
Conair's new coiler
Conair has launched a new dual-spindle automatic cut-and-transfer coiler designed for high-speed winding of small, flexible extrusions. Nominal line speeds range as high as 243 m/min, depending on the size of the extrusion being coiled. Despite high speeds, little or no friction or winding tension is generated, claims Conair, preventing deformities in delicate products. The group is therefore targetting the unit at high-end applications such as medical tubing, small tubes, and small flexible profiles.
“Speed is what sets the Conair ATC coiler apart,” said Chris Weinrich, General Manager, Downstream Extrusion, Conair. “No other coiler in its price range offers these speeds, along with automatic cut-and-transfer. In addition, it is part of a complete line of proven downstream extrusion equipment. From the die to the shipping container, Conair offers multiple choices for sizing, shaping, cooling, pulling, cutting and handling of extruded products from microbore medical tubing to large pipe and profiles. No other supplier can match our experience or breadth of product line.”
Conair ATC coilers are suitable for tensionless winding of small-diameter flexible tubing. Typical tube diameters are 2.16 to 12.7 mm, while tubes as small as 0.5 mm in diameter can be accommodated with a special minimal tension trim control. Units are available in three different sizes with maximum coil diameters of 61, 91 and 122 cm.
Servo-drive for turret rotation, traverse and spindle speed means high repeatability in speed and positioning control, and minimal product tension during high-speed coiling and cut/transfer. Low tension is ensured by an advanced control algorithm that calculates each successive wrap diameter to adjust coil speed and traverse relative to the puller speed. This allows the sonic-loop control to act as a ‘fine-tuning’ device to ensure error-free lay-on of each wrap. The following circuit allows the winder to automatically ramp up to speed with the line during start-up. All operating parameters can be saved as a ‘recipe’ for consistency. This includes coil speed changes during cut and transfer.
Automatic turret changeover is completed when a set length of product has been coiled. The system comes complete with collapsible core assemblies or spools and can also accept customer-supplied spools as an option. All winder components that come into contact with the extruded product are made from stainless steel or are hard-coat anodized.