What Does Sheet Slitting Line Do? | A Guide to Slitting Line
Understand Sheet Slitting Line in Metal Processing
Sheet slitting line is an essential part of metal processing and manufacturing. When metal is manufactured, it comes in large, heavy coils that aren’t easy to work with. In order to make the metal easier to form, it’s slit into narrower strips using a sheet slitting line. Once it has been slit, it goes into other metal-processing lines in order to produce the final product.
Although sheet slitting lines primarily process stainless steel, they can also be used for aluminum and other hard metals. A sheet slitting line implements a compound machine called a steel metal slitter in order to cut steel coil into straps. This coil is then fed into a larger coil, producing a final product called mults.
Mults can look different depending on the final product and end application. As you can see, choosing the proper sheet slitting line is essential to metal processing if you want to get the high-quality products you need.
How Are Sheet Slitting Lines Made?
A sheet slitting line is a long machine made up of a dozen or so parts that serve different purposes. Depending on the type of material the slitting line is processing, it may contain machines arranged into stations controlled by an automatic control system.
It could also be a simple slitter machine that is fed the master steel coil manually. This type of sheet slitting line will be much smaller and cheaper, so you’ll likely see this line at smaller facilities.
When it comes to heavy gauge slitting lines that are used for mass production, there are a few key parts to the line: the decoil machine, coil feeder, slitter machine, press cutter, the recoiler, and the scrap chopper. The material travels through each of these components until it reaches the recoiler, which recoils the mults at the end of the slitting line.
Once the mults recoil, they can be packaged and sent to the end production line. The scrap chopper is a component that breaks down excess scrap metal into smaller pieces.
Oftentimes, facilities don’t need this scrap metal, but they are able to resell it to other manufacturers and make a profit. Think of the slitting line process as an act of individual machines working together to get the best end result.
Adding a Sheet Slitting Line to Your Workplace
If you think it’s time to add a sheet slitting line to your workplace, make sure you have the funds set aside for this purchase. A slitting line is large and complex, requiring precision engineering, design, and installation. Each step of this process will require you to work with professionals to get the job done right, which means you shouldn’t look for the cheap way. If you want to add the right sheet slitting line to your facility, it’s worth it to take your time.
In addition to budgeting, you also need to ensure that you have enough space for a sheet slitting line. If you’re in a smaller warehouse facility, you’re probably looking to purchase a smaller sheet slitting line, which may only require you to clear out a corner of the space.
However, for medium to large gauge slitting lines, you will need to have plenty of open space for the line to be installed. Once it’s installed, you’ll want clear walkways for employees to operate the machine, as well as plenty of extra space so the equipment isn’t crowded. Oftentimes, this means a facility expansion.