Rotary Knife Application

The equipment in this application decoiled paper into a pinch roll/rotary knife to cut paper to programmed lengths. The pinch roll is VFD controlled with an attached encoder that acts as the master to the rotary knife. The rotary knife is attached to a servo motor that must be electronically geared to the master pinch roll. The application challenges included the requirement of the knife being at web speed while in contact with the web during the cutting process. This application required complex math algorithms to calculate custom position camming (PCAM) profiles for each custom programmed length. The application also required a complex homing process to ensure the cutting tool did not contact the web unless the pinch roll is in motion. This application required complex motion algorithms and processes to ensure length accuracy and superior quality.