Tips

Nip type spreaders may be a good option for removing wrinkles in your application. Nip type web spreaders incorporate small diameter, short face nip rollers spring loaded in contact with each other. They come in a left and a right hand set and mount on each side of your web. Each of the nip sets are angled away from each other. Their operating principal uses the web handling principal that a web (in this case each edge of your web) will seek a 90 degree angle to each nip set.

There are many advantages to using this type of anti-wrinkle device; they are inexpensive, extremely aggressive at removing wrinkles and adjustable. However, one of their disadvantages is that they have a single bolt mounting. This single bolt mounting allows for the angle adjustment by loosening the bolt angling the nip type spreader by hand and estimating that each nip set on each side of the web are angled equally. This adjustment can certainly be cumbersome and time consuming. The other consideration is how to adjust the position of these nips when the web width changes. Several holes or a slot would have to be placed into the machine frame and each nip set would have to be moved with each web width change.

Inconvenient, inaccurate angle adjustment and time consuming web width adjustment existed with the use of nip type spreaders, until now. A NEW mounting bracket is currently available. The new mounting bracket is extremely easy to mount with four mounting holes per side. A cantilevered, extruded aluminum slide rail makes for fast, easy web width adjustment. It includes an adjustment knob for easy angle adjustment for each nip set. An angle indicator ensures accurate, repeatable angle adjustment. Angle adjustments, which adjust the amount of web spreading can be made while the web is in motion, without the use of tools.

This new mounting bracket can of course be ordered for use with a new installation of nip type spreaders. It is designed to accept existing nip type spreaders, as well, if you already have them.