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5 Things to Know Before Buying Tape Converting Equipment

Sep. 09, 2024

Looking for a Roll Slitting Machine? Here's What You Need ...

Most people aren&#;t looking for a 48-inch-wide roll of masking tape, so if you&#;re hoping to cut smaller rolls, you might look into roll slitting machines.

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Roll slitting is a clean and effective way of splitting large rolls of flexible material. Depending on your needs, customers often either use their own roll slitting machine or hire a converter to slit the rolls for them.

Strouse is a converting company that offers roll slitting services. However, we understand why it&#;s essential to know the benefits of buying your machine rather than finding a converter.

If you&#;re interested in buying a roll slitting machine, this article will cover essential considerations and potential alternatives.

What is Roll Slitting?

Roll slitting cuts massive adhesive rolls and flexible materials down to narrower sizes. It often involves a roll slitter machine or a slitter rewinder, which chop flexible materials.

Commonly slit materials include:

Single-sided liners
Foams
Tapes
Extensible materials (from very thin to over ten mils thick)
PET
UPVC
HIPS materials

+ and many more.

WHY USE A ROLL SLITTING MACHINE?

Using a roll slitting machine lets you achieve clean and accurate roll cuts. Cutting down large &#;logs&#; of material (a.k.a. master rolls) makes them more manageable for converting or application.

SLITTING MACHINE FEATURES AND DIFFERENCES

There are multiple types of roll slitting methods to choose from (shear, crush, razor cutting, or perfing), which affects the type of machine you decide to use.

In addition, converters often use machines that aren&#;t expressly intended for roll slitting, such as die cut machines, to slit and/or rewind material before laminating or die cutting processes. This enables a complete in-line process but requires experienced engineering to achieve it accurately and time-effectively.

TYPE OF MATERIAL: WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Materials like foam are challenging to cut using methods like razor blade slitting, so it&#;s not a one-size-fits-all type of purchase. Specific slitting machines may also necessitate tools such as customized blades to match the size of the rolls you&#;re using for cross or linear perforations.

If you&#;re outsourcing to a converter, then they might have multiple roll slitting machines, but if you intend to buy one, you&#;ll want to ensure it fits the material for which it&#;s intended.

The Cost of Roll Slitting

Unfortunately, it wouldn&#;t be practical to throw out a single price that covers all roll slitting services. Roll slitting is a customizable process that depends on roll width tolerances and your chosen slitting material.

One notable cost factor when discussing roll slitting machine pricing is whether you&#;re purchasing a machine or hiring an adhesive converter. Both have benefits, so your choice depends on your specific product needs.

IN-HOUSE SLITTING

You can operate independently
Higher upfront cost
Requires experience (cost of training, trial-and-error runs)

Owning a roll slitting machine means you can operate it independently to produce customized rolls, but buying a machine has a far higher upfront cost (we&#;re talking six figures or more), not to mention the initial training cost and trial-and-error runs of the project.

You may struggle to achieve tight tolerances or maintain consistent widths in your slit rolls. Also, extensible materials, such as elastomers, tend to pose more of a challenge to roll slitting. Without the right experience, it will be difficult to figure out how and likely involve some trial and error.

OUTSOURCING

Precise rolls of custom material
Reliant on shipping and lead times
Can integrate into other machine processes

Outsourcing your slitting to a converter will result in consistent, customized rolls in a range of materials. Depending on the MOQ for your desired material and its pre-slit roll price, slitting through a converter can help you save money.

The other benefit of outsourcing your slitting is the potential to integrate roll slitting into an in-line process, like die cutting, to create completed parts through one-pass production.

Finding a Machine or Converter

Buying a roll-slitting machine can be a hefty investment that may or may not match the goals of your project and company. If you&#;ve thought through your purchase and a roll slitting machine makes sense for you, here are some companies we trust:

Catbridge
&#; Larger roll rewind slitting
Cevenini

&#; Log slitting (think bologna slicer)
Converting Equipment International
(CEI) &#; Smaller roll slitting in many lanes

Similarly, discovering the best converter with roll slitting capabilities is contingent on your needs.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Goodi.

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Strouse can slit vinyl and UPVC tapes as narrow as 3/16&#; as well as most other commonly slit materials at 1/2" and above. Of course, slitting tolerances depend on the machine we would slit on and the material itself.

If you&#;re interested in a quote for material slitting, contact us today to request one. We&#;ll discuss the materials and your goals so we can best help you.

While it might seem simple, roll slitting is more nuanced than expected. For more information on this topic as well as our capabilities, see our Learning Center.

Originally published: February 15,

8 Things to Consider When Choosing Automotive Tape

Whether you&#;re painting or refinishing a vehicle &#; having access to all the right tools and equipment for the task at hand is essential. In particular, the automotive tape you choose must be right for the job.

So, how can you ensure your automotive tape is serving its purpose and will leave you with the highest standard finish?

There are a few key considerations to think about when choosing your tape From its purpose down to the materials at play &#; no two jobs will have the same requirements. Below, we&#;ll go through everything body shop professionals should consider when deciding which automotive tape is right for the job.

Automotive Tape Types

There are a huge variety of automotive tapes available to choose from.

Whether you require our Fine Line Masking Tape to help you achieve an ultra-defined, clean line when painting or Advanced Foam Masking Tape to prevent paint from reaching places it shouldn&#;t &#; it can be hard to know which ones are necessary for different body shop and auto repair jobs.

We offer a wide selection of tape and masking solutions at JTAPE, including Foam Masking Tapes, Fine Line Masking Tapes, double sided options, transfer, paper masking tapes and more. Check out our full product list to see our extensive range of automotive tapes available to purchase safely and securely.

What to Consider When Choosing Automotive Tape

Below, we&#;ll guide you through the top eight things to consider before picking the automotive tape for your job.

1. Texture

The last thing you want is for the tape applied to affect the surface underneath. Therefore, you&#;ll need to consider the texture of the surfaces you&#;ll be working on and choose your automotive tape accordingly.

For example, smooth and more sensitive surfaces will often require a synthetic rubber adhesive which is less aggressive to prevent disturbing or damaging it. Smoother adhesives are more useful when working on smoother surfaces. Meanwhile, using textured materials like plastic or metal could call for a more aggressive adhesive.

Double-sided tapes can be one of the best to choose from if you&#;re planning to work on several surfaces with different textures since they provide excellent adhesion for most textured surfaces.

2. Temperature resistance

The tackiness of the adhesive can depend on the climate. Generally speaking, the colder it is, the weaker the adhesive bond will be.

But when working at higher temperatures, the adhesive will also need specific properties to ensure it remains effective. Our range of high-temperature tapes, such as Green Polyester Film Tape and Blue Polyester Film Tape are temperature resistant up to 220°C/428°F, making them perfect for jobs like powder coating.

We also have an excellent selection of high-temperature masking tapes, such as our high-performance, high-strength 160°C Crepe Masking Tape. This tape provides good adhesion up to those higher temperatures while allowing you to paint crisp lines.

3. Moisture resistance

Likewise, if you plan to use the tape in an area prone to moisture, it&#;s a good idea to ensure your tape of choice is moisture-resistant. Making sure that water or moisture can&#;t penetrate through the tape and cause any issues to the internal and external fixtures, or the paint job is essential.

4. Impact absorption

Some jobs will require a stronger tape because of how much energy is being used. When powder coating or wet sanding, the tape must be able to stay put regardless of how much pressure is applied.

If you&#;ll be carrying out a high-impact job, it&#;s best to choose a strong and reliable tape solution such as our Premium Black Cloth Tape for protecting areas of your car when carrying out bodywork.

5. Ease of use

Some tapes will be easier to use than others because of their individual properties. While some options might be quick and easy to apply, others will require extra steps in preparation or application. You&#;ll need to consider this when choosing your automotive tape since the time saved using one tape might not be worthwhile if it ruins the paint job or surface on removal. Alternatively, there are some tape solutions available that will save time while also providing a high-quality finish. With our wide range of reliable and versatile products, you&#;re sure to find the perfect time-saving and non-damaging tape for any job.

Generally, tackier tapes might be more difficult to work with while thinner tapes can also cause issues in the application.

6. Colour

There are a massive variety of coloured tapes available for different uses. From masking tapes to match your surface colour to Paint Control Tape that can give you the confidence of knowing the right paint quantity has been used &#; you should ensure you choose the colour of tape that best suits the job at hand.

7. Budget

It&#;s always worth researching the properties of different tapes before considering the cost. But this can be a factor to consider if you want to provide lower-cost services or save some money on supplies.

While some tapes might be on the pricier side, the time saved by using them will ultimately help you keep labour costs lower.

8. Removal

Removal is one of the most significant considerations, which also comes down to which materials you&#;re working on. Damaging car paint, interior fixtures, or upholstery can be a worry, so be sure to purchase from a trusted retailer. At JTAPE, all our products are designed to leave no adhesive residue upon removal and can be used on a wide range of internal and external surfaces with ease.

Remember, the tackier the tape, the higher the risk that it could damage the surfaces. For these types of tapes, there is usually a preparation stage and specific removal instructions to prevent any issues.

We hope you found the tips in this guide useful as a starting point for choosing your automotive tape.

Our tape solutions have been designed to help with all types of automotive jobs, helping body shop professionals save time in preparation and during the painting process with innovative solutions that eliminate the need for rework. Visit our online store to discover the full range of JTAPE products available, or contact us to find your local distributor.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Tape Converting Equipment.

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