Competition is fierce and efficiency is crucial in the modern business world, so any system that improves precision and reduces waste provides a manufacturing company with a distinct advantage. Web guiding systems do just that. Automation, robotic, and artificial intelligence have revolutionized production lines in recent years, and web guiding systems have played an important role.
What Is a Web Guiding System?
A web guiding system is designed to precisely position flat substrates on a production line. These flat substrates are called webs, and they can be made out of metal, foil, textiles, plastic, paper or rubber. A web guiding system aligns these materials in an exact fashion to ensure seamless processing, which speeds up production, improves quality, and reduces waste.
Web guiding systems are usually placed on converting machines just before a critical stage in the manufacturing process. The movement of the web is monitored by one or more sensors, and actuators mechanically correct any observed deviations from the preset path. Some web guiding systems use electromechanical devices to correct the movement of the web, but most employ hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders. The most advanced web guiding systems use digital technology and are capable of running at very high speeds.
How a Web Guiding System Can Save a Business Money
Web guiding systems save manufacturers money because they keep production lines moving and prevent issues that can cause delays or shutdowns. The chief benefits of using a web guiding system are enhanced precision, higher efficiency, reduced waste, greater versatility, and improved reliability.
1- Enhanced Precision
Infrared, ultrasonic, or photoelectric sensors connected to the latest digital technology provide unparalleled precision. This precision reduces costs because it ensures that quality standards are maintained. When quality remains constant, every run will produce items of merchantable quality.
2- Higher Efficiency
A web guiding system ensures that converting machines receive webs in a controlled manner. If webs are misaligned, the converting machine, and possibly the whole production line, may have to be shut down. Keeping converting machines running at their intended speeds improves efficiency and increases production.
3- Reduced Waste
A manufacturer loses money when a substrate is discarded instead of being turned into saleable items. By ensuring that webs are delivered to converting machines in a precise fashion, a web guiding system can prevent this from happening. This means less money spent on materials and more money earned from selling finished goods.
4- Greater Versatility
Web guiding systems are invaluable tools in modern manufacturing facilities because they are so adaptable. Touchscreen displays make changing the settings for the path of the web or the material being processed quick and easy, and video monitoring equipment can verify that the changes have been made even when machines are running at full speed.
5- Improved Reliability
Manufacturing machines run better and require less maintenance when they operate well within their design parameters. This means that they are less likely to break down or require service when webs are delivered to them in a predictable and consistent way. Web guiding systems can improve reliability in almost any manufacturing facility, but they are particularly useful in demanding industrial environments.