Eltherington was looking for a solution which maintained a quick turnaround between coil changes, while completely eliminating manual effort to expand and contract the mandrels. The company processes a vast range of coloured and textured materials and, in many cases, just a few blanks are cut from each coil. Atkin Automation’s solution means Eltherington’s production staff can now carry out these regular changes to the coil without operator input, via the A-frame support system.
The solution involved replacing all 13 of Eltherington’s existing A-frame type de-coiling mandrels with the addition of Atkin’s standard two-stage mechanical gearbox. When used in conjunction with a torque-limited battery or pneumatic hand tool it is possible to achieve quick changeovers with no physical input from the operators.
The units, which have a capacity of up to 2,000 kg by 1,600 mm long, are also balanced so that the lifting points are in the correct position when at rest for transport and loading via a forklift.
Craig Dunn, Eltherington’s group manufacturing director, says: “Our operators are delighted with the new mandrels, which have made our changeovers far simpler and improved overall efficiency in our processes. Atkin Automation has met our requirements exactly and we expect to see production output and efficiency increase as a result.”
