A winding unit designed for quick changeovers of less than 1 minute that can accommodate ever-faster line speeds and ever-wider and heavier plastic webs has been designed with a unique support structure, according to a patent assigned to Swiss Winding Inventing AG, Pfaffikon, Switzerland, and Windmöller & Hölscher KG, Lengerich, Germany. 

According to the patent, conventional winding units have a detachable side support that allows for the removal of rolls. To counter the stress this puts on the other side of the winding unit, makers of relatively narrow winders use a fold-away buttress; however, such a support can interfere with the operations of larger winders and make them too bulky.

The patent describes a winding unit with scissor arms sunk into a mounting plate that serve as supports. The winding unit has “a revolving unit, which is constructed so as to be rotatable about its axis and has at least two winding shafts running parallel to its axis, onto which winding cores can be loaded, then wound with the web to a roll,” the patent states. This design allows rolls to be removed at the 6 o’clock position in a direction parallel to the winding shaft, rather than the 10 o’clock or 2 o’clock positions — the typical configurations of conventional winders. The adaptation allows for easier removal of rolls, as it does not require the repositioning of the conveyor unit, which typically must be re-aligned with every roll removal. This saves time and reduces the amount of support required by the winder.

Patent 10,207,886; issued Feb. 19