Saline, MI – ThyssenKrupp Materials NA, a large non-ferrous coil distributor and processor has installed a new Braner/Loopco Automatic Slit Coil Packaging System in its new Saline, MI, facility. The new Coil Packaging System efficiently handles and packages stainless, aluminum, brass, and copper slit coils produced from ThyssenKrupp's Braner/Loopco Turret Head™ Slitting Line. Slit coils range in size to 10,000# x 24" wide up to 74" OD with coil IDs of 16" and 20".

"Wireless" Control Coil Unloading Car: A Coil Car unloads finished slit coils from the Slitting Line Recoiler and transfers the slit coil group to a 4-Arm Turnstile at the entry end of the Packaging System. The Car is equipped with adjustable narrow coil support stanchions that stabilize and secure the slit coil group during the coil transfer. A hand-held "wireless" Coil Car control provides excellent operator control mobility and allows the Car to be operated from a safe distance.

Wireless control Coil Car transferring slit coils from the Slitting Line to a 4-Arm Turnstile.

"Operatorless Ptogrammable Slit Coil Downender: The 4-Arm Turnstile positions the slit coil group at the unloading station where a Slit Coil Downender removes individual slit coils one at a time from the Turnstile arm and deposits individual coils onto a powered roller conveyor. The Downender is controlled by a programmable controller into which the width of each slit coil at the Turnstile unloading station is entered via operator console keypad. After all coil widths are entered, the Downender:

Programmable Slit Coil Downender automatically separates and downends coils.

Automatic Coil Staging Conveyor: Slit coils discharged from the Downender are conveyed to a Strapping Machine via Power Roller Conveyor. The Conveyor is designed to stage four 74" OD coils between the Downender and the Strapping Machine, and is comprised of four separately driven conveyor sections, with each section independently controlled. Coil advancing to the Strapping Machine is fully automatic.

Staging Conveyor automatically advances coils to the Strapping Machine.

Semi-Automatic Slit Coil Strapping Machine: Slit coils are carried from the Downender to a Strapping Machine that applies multiple radial straps onto the coil. Coils are carried into, and centered on, the Strapping Machine via power conveyor rolls. Three (3) powered conical rolls lift the coil from the conveyor rolls and rotate the coil horizontally for radial strap positioning. Joystick operator controls allow coil positioning to be accomplished quickly and efficiently. A Signode strapping head applies 3/4" steel strapping semi-automatically. The strapping head is mounted in a parallelogram balance frame above the coil. Up-down and in-out handles are mounted on the balance frame for positioning the strapping head on the coil. A "strap feed" pushbutton is mounted in the up-down handle for feeding the strap under the coil through the coil ID. The strap free end is manually guided into a chute in the Signode head, and the "cycle" pushbutton mounted in the in-out handle initiates the strap tension and seal cycle securing the strap on the coil.

Semi-Automatic Strapping Machine applies radial straps.

Automatic Coil Stacker: Radially strapped coils are sent from the Strapping Machine to the Automatic Coil Stacker where coils are automatically stacked onto a pallet. Coils carried into the Stacker are automatically centered by the Stacker pick-up station. The coil is gripped from the ID and OD and transported to a Coil Sorting Turntable stacking station where the coil is released and placed onto an awaiting pallet or coil package.

Turret Head™ Slitter arbors are easily accessible with no obstructions so re-tooling is accomplished faster with less set-up fatigue than with any other slitter head design.