Why Jota JT-SLT-250S UD Tape Traverse Slitting Spooling Machine

Last Update Time:12/10/2023

In 2020, Jota designed and manufactured an aerospace towpre narrow tape slitting machine for CFRT UD prepreg tape.

In 2022, Jota Machinery published 16 axis traverse spooling machine, max speed can reach 100m/min

Basically, we are in the Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic UD Tape ( CFRTP) related equipment, like the Hot melt CFRTP pre-impregnated Production Line for PP, PE, PA, PA6, ABS, PEEK, etc., and CFRTP UD tape slitting rewinding machine.

We have been in the CFRTP UD tapes for more than 9 years since 2012.

In China, we have witnessed the growth of the entire continous reinforced thermoplastic glass fiber unidirectional tape industry.

On a zero basis, there is no professional equipment.

Our pre-impregnated manufacturing process line is developed on the basis of the ordinary PP sheet extruder.

We have accumulated a lot of experience on thermoplastic prepregs, gradual improvements, and breakthroughs through fiber yarn expansion technology, hot melt impregnated technology, and mold manufacture process exploration, finally we have today’s Fiberglass CFRTP UD tape.

After more than ten years of development, we have mastered the processing technology of high-performance Fiber CFRTP UD tape. It has been a long way.

Also for the slitting of CFRTP UD tape, we first saw this kind of unidirectional tape in 2012.

When we saw this kind of plastic sheet, we thought it was a simple PP plastic sheet with some fiberglass in it.

However, according to our experience, the material has a large uneven thickness, and we recommend the need to use of a pneumatic friction differential shaft to rewind this material.

With our efforts, the first slitter rewinder machine of CFRTP UD Tape succeeded in 2013.

After our continuous updates, we have invested a lot of research and development on this UD tape in the later stage, and now we have obtained a very satisfactory cutting effect.

In view of the characteristics of CFRTP UD tape which is hard, thick, and has a high tensile strength (reinforced), we have successively optimized and upgraded the slitting cutters knife.

Aiming at the characteristics of thick and hard, and sometimes there will be creases, mainly the gap of the lower knife is too deep, it will fold the UD tape margin, the entire slitter knife holder, and blade, after re-equipment, according to our engineer’s intention.

After many modifications, the CFRTP UD tape we cut out today is smooth and tidy without burrs.

We have gone through this process for 6 years.

From 2019, we will receive some inquiries about Carbon Fiber UD Tape, and whether we can slit the 6.35mm wide carbon fiber thermoplastic unidirectional tape.

Given that we have accumulated deep experience in the glass fiber industry, we decided to try it.

Slitting of carbon fiber unidirectional tape.

Carbon fiber is very different from glass fiber.

Generally, carbon fiber adopts a higher temperature pre-impregnated manufacturing process, and the epoxy resin contents base is also PEEK, PPS, or PA, PC.

Carbon fiber is also T700 or T800 in K3, and K12. The higher performance of the force level is, the more advanced the field of application.

Carbon fiber UD tape is fiber-reinforced thinner and fragile, and it is more sensitive to tension requirements.

In addition, carbon fiber has a conductive effect, and dust entering the control cabinet will cause a short circuit.

Finally, we developed an SLT-320D carbon fiber unidirectional tape slitting machine by ourselves and won the order.

Whether it is carbon fiber or glass fiber UD tape, this advanced new thermoplastic composite material has gained broad market acceptance. Its core areas such as automotive, public transportation, aerospace, construction, and infrastructure industries.

In the next 10 years, this advanced composites industry is in a blowout situation, and more and more companies will join this composited materials industry to develop it.

In 2021, on the basis of this narrow web UD tape slitter machine, Jota engineers added spooling function to it, and upgraded it to a narrow web UD tape slitter spooler machine JT-SLT-250S.

The technology-advanced traverse winding station is independently designed and developed by us, and laminating function is integrated.

Different traverse winding structures are optional according to your material characteristics.

For thermoset carbon fiber prepreg tape, there is an optional release paper/film peeling device for your choice.

An optional cooling device is also available, ensuring that the material surface temperature is low.

As for the JT-SLT-250S narrow web, the CFRP UD tape slitter traverse winder is suitable for slitting and spooling continuous fiber-reinforced plastic/polymer unidirectional tapes, such as CFRP UD tape, GFRP UD tape.

It is the main upstream equipment of automated tape laying equipment (ATL) or automated fiber placement machine (AFP).

Automated Tape Laying

The slitting width of the JT-SLT-250S prepreg tape transverse slitting spooling machine is 3.175mm/0.125″, 6.35mm/0.25″ and 12.7mm/0.5″, and 6-48 spooling heads can be customized according to your needs.

Using microcomputer PLC control and touch screen parameter pre-set, the JT-SLT-250S CFRP UD tape slitter traverse winder’s intelligence degree is high.

According to the winding head amount, the corresponding amount of servo motors is equipped to precisely control traversing displacement with high accuracy.

CFRP UD Tape Slitter Spooler Machine FAQ Guide

CFRP

CFRP definition

CFRP is an abbreviation for carbon fiber-reinforced plastic or carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP).

Carbon fiber reinforced plastic/polymer is a composite material, it is formed by carbon fiber as the reinforcement and resin, metal, ceramic, cement, or rubber as the matrix.

This material has high specific strength and rigidity, it is light and widely used in the aerospace, military, and automotive industries.

CFRP properties

• Lightweight, high strength, high modulus

Carbon fiber density is 1.6-2.5g/cm3, its tensile strength is above 2.2Gpa.

Because of this, CFRP is widely used in the aerospace, and automotive industry, sports equipment, etc.

• The thermal expansion coefficient is small

The thermal expansion coefficient of most carbon fibers indoors is below 0, and the carbon fiber deformation probability due to thermal expansion and contraction is very small.

• Good thermal conductivity

Different from general inorganic and organic materials, the thermal conductivity of carbon fiber is close to that of steel.

Taking advantage of this property, High-performance CFRP UD tape can be used as material for solar collectors and thermally conductive shells.

• Good chemical resistance

Carbon Thermoplastic CFRP UD Tape has stable corrosion resistance to acids, alkalis, and organic chemicals, and can be used to make a variety of chemical anticorrosive products.

• Good wear resistance

Carbon fiber and metal are rarely worn when rubbed against each other.

Carbon fiber is used to replace asbestos to make advanced friction materials, which can be used as brake pad materials for airplanes and automobiles.

• Good high-temperature resistance

The high performance of carbon fiber is very stable below 400℃, and even at 1000℃, there is still not much change in performance.

Therefore, carbon fiber composite materials can be widely used in the aerospace industry as high-temperature resistant materials.

• Outstanding dam and excellent sonar-penetration performance

Utilizing these 2 characteristics, it can be used as the structural material of submarines, such as the sonar dome.

• High X-ray transmittance

This feature has been used in medical equipment.

• High fatigue strength

The carbon fiber structure is stable, and the composite material made from it has a strong retention rate of 60% after being subjected to stress fatigue cycle tests millions of times.

CFRP price

CFRP UD tape is usually sold in the form of sheets, and the price is calculated in square meters.

And according to the number of monofilaments in the carbon fiber tow, CFRP sheets have different specifications, such as 1K, 3K, 6K, 12K, 24K, and 48K.

1K, 3K, 6K, and 12K are small tows, and≥12K are large tows that are larger than.

The production cost of large tow is lower than that of small tow, so the smaller the K value, the higher the CFRP material price.

In the Chinese market, take the 3K CFRP material as an example: MOQ is 10 square meters, and the price is $55/square meter.

UD Tape

Unidirectional tape

Carbon fiber unidirectional tape  (UD Tape) is a non-woven fiber-reinforced material, all-fiber strength extends in the same unidirectional direction.

The longitudinal tensile strength of this Carbon fiber-reinforced material is very strong.

This is the biggest advantage of carbon fiber unidirectional tape, and also their biggest disadvantage.

They are not suitable for the production of parts that require anisotropic strength, such as auto parts, which require all-around strength enhancement.

In this case, fiber-reinforced composite materials such as plain weave, twill, or satin weave are required.

Thermoplastic UD tape

Thermoplastic UD tape is a unidirectional prepreg tape made of thermoplastic resin.

Thermoset UD tape corresponds to thermoplastic UD tape, which is made of thermosetting resin.

In the past, only thermoset UD tape could be used in the production of aerospace vehicles, because thermoset UD tape can still maintain structural integrity under high-temperature conditions;

Thermoplastic UD tape is difficult to be used in the production of aerospace vehicles because of its low melting point.

However, because thermoset UD tape can’t be heated or reshaped, while thermoplastic UD tape can be recycled, many companies are now focusing on upgrading the production process of thermoplastic UD tape.

Japan’s Teijin Group announced on January 31, 2019, that their thermoplastic carbon fiber unidirectional prepreg tapes have been officially certified by Boeing.

It means that the Teijin thermoplastic carbon fiber unidirectional prepreg tapes will be used to produce the main structural components of Boeing aircraft.

CFRP UD Tape Slitter

CFRP UD tape slitter is usually a narrow web slitter, Jota CFRP UD tape slitter’s unwinding width is 250mm, slitting width is usually 3.175mm/0.125″, 6.35mm/0.25″ and 12.7mm/0.5″.

If the jumbo roll width is too large, the slit width of the 2 side strips and the middle ones will be very different.

If the strip width is too different, it will further affect the use of automated tape laying equipment (ATL) and automated fiber placement machines.

Not only will it not save raw materials, but it may also affect the quality of automobiles and aircraft.

In order to control the slit width tolerance as much as possible, we Jota designed the unwinding width to be 250mm, such unwinding width can avoid the accumulation of slit width tolerances.

UD Tape Slitter Spooler

Traverse winding

Traverse winding is also called spooling.

The traverse winding process is generally divided into 2 types, one is that the spooling shaft will move laterally while rotating;

The other is that the lay-on arm against spooling shaft moves laterally, and the rewinding shaft rotates.

Jota UD prepreg tape slitter spooler machine adopts the first type of traverse winding, the spooling shaft moves laterally while rotating.

The whole spooling machine has installed 26 pcs of servo motors.

Each spooling head has 3 servomotors to control the longitudinal transverse precision, spooling speed, and unwinding PE film tension.

All the servo motors controlled by the PLC are synchronized.

It is advanced performance on the transverse spooling technology.

UD tape slitter traverse winder

UD tape slitter traverse winder is also called UD tape slitter spooler.

The operating process of the UD tape slitter traverse winder mainly includes the following parts:

• Unwinding
• Release paper and resin film winding
• Tape slitting
• Tape waste edge collecting
• Strips overhead threading and transporting
• Strip spooling and resin film laminating

The UD tape jumbo roll with release paper and resin film layer is manually loaded onto the unwind stand.

After unwinding starts, the release paper and resin film are respectively wound on 2 rewinding reels.

After the UD tape is slit, the waste edge is wound on the waste edge winding shaft.

After slitting, the strips are connected to the spooling & laminating station through overhead guiding and transporting and are wound on the spool at the spooling laminating station.

Overhead Guiding and Transporting

This machine is currently on display at the exhibition, and Jota’s exhibitors will soon take a video and send it over.

At that time, we will upload the video to Youtube and put it here for you to watch.

If you are interested in purchasing such machines, you are welcome to send us an inquiry on this website.

We can discuss your specific needs in detail and customize the most suitable machine for your specific needs.

In order to let you know more about we Jota company, a professional CFRP CFRTP prepreg slitter manufacturer, please watch the following video for reference.

We Jota could also manufacture the following related machines, if you are also interested in UD Tape Traverse Slitting Spooling Machine, please feel free to send us an inquiry:

1. Hot Melt Thermoplastic CFRP CFRTP Prepreg Manufacturing Machine
2. Fully Automatic Toilet Paper Maker
3. Automatic Facial Tissue Making Machine
4. Plastic Film, Fabric, Aluminum Foil Slitting Rewinding Machine
5. Paper Sheeter
6. Paper Tube Making Machine
7. CFRP CFRTP FRP Prepreg Slitter
8. Paper Drinking Straws Machine
9. Label Die Cutting Machine
10. Flexo Printing Machine
11. Cardboard Tube Cutting Machine