Maintaining Flute Rollers in Single Facer
Make sure that these particularly important corrugator flute rollers in a Single Facer, are looked after in the best possible manner. Many operators become familiar with this process after working on the corrugator for some time.
These flute rollers are a crucial part of any single facer, and the most essential requirement to make good, corrugated cardboard in the box-making industry.
Updated in January 2023, consisting of due diligence in looking after all flute rollers in the Single Facer is not always carried out with regulator cleaning & checking being maintained, as best practice! If they are not looked after well, they cannot form good, shaped flutes in the medium web that passes through two of these rollers that are steam heated.
After some time when the corrugator board quality starts to decrease, for a known product that normally runs at a given speed. Many will ask questions as to why this should be happening so soon, or too early in the working life of a new set of flute rollers! The time has come to take action to rectify this developing situation.
In these circumstances one of the main problems that occur for the operators is delamination of the plies of paper, in the preliminary stages, it can be a partial or transient delamination happening at the start of shifts or changing product medium.
If these rollers are in a cassette, you are not in a critical position just yet! As this set of rollers can be removed from the corrugator at the earliest possible opportunity and have them checked out by your local specialist engineering team.
Occasionally an extensive cleaning, which can be carried out on-site, is sometimes all that’s required to put your flute rollers back into prime condition again. Should this not be the case then it’s a trip to your specialist flute roller re-conditioning workshop.
Problems with Flute Rollers
Always bear in mind that what may at first seem to be a problem emanating from the flute rollers could also be from any of those other rollers in the Single Facer unit. This is an extraordinarily complex piece of machinery, and all its rollers must run to remarkably close tolerance. These settings are set to fine limits to achieve the correct running conditions over a long working period.
A very experienced operator may be able to identify the cause of the problem. From here he may be able to correct the situation by local adjustments that he can carry out. Should this turn out, not to be the case, then it is time to call on his engineers to prepare to rectify the problem on or off the corrugator!
Thermal expansion in Flute Rollers
This is a key factor to be considered when purchasing new machinery or replacing older flute rollers. The following video will show you basic flute roller behaviour, that many people never quite understand … why!
Thermal expansion in corrugator flute rollers can indeed be a challenge in the box-making industry. Here are some strategies that experienced professionals suggest mitigating this issue:
- Regular Maintenance: It’s crucial to maintain the flute rollers in the best possible manner. Regular cleaning and checking should be carried out1.
- Proper Heat Management: Ensure that the correct amount of heat is applied. Too much or too little heat can cause issues like delamination2. The liner entering the pressure roll should be between 180°F – 200°F2.
- Pressure Roll Adjustments: These need to be made correctly, especially when switching from heavyweight liners to lighter-weight liners. If not adjusted correctly, it can result in delamination2.
- Consider Thermal Expansion When Purchasing New Machinery: This is a key factor to be considered when purchasing new machinery or replacing older flute rollers1.
- Consultation with Engineers: If local adjustments by an operator do not rectify the problem, it may be necessary to consult with engineers to prepare to rectify the problem on or off the corrugator1.
Remember, these are general suggestions, and the exact solution may vary depending on the specific circumstances of your corrugator. Always consult with a professional for personalized advice.
You may be able to recognise some of your problems here that have occurred in your production line, and found you were unable to correct or improve your problem on the day. After viewing this video, you will be in a better position to help correct your problems in the future.
This improved understanding may help you to run better quality boards that can be sold for the best price.
Credit for this video to RMM
The higher the working speed of these units the tighter the specifications are to be maintained, for it to reach its production requirements in speed and quality. In the modern Single Facer, automation plays a huge factor in maintaining the close settings required to achieve the production quality of a product over a wide range of speeds.
Tips on How to Look after Flute Rollers
When we see the first signs of problems with board quality results, usually operators of the corrugator reduce speed! By the very nature of man, when things start to go wrong, they slow their machines down. When the quality of the board produced is lowered, this can be for many reasons on the corrugator, it will soon be observed, that max speed is not being maintained.
Credit for this video to RMM
Operators will attempt to see what can be done as fast as possible. Engineers may be called to check out various settings and other possibilities. When investigating the problem, it may become clear that the flute rollers are the problem. Then it is time to arrange to change them over.
Should this Single Facer be a cassette-type unit?
In older style machines many are making a good contribution to the overall production quantities of corrugated cardboard around the country. Changing the roller in a Single Facer takes some time, although there are many of these older style machines in smaller cardboard manufacturers producing high-quality boards.
Most of the newer machines installed will have Cassette-type flute rollers installed. As skilled operators can change over these units amazingly fast.
7 to 15 minutes is normal, with some who can carry out a change even faster, with the result that the corrugator is up and running again with minimum downtime occurring.
Flute Rollers For Single Facer Machines
These rollers are made only by extremely specific specialty engineering workshops, which work with incredibly fine accuracy when manufacturing flute rollers for Single Facer machines. As these rollers can reach surface speeds of 150 to 750 meters per minute in the most modern corrugators. So, they have got to be machined to extremely fine tolerances and dynamic & static balanced in the first instance.