Universal Converting Equipment Ltd

From Wikicompany

Universal Converting Equipment Ltd[1] is a leading supplier of slitting machines[2], hot melt adhesive coaters[3] and hot melt laminators and ancillary equipment to the converting industry worldwide.

Years of experience in slitting and rewinding have lead to the development of class leading slitter rewinders such as the X9 duplex centre wind slitter rewinding machine. The Total Tension Control system is now incorporated into all machines produced by Universal including its X2 roll doctor salvage machine[4] and its X3 narrow width slitter rewinder[5] machine. This allows the processing of the most tension sensitive materials with the ultimate control.

Universal produces a range of hot melt adhesive coating and laminating equipment. Using its partnership with ITW Dynatec, Universal are able to offer the latest in high speed application technologies. Hot melt adhesive coaters are used widely in the manufacture of label stock, medical and non-woven products. Hot melt coating and laminating machines are compact, low energy systems compared to solvent and water based adhesive systems. [6]

Universal also offer a wide range of ancillary equipment [7] including automatic core cutters[8], drive and control system upgrades[9], web guiding systems[10] and differential winding shafts[11]. Universal provide a complete service to the converting industry from supplying individual replacement parts through to supplying the latest process equipment.[12]

X9 Slitter Rewinder The Universal X9 duplex center wind slitter rewinder machine is designed to take slitting to a new level. The machine allows film and paper converters to take total control of all the process parameters that are critical to obtaining high quality slit reels of material. The standard X9 slitter rewinder incorporates a shaft-less unwind, digital web guider, automatic knife setting, Total Tension Control System, differential rewinds, automatic core alignment and the latest digital AC drive and control system. A set up wizard ensures the optimum slitting conditions are used for all materials. Closed loop measurement of all the key parameters provides total quality control with actual tension profiles of all the slit rolls wound, stored at the end of each run. [13]

• 700 m/min
• Roll Pick Up
• Shaft-less unwind
• Automatic Knife Positioning [14]
• Automatic core alignment [15]
• Automatic tension control [16]
• Closed Loop Total Tension Control System
• Differential rewind shafts [17]
• Rewind diameter up to 800mm
• Range of options [18] [19]

This is a low cost slitting machine for companies working to a tight budget. With running speeds of 450 m/min it is still a highly productive slitter rewinder and additional features to reduce changeover times can be added when order or at a later date.

X7 Slitter Machine:

• 450 m/min
• Differential rewind shafts
• Shaft-less unwind
• Rewind diameter up to 800mm
• Range of options

' == HOT MELT COATING AND LAMINATING MACHINES ==

Universal Converting Equipment has taken over the design and production of the renowned Mercer Adhesive System hot melt coater laminators – and now has over 25 years of Mercer experience to call on. Each unit is bespoke, being tailored to suit individual customer needs – but all share economy of running and very precise lay down characteristics. Universal equipment can run a wide variety of substrates at speeds from 5 to 300 metres/minute on web widths from 12 to 2,500 mm. Coating weights are from just 1 gsm. And while every machine differs to meet different performance and output needs, the quality of the design, construction, components and worldwide back up service remains constant. Typical applications are label stock production, non-woven coating, specialist medical products. Universal uses its experience in building high speed winding equipment together with its knowledge of hot melt application systems to design and build class leading equipment. As the equipment is designed and built by Universal, bespoke systems can be produced to meet specific customer requirements. These can include integration with other production equipment or inclusion of specific technology.

Benefits of a Universal coater laminator [20]

   * Unrivalled experience in design and construction of bespoke coater laminators
   * Designed using latest 3D CAD systems
   * Reel, sheet fed or combination of both.
   * Can coat film, paper, fabrics and foam up to 50 mm thick.
   * Web widths from 12 mm to 2.5 metres.[21]
   * Coating weights from 1 gsm.
   * Machine speeds from 5 to 300 metres/minute.
   * Coating can be multi-stripe, multi-bead or total coverage.
   * Slot die coating [22] or spray application [23].
   * In-line coating systems for print presses and label presses [24]

DRIVE AND CONTROL UPGRADES

Many older slitting, winding and coating machines are mechanically very similar to new equipment. However, they become progressively more unreliable as the existing drive and control system ages. Machines more than ten years old will contain components which are obsolete or for which there is little support [25]

Upgrading the drive and control system [26] makes economic and technical sense. Many of the benefits of a new machine are gained but at a fraction of the cost.

Installing new drives and control system can yield the following benefits:

   * Modern reliable components
   * Spare parts easily available
   * Improved control compared to original system giving higher quality, less waste and increased productivity.
   * Conformance to the latest safety standards
   * PLC based control system providing consistency and reliability.
   * Touch screen operator interface.
   * Machine settings can be saved and retrieved at a later date ensuring repeatable and consistent quality.
   * Capability to link with data capture and management information systems.

Universal have standard systems for centre wind slitter rewinders [27], centre surface slitters, two drum winders [28], rider roll control [29] and plastic film lines [30].