When asking for a roll of masking tape, most people aren’t looking for one that’s 48 inches wide. If you’re hoping to cut smaller rolls, you might be searching for a roll slitting machine.
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 own machine versus looking into a converter.
This article will cover topics you should know while searching for a machine as well as alternatives.
What is Roll Slitting?
Roll slitting cuts massive adhesive rolls and flexible materials down to narrower-sized ones. This often involves a machine called a roll slitter or a slitter rewinder, both used to chop flexible materials.
Commonly slit materials include:
- Single-sided liners
- Foams
- Tapes
- Extensible materials (from very thin to over 10 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 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 will affect the type of machine you decide to use.
For instance, one of the most significant considerations will be the type of material you’re slitting. If you’re outsourcing to a converter, then they might have multiple roll slitting machines, but if you intend on buying one, you’ll want to ensure it fits the material for which it’s intended.
Materials like foam could be more 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.
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 in an accurate time-effective manner.
The Cost of Roll Slitting
Unfortunately, throwing out a single price to cover all roll slitting services would be impossible. Roll slitting is a customizable process that depends on factors such as roll width tolerances and your choice of slitting material.
One notable cost factor when discussing roll slitting machine pricing is whether you’re purchasing a machine or hiring an adhesive converter.
IN-HOUSE SLITTING VS. OUTSOURCING
There are benefits to both in-house slitting and outsourcing, so your choice truly depends on your specific product needs.
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.
On the other hand, outsourcing your slitting to a converter will result in consistent, customized rolls in a range of materials. Slitting through a converter can help you save money depending on the MOQ for your desired material and its pre-slit roll price.
The other major 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
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
Finding a Converter
Discovering the best converter with roll slitting capabilities is contingent on your needs.
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.
Final Thoughts
Buying a roll-slitting machine can be a hefty investment that may or may not match the goals of your project and company.
To find a machine, check out our recommendations above. Conversely, to learn more about how your roll slitting would look with a converter involved, feel free to get a consultation.
While it might not seem complex, roll slitting has more nuance than you might expect. For more information on this topic as well as our capabilities, see our Learning Center.
