Winding system DTI-1451

A provider of elastomeric foam was seeking equipment to replace the winding portion of their continuous manufacturing line. They had existing equipment in place that had been born in house and fit their current upstream and downstream processes. However, the equipment was aging, inaccurate and just plain unsafe. The processes that followed the winding procedure used the existing core and roll transport carts, so these elements needed to remain principle to the new design. With the cores being a unique design, they couldn’t go to just anyone to replace the supporting winding equipment, so they tasked Davron with recreating the equipment, and the process in turn, to allow better usability, more accurate winding and control, and a much needed increase in worker safety. This became an interesting project merging high levels of design constraint, with creative innovation to provide a better overall product. DESCRIPTION Being a continuous process, an accumulator was immediately required to maintain line tension and winding accuracy. A screw-driven, 4 roll accumulator system works in tandem with the winder to keep appropriate tension and prevent a pile of material from building up in the floor at every roll change. A simple dancer bar monitors line tension and a small custom displacement web guide steers the web before winding. The winder comprises two large machined compression discs that clamp the hollow core on either side. Vacuum is drawn through the core to hold the material as a new roll is started. A manually operated double crosscut ends each roll and simultaneously cuts a 12” sample section from the width of the material.