In any manufacturing process there are numerous issues that can affect the operations. Here we outline some of the issues that can occur when uncoiling, straightening and feeding coil stock to the press and what can be done to avoid unnecessary problems.
Material Guiding
Coil stock handling and feeding equipment cannot “feel” and “compensate” for misguided material the way a person can in a hand fed operation. Alignment of coil handling equipment to each other and to the dies is critical to a smooth material flow. To accomplish this, coil handling equipment relies upon a series of edge guides to maintain the material within workable bounds. These are guides, not barriers — they are not a substitute for proper alignment of the equipment. Overworked guides result in damage to themselves or the material. Even if they can withstand the effects of misalignment, the resultant condition of the material and damage to the equipment will decrease operation productivity.
Dies
Dies equipped for hand feeding seldom accept coil stock without some modification. The tooling must address the intricacies associated with guiding the material as well as accommodate the mill tolerances and material conditions inherent in coil. Provisions must be made within or between the die and related equipment to avoid buckling and sagging of the automatically-fed material. Provisions to accept tolerance camber or crown in the stock must also be made within the die. Progressive dies also need to be equipped with suitable pilots to eliminate progression error.
Slick Material Finishes
Any number of surface conditions can produce a slick finish, which severely inhibits the ability to feed coil stock accurately. Proper selection of feeding equipment suited to work with slick material finishes, and die designs with tolerances that compensate for these conditions will improve production. Galvanized material also warrants special attention. As a guideline, the coil steel should be lubricated after the feeding device.
Sensitive or Critical Surface Finishes
Many materials have surfaces particularly susceptible to marking or distortion. Pre-painted, polished, and non-ferrous metals are all considered sensitive materials. Other materials can be so critical in appearance that even a normal or tough surface has to be processed with special care. Provisions can be made in the coil handling equipment as well as in the dies to accommodate these issues. Attention must be given to properly finish rolls and grippers for special material protection, to avoid touching materials with control devices, or to grip in non-critical areas.
Stop Marks
When material is stopped between rolls –particularly staggered rolls in a straightener — a series of straight lines can be “imprinted” across the surface. These are called “stop marks”, “set marks”, or “witness marks”, and often show up after a subsequent process such as painting or plating makes them noticeable. If a pull-through straightener is used, material will stop in the straightener with every stroke, causing marks throughout the run, which directly correspond to roll spacing and feed length. Power straighteners can be adjusted to minimize stopping or be equipped with a “creep” speed for nearly continuous running if stop marks are a critical factor.
Tough Materials
Almost all coil handling equipment is rated in terms of its capacity to process mild steel. So, calculations must be made to determine equipment capacity for materials tougher than mild steel. This is particularly critical to the straightening function where the rating of mild steel is considered under 50,000 PSI in yield strength. High carbon steel, stainless steel, and special alloys are among the materials for which caution must be exercised. Knowing material yield strength is necessary for proper application of coil processing equipment, as well as the knowing material shear strength for any cut-off process.
Production Rates
It’s important to not interpret coil feeding equipment speed rates as production rates of a press or cutoff process. Catalog listings are charted in general terms to cover a wide range of applications. Coil handling and feeding is an intermittent operation employing several coordinated machines. Material is fed to length, the feed waits for the press or shear to cycle, the feeding area is cleared, and then the feed delivers the next length. During the feed cycle there is acceleration, feed time, deceleration, stop time and often dwell times involved. Production rates depend on many variables beside the top speed of the coil feeding equipment. The cycle time of the press or shear needs to be considered, along with cycle time that is available for feeding. Individual feed lengths, the cross-section of material, the amount of work being done, the amount of slack material, and the capabilities of all the related machinery have to be known to establish true production rates.
Slack Material
Coil handling and feeding consists of a group of functions which range from intermittent to continuous or relatively continuous operation. To synchronize these functions it is typically necessary to accumulate slack material at some point in the process, and there are various methods to accomplish this. This concern is one of the most critical, and it must be addressed to properly specify the coil processing equipment for a given application. Variables such as material type, material thickness, yield strength, passline above floor, depth of looping pit, distance between machines, and targeted production rates must all be defined to assure the correct equipment is specified for the line.
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There are five main types of coil handling equipment: cut-to-length (CTL) units, cut-to-width (CTW) lines, slitting lines, cutting thick coils, and Rewinding Thick Coils.
Cutting steel coils into sheet coils is what cut to length lines are best for. This equipment carries a spindle that moves the conveyor along with an upper belt conveyor that carries the coil. The spindle shears or cuts off a certain strip of metal from the coil, and it moves down to a lower conveyor belt that takes the product away.
Cutting steel coils into thin strips for different applications is what cut-to-width lines are best for. This process is typically used for thicker coils that take more than one pass to cut. The finished product can then be used in many different ways, such as making beams and tubing. Cut-to-width lines produce cut-to-length pieces from coil weights of up to 30 thicknesses. Normally, the finished products will be processed further before they are shipped.
When steel coil handling equipment needs to create thin, flat strips of steel for use in different applications, slitting lines are used. This type of process is best suited for thick coils that require the strip to be thinner after being cut. Slitting processes are repeatable and can be quickly modified to produce different widths and grades of steel.
Cutting thick coils can be difficult, as the coils curl during the cut. This is accomplished by using a top-tensioned shear head equipped with multiple blades that can strip through coils weighing up to 24 in [610 mm].
When coil processing equipment needs to create thin, flat strips of steel for different applications, rewinding lines are used. This type of process is best suited for thick coils that require the strip to be thinner after being cut. Rewinding processes are repeatable and can be quickly modified to produce different widths and grades of steel.
Coil processing machines depend on specific processes to get the job done:
The steel coils are cut, and the piece is ready for use. This type of processing is best suited for thin sheet or plate stock.
The steel coil is cut into a slim strip and then re-rolled for different applications. This is done by slitting the coil into thin strips with blades that are attached to two wheels called slitter reels. The wheel controls the head of the machine, which in turn moves the blades.
Steel coils are cut into smaller widths, and the strip is compressed into a coil shape. The finished product can then be used for applications that require smaller widths or different shapes. The metal coil is slit into a thinner strip by the slitter machine. This type of processing works well for thicker steel sheets or plate material. Slitting lines produce cut-to-length pieces from coil weights of up to 30 thicknesses. Roll feed lines are capable of 400 fpm with a production rate of 60 pieces per minute.
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There are many benefits to coil processing equipment, such as:
Large coils can be difficult to handle and store, but coil processing equipment can reduce them into smaller pieces that are easier to transport and store.
When coil processing equipment is used, the processor will use an overhead crane to load and unload coils. This can speed up production because there are fewer manual steps involved in the process.
Coils can be heavy and awkward to handle, but coil processing equipment makes the job of cutting down loops easier on your back.
The products made with coil processing equipment are always available thanks to various options. There are no additional costs for having multiple shapes or sizes of steel on hand, and the equipment can be used to produce new types of products.
Coil processing machines have features that protect both workers and products from harm. Safety guards help keep your body away from danger while you work, and some units come with built-in stops as a means of preventing accidents.
Ensures a greater yield of usable steel by providing the most significant possible piece is processed before cutting it down further.
Coil processing machines are very accurate because the steel is typically fed into the machine through a roll. Because there can be no variation in the top or bottom edge of coils, cutting down with blades is more accurate than using saws to cut down coils.
When using coil processing equipment, the operator only needs to feed in one end of the metal and hit a button. The machine does all of the work and delivers a well-cut piece of steel.
It requires less time to cut down coils with blades than it would be if you were to cut them up manually. Coil processing equipment gives your employees more time to focus on other equally important tasks.
With Metal Ready, you'll have the option to choose the perfect machine for your application. We can help you determine which model is best suited to your needs and budget. We service our machines before they leave our factory, so there's no waiting time if maintenance or repair work is needed on-site. Any parts requiring replacement are always in stock, and we offer a 24-hour service response. When you buy from Metal Ready, you know you have chosen to work with people who are dedicated to your complete satisfaction.
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