Technical Information
Optimation Testing for Advanced Engineering
Serious engineering and breakthrough product advances require stringent testing to refine and improve the design. That is why we’ve teamed up with the knowledgeable staff at Optimation’s Media Conveyance Facility in Rochester, NY.
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| Advanced Engineering | Optimation Testing |
Videos Demonstrate WINertia AV Advantage
Componex has been working with Optimation in order to test the effectiveness of the WINertia AV™ product line as traction rollers. The following videos were created to demonstrate how a smooth or spiral grooved roll compares to the traction of the WINertia AV™.
Traction is lost when a layer of air forms between the web and roller. It is essential to provide an adequate space for the air to go, which allows the web to remain in contact with the roller. You can see how this impacts the difference in web to roller speeds. In these videos, the numbers you see on the right are the roller speeds and the left are the web speeds.
| Smooth Roller | Spiral Groove | WINertia AV |
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| A smooth roll can lose traction at low speeds. In this video, watch as the web speed accelerates to 1900 FPM while the roll never accelerates above 400 fpm. | Many people feel that spiral grooving a roll will eliminate air entrainment and spread the web. In this video, watch as the web speed accelerates to 1900 FPM, the roll starts to lose traction at 750 FPM. | The deep longitudinal grooves of the WINertia AV™ give the entrained air adequate room to be “parked” and allow the web to maintain traction with the roller. As you can see in this video, the WINertia AV™ roller stays at web speed through full acceleration. |
Improve Production Performance
Optimation’s knowledgeable staff and Media Conveyance Facility is a great resource for us. We felt so strongly about the benefits that we want to share this information with our customers.
Optimation can work with you to improve your web handling processes, improve your roll-to-roll products, or performance-test your equipment. Testing and Analysis can be done at your facility or at their well-equipped Media Conveyance Facility in Rochester, NY.
Here are a few examples of what Optimation offers:
- Process Improvements: Evaluate/troubleshoot existing process capability, recommend improvement options, model and test selected upgrades.
- Equipment implementation or improvements: Optimation has a team with over 40 years experience in the design and building of manufacturing equipment. They have the capabilities to engineer, design, build, and install equipment in manufacturing facilities.
- OEM Supplier’s Equipment Performance Testing: Products are tested under actual production conditions in Optimation’s unique facility to examine performance levels of critical machine parameters, and evaluate web-produced products.
Click here for more detailed information on the solutions and services Optimation can provide.
WINerta AV Performs as Spreader Roll
Since the WINertia AV™ maintains traction, it is a great choice to use as a spreader roll. The surface of the roller can be machined to allow the rolls edges to be larger diameter than the center of the roll. This is called a reverse crown. Some examples of reverse crown surfaces:
| Hourglass | Bowtie | Parabolic |
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| The deep longitudinal grooves of the WINertia AV™ give the entrained air adequate room to be “parked” and allow the web to maintain traction with the roller. As you can see in this video, the WINertia AV™ roller stays at web speed through full acceleration. | Many people feel that spiral grooving a roll will eliminate air entrainment and spread the web. In this video, watch as the web speed accelerates to 1900 FPM, the roll starts to lose traction at 750 FPM. | A smooth roll can lose traction at low speeds. In this video, watch as the web speed accelerates to 1900 FPM while the roll never accelerates above 400 fpm. |
The diameter difference needed varies as well due to material yield, temperature, width, and application. With so many choices available, Componex needed to gain knowledge on how each variable affected the web.
When we started to sell the WINertia AV™ as a spreader roll, we wanted to find a reliable way to lab test the rolls before recommending this product to our customers. Optimation worked with us to develop and test several different surface configurations. We ran tests on hourglass idlers and bowtie rollers with diameter changes from .005-.050”. At their facility, they were able to test the rollers in a controlled environment and had their staff record the data. Rollers were tested at different web speeds, different alignment angles, and for spreading effectiveness. With this information, we confirmed that WINertia AV™ with a reverse crown can be an effective web spreader.