Krexil

Cutting Thin Elastomer Film Rolls

| Film cutting

Solving the .005" Polyurethane Film Challenge: Engineering a Custom CNC Solution

The Material Specs

  • Material Type: .005" Polyurethane film, 12" wide

  • The Difficulty: The material a nightmare to cut due high elasticity and shear resistance.

The Bench Test

Initial results with material on a stock Krexil cutter.

  • The film would slide right under the sharp steel blade.

  • When it did cut, it would slide under the hold down mechanism creating a sheet the shape of a parallelogram.

The Modification

  • Coefficient of friction: The key was to dramatically increase the coefficient of friction between the material and the machine. This minimized the ability of the material to dodge the blade.

  • Firmware settings: We adjusted firmware settings for speed and acceleration to avoid roll inertial overshoot and adjusted retract to insure proper feed.

  • Material guides: We designed and installed material guides to prevent sagging after the pinch rollers and guide the film away from the machine after the cut.Custom polymer blade support attachment for cutting thin elastomer film on Krexil roll cutter

The Result

  • The final result: The film cut reliably with a gravity feed into a bin at the output of the cutter.

The Conclusion

  • Not every material is a 'drop-in' solution. Sometimes the difference between a successful production run and a pile of scrap is in customization of our machines and firmware tuning.

  • Have a difficult material like PU, Mylar, or Thin Vinyl? Send us a sample, and we’ll run a test cut for you.