code import, ISO standard, and support for different types of controllers.

Production Capacity

Evaluate the production capacity of the machine. Consider factors such as the number of spindles or mandrels, the winding speed, and the ability to handle multiple winding operations simultaneously. Ensure that the machine can meet your production volume requirements without sacrificing quality or efficiency.

For example, if you are a producer of LPG tanks and you need to produce 300,000 ' 1,000.000 units per year, a couple of multi-spindle machines with automation can suffice. However, for CNG and CHG tanks, with longer winding cycles, consider at least several winding machines with supporting units for handling to achieve maximum effectiveness.

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Quality and Precision

Filament winding involves creating complex structures, so it's essential to choose a machine that can achieve the required level of quality and precision. Look for features like accurate tension control, programmable winding patterns, and reliable mandrel rotation. Consider the machine's track record, reviews from other users, and any certifications or standards it complies with.

For example, the TCON system ' top-level automation and manufacturing historian developed by Mikrosam ' collects details of process parameters at each step of production in a data warehouse even collecting data from 3rd party auxiliary equipment (e.g. blow molding, testing equipment, etc.). The software integrates the data into the factory ERP to ensure traceability and quality improvement while giving customers unlimited reporting capabilities. The utilization of manufacturing historians such as Mikrosam's TCON as part of their SCADA system in the filament winding process for manufacturing high-pressure vessels to store hydrogen is indispensable. These systems enable quality control, process optimization, traceability, and predictive maintenance, contributing to the production of safe, efficient, and reliable high-pressure vessels.

Converting a roll of material can be a challenging task if you or an operator is running a new machine or material for the first time. If you are having trouble yielding the results you are looking for, the lack of results can feel even more daunting when your latest project consists of hundreds of master rolls that you need to slit quickly. Whether you are working with wovens, non-wovens, foils, films, laminates, or what have you, there are common mistakes or issues that you may run into if you aren't getting the cut quality or rewind roll quality that you are looking for. Here is a small list of 5 common issues that you could be experiencing and potential solutions. If you are experiencing any of the issues below, hopefully we can guide you in the right direction.

This is a common issue we hear from our customers and we have seen it first hand in our converting department on new material runs and in the middle of larger runs. There are ways to remedy and to prevent this. REMEMBER: For first time materials, it can take a few roll runs to get the machine settings 'dialed in' to get the best possible finished slit roll. Sometimes the easiest solution is just a matter of adjusting your tension settings before slitting but here are a few things to keep an eye out for.

Air in the unwind shaft: There can be a lot of things running through an operator's mind during a run and it absolutely true that missing one small detail can cost you a lot of time, energy, and material. It is recommended that you get in the routine of checking and making sure that that your air shaft has air in it and is properly holding the unwind roll before moving to the next step in the machine threading process.

Check your unwind tension. Again, the majority of time, this is due to a tension issue. There are several things that could be causing this but the most common culprit is incorrectly set unwind tension. Having adequate tension as the material passes through the blades will decrease the likeliness of having the material fold or bunch up at any point within the webpath. When material that is loose runs through the blades, you risk having folded material cross the blades and resulting in jagged edges or a 'lightening bolt' effect. Other possibilities are as follows'

Master Roll is skewed: One reason could be that the material on the rewind shaft is skewed (one side of the roll is closer to the blades than the other). If you have a rewind module with adjustable skewing controls, check to see that the roll is centered and even across the length of the shaft. If the roll is skewed, one side of the roll would feel tight and the other side would feel comparatively loose.

Check the air in the unwind shaft: Another quick thing to check is if the roll itself is moving left or right as it is being unwound or if it is unwinding while the shaft is sitting idle. Not properly filling the unwind air shaft can make the roll move left and right over the shaft. As the material moves, it can create slack in the material and begin to slit improperly. You or the operator will see this on the rewind side during the run. When the roll moves left or right, the trim or scrap rolls will become larger or smaller during the run.

Edge guide has 'maxed out': Not all master rolls are created equal. Some come in straight and flush from the core to the top layer of the material and some have more of a 'cone' shape. If the roll you have started with is coned, it may be coned beyond the available unwind correction movement (left to right) capability. Basically, the edge guide can't keep the material straight anymore and has done all it can do. If you are working with master rolls that are coned, it may be a good idea attempt a reroll first if necessary in order to straighten the rolls out. If your rolls are consistently coned beyond the correction range or capabilities of your unwind edge guide, it may be a good idea to evaluate a new unwind stand or an edge guide that has a wider range of movement.

Blade pressure: Sometimes you may have everything in-line and operating smoothly but seeing that your cuts are fraying or your blades are simply not cutting. in this case, check to see that there is enough air pressure applied to the blades. Not enough pressure on the blades can create a less than satisfactory cut but on the flipside, too much pressure can make the bearings seize up, begin to wear down the blades and/or begin to scratch the surface of the anvil shaft. It is essential to find the least possible blade pressure that provides a satisfactory cut in order to prevent wear on your anvil shafts, blades, or blade holders.

Improper Slit Method: There are several slit methods available but they don't always produce the same cut quality. More common methods of cutting are razor, score and shear. You can also get into some more costly and complex methods of slitting such as standard hot-knife, round blade hot-knife, ultrasonic, and even laser slitting. Depending on the material, you may yield better cuts using for example films do great using a razor slitting method. Some films can tend to have tiny 'hairs' when slitting using a score blade. The cut quality is up to your end product, manufacturing environment, manufacturing process, and ultimately, your customer. We have access to all cutting methods at Pinnacle Converting Equipment.  Most of the time, a small sample of material is all we would need to evaluate your material. If you are interested in seeing how different slitting methods may affect your cut quality, connect with us to conduct a slit trial.

Some of our more custom machines have features to assist in preventing this but just in case you do not have assisted or automatic core placement features, this may be helpful. This is a common occurrence that can happen on machines that do not have any core placement features but can usually be fine tuned after the first roll is complete. If the material isn't winding directly onto the core that you have set up on your machine, you may have made a mistake in positioning the core on the shaft. An easy method to fix this on future runs is to simply place a mark on the shaft along side of where the material is winding. Note: if you use this method to fine tune your core positioning, make sure to make the mark on the same side of each slit roll (i.e. make all marks on the left of the slit rolls or all on the right side of the slit rolls).

Anvil shafts are one of the strongest pieces of metal on your machine but they do have some slight malleability. Depending on the length of the anvil, the amount of air pressure the blades are set to, blade diameters, number of blades you are using to slit, and your slit widths, the anvil shaft can actually bend. This is mainly a concern for score blade slitting. If there are a lot of score blades positioned to cut, once they are activated, the amount of pressure across the anvil shaft can bend the shaft in the middle making the blades in the middle reach farther to the material and sometimes come up short. One way to avoid this to to start slitting with new blades that are all the same diameter. If you start out with blades that are all the same diameter, you can rule out that there are any differences in the blades. Secondly, try adding a little more air pressure to the blades if there is room to do so indicated by your blade pressure gauge. Lastly, you may have to cut the roll in half first and run 2 rolls instead of one. If you have to attempt this method, make sure to deactivate the blades that you aren't using to alleviate some of the pressure on the shaft. If these solutions don't work, your project may require an anvil shaft that is larger in diameter.

These are just a few common things that you might be running into while getting used to your slitting machine and procedure. There can be a lot of factors that could cause issues in slitting. This article may not describe the exact issues or problems that you are having but hopefully can help guide you in the right direction. If the issues listed here aren't what you are experiencing and if you still have issues during slitting, feel free to call us at 704-376- and we'll ask the right questions to help you get the quality cuts that you need.

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