JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #145 - April/May 2022 - 38

FEATURE slitting
Cygnet Texkimp's
Slitter Spooler
Rewinder will be available
for trials at its
UK Innovation Centre
from April 2022
Handling considerations
The technology draws on the company's
depth of experience in handling complex
technical fibres to deliver high-accuracy slit
tapes consistently and reliably. Thermoset
prepreg is known to present challenges in
handling and processing. This is not only due
to its tackiness or stickiness but also to the
fact that fibres in a thermoset prepreg are still
pliable within the uncured resin matrix and
are therefore prone to dimensional instability
if handled incorrectly. This can lead to fibre
separation and damage in the form of fraying
at the edges of the material. Known as material
stringers, these can, if left unchecked,
result in problems further down the process,
and ultimately jeopardise the quality of the
finished part.
The slitter spooler rewinder is the result of
decades of engineering expertise and understanding
of material behaviour. Fundamental
design features such as its cantilever and slitting
arrangements, tape handling, integrated
splices and drives logic are configured to
enhance its operational efficiency and make
the technology operator-friendly without
compromising the quality of the finished
material. These considerations are intended
to ensure that the machine runs continu38
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composites magazine / N°
ously and with minimal material scrappage,
resulting in less downtime and greater cost
effectiveness for prepreg converters and part
manufacturers.
Modular construction
Another important design feature is the machine's
modular construction. This allows the
converter to start operating with as few as four
winding heads but gives them the option to
expand up to 48 winding heads at a later date.
Operating with just four heads is entirely
realistic because the technology has been
constructed to allow operators the flexibility
to convert large rolls of prepreg over several
passes. This means that tapes can be slit from
the end of a wide reel and the remaining
un-slit material can be rewound and used
on the unwind for the next pass. In practical
terms, this makes the slitter spooler rewinder
essentially a single-stage process.
Making slit tape
accessible to more markets
Traditionally, slit tape production has been
outsourced to specialist slitting companies.
The costs and practical considerations
involved in transporting and storing prepreg
material (in the case of thermoset prepregs
145 April - May 2022
this must be in climate-controlled conditions)
to and from the site where slitting takes place
means that slit tapes have tended to be used
only at the highest end of the composites
market. Cygnet Texkimp's technology allows
manufacturers to integrate the slitting process
into their own production environment, immediately
cutting the cost to the end user and
therefore giving them access to a wider market
including high-volume automotive. Having
the resources to convert prepreg onsite also
gives manufacturers complete control over
production quality and speed, which enhances
profitability. If you can slit, spool and ship
the prepreg as soon as it is manufactured, then
the whole process becomes more simple,
efficient and profitable.
The slitter spooler rewinder has the potential
to significantly impact the landscape of slit
tape production. Making the machinery
available for trials will demonstrate its quality
and performance and help broaden the
composites industry's understanding of slit
tape production while accelerating product
development and adoption.
More information:
www.cygnet-texkimp.com
http://www.cygnet-texkimp.com
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #145 - April/May 2022

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