Abstract: A method for slitting sheet material having a thickness, a width, a leading edge and a shear strength. The slitter has rotatable arbors and knives on each arbor that rotate about their axes and are held adjacent to each other. A computer is used to calculate a first and second spacing for the arbors based on the shear strength, outer diameter, and thickness of the material. The material is inserted between the knives and the leading edge passes through the slitter with the arbors the first position that pinches the material between outer diameters of opposing knives as it moves forward. While the material moves forward the arbors are moved into a second and closer position in which the knives are situated to slit the material as it passes between the knives. This slitting of material behind the leading edge creates a leading tab holding the slit strips together.

Abstract: A scrap winder is provided as part of a slitting line that creates a ribbon of scrap. The scrap winder has a moveable mandrel that exposes a grabbing portion that rotates. The grabbing portion extends outward to reveal a puller cable reel. The puller cable reel contains a retrieving cable that attaches to the start of the scrap ribbon. As the grabbing portion rotates, the scrap is brought to the grabbing portion, where the scrap is attached directly to it. The mandrel is then moved into position and the scrap can be wound around the mandrel.

Abstract: A roll forming machine is provided having a series of mill stands, each having an upper roller and a lower roller that performs a roll forming step. The upper roller rotates on a central axis that is parallel to the lower roller. Each roller has a driven feature that connects to a driving feature. The driving feature for the upper roller can rotate independently from the driving feature of the lower roller. A control system is capable of monitoring, controlling, and displaying the individual torque and speed of separate motors that rotate the individual driving features.

Abstract: A method for slitting sheet material having a thickness, a width, a leading edge and a shear strength. The slitter has rotatable arbors and knives on each arbor that rotate about their axes and are held adjacent to each other. A computer is used to calculate a first and second spacing for the arbors based on the shear strength, outer diameter, and thickness of the material. The material is inserted between the knives and the leading edge passes through the slitter with the arbors the first position that pinches the material between outer diameters of opposing knives as it moves forward. While the material moves forward the arbors are moved into a second and closer position in which the knives are situated to slit the material as it passes between the knives. This slitting of material behind the leading edge creates a leading tab holding the slit strips together.

Abstract: A blanking line including an uncoiler, a first feeder, a slitter, and a shear. A coil of metal is carried by the uncoiler. The first feeder removes the material from the coil and typically includes a leveler for leveling the metal. The metal is fed from the leveler into a looping pit that is located between the leveler and slitter. The slitter feeds and slits the material a predetermined distance and is driven with servo motors. The looping pit acts as an accumulator allowing the metal to hang so the slitter can move metal intermittently into a shear while the leveler runs at a constant rate. The shear cuts the material to a predetermined length corresponding with the distance that the material is fed by the slitter. A measuring wheel may be included to measure the distance that the material is moved by the slitter.

Abstract: A locking system for securing tools on an arbor. The locking system has a collar attached to the arbor, with the collar spaced from the tooling. A nut is placed over the collar and positioned next to the tools. The nut is then rotated to secure the nut between the collar and the tools.

Abstract: A recoiler/uncoiler for use in a line processing sheet material includes a segmented drum that is expandable from a contracted position to an expanded position. To enable the drum to accommodate coils of sheet material having different internal diameters, a sleeve consisting of sleeve segments which match the segments of the drum is installed on the drum and is expandable and contractible therewith. A cradle moved by a coil cart is transportable to a position circumscribing the sleeve. The cradle includes magnets which hold the sleeve in the expanded position after the sleeve is disengaged from the drum, to thereby permit removal of the sleeve. When the sleeve is reinstalled on the drum, the cradle transports the sleeve to its position circumscribing the drum, the drum is then expanded, and the sleeve is secured to the drum, whereupon the cradle is transported away from the drum and sleeve.

Abstract: A roll forming machine includes side roll stands which are changed by use of a cart and set up fixture which are movable parallel to the pass line through the stands. When a side roll stand is to be changed, a changing cart is moved into position such that rails on the cart are aligned with rails on the fixed support supporting the side roll stand. The side roll stand is moved off of the fixed support and onto the cart, and then moved from the cart into an empty station on a set up fixture. A retooled stand is moved from another station on the set up fixture onto the cart and then from the cart back onto the fixed support. Accordingly, time to effect changeover of a stand is reduced substantially from prior art methods, and no heavy equipment, such as a crane, is required.

Abstract: A slitting line includes a slitter, an uncoiler, and a thread sled between the slitter and the uncoiler for peeling material off of a coil of strip material and guiding it into the slitting arbors. The thread sled is displaceable transversely with respect to the material pass line from an active position within the material pass line to an inactive position displaced from the material pass line. When the thread sled is displaced into the inactive position, a substitute pair of slitting arbors that have been retooled may be rotated in a generally horizontal plane into an active position in the material pass line to perform a slitting operation. This thread sled is then displaced back into its active position in the material pass line, where it unpeels material from a coil supported on the uncoiler and guides the leading edge of the material into the retooled slitting arbors.

Abstract: A roll forming machine or tube mill comprises multiple mill stands defining a material pass line through the mill stands. The mill stands include rotating arbors carrying tooling which are supported between a drive bearing housing and a rotatable bearing housing. Inactive rollers extend outwardly from the rotatable bearing housing, such that upon rotation of the rotatable bearing housing the inactive arbors can moved to the active position and the formerly active arbors can be moved to an inactive or retooling position on the outside of the mill stands. A change cart includes rails on the upper surface thereof that are brought into registry with corresponding rails on the housing support upon which the rotatable bearing housing is mounted. The rotatable bearing housing is then slid off onto the cart, rotated, and then moved back onto the bearing housing support.

Abstract: A roll forming machine which includes an outboard housing having dual turrets, each turret carries a pair of rotatable arbors which can carry forming rollers. The outboard housing is slidable along guide rails between on-line and off-line positions. In the off-line position the turrets may be indexed to bring the second pair of arbors into a working alignment and thus reduce changeover and down time of the roll forming line.