If you feed material such as paper, film or plastic through a piece of machinery, chances are your equipment requires a tension controller. A moving web needs a controller to ensure it continues to flow unhindered and without chances of error from one point of the machine to the other. Tension, which stretches or elongates the web, is a force that an operator can measure. If the material is to emerge correctly from the process, the machine must be capable of ensuring the right mechanical tension in each zone.
Types of Tension Controllers
Originally, mechanical tension controllers were manual. Since then, while manual controllers do still exist, automation has taken over. Manual tension controllers feel and control the tension by hand. Advanced systems automatically measure and then make the adjustments during the process. Another way of classifying such systems is as
1. Closed Loop
2. Open Loop
It is important to know what you and your equipment need before you decide upon which type to purchase.
What the Right Tension Controller Offers
Before selecting the right tension device for your operations, make sure it is not only the right type – different kinds are suitable for specific applications, but also look for specific qualities that will help you improve your operations and their capabilities. The right model will:
* Be easy to install and set
* Provides ease of operation
* Features a wide range of qualities
* Helps you save material
* Works with your equipment to improve quality of the operation
* Can increase productivity while reducing production costs
Understanding the capabilities of your existing equipment, the potential for upgrading, the skill of your operators and the limitations of your budget will influence your choice as much as the need for consistently and unflagging tension.
The Right Tension Controller
Finding the right tension controller is imperative. However, you need to consider the various factors involved. Do so long before you decide on the make, model, and type.
