Smoothing Press (SP)

This rotary lamination press has a fixed lower roller and a floating upper pinch roll. The pinch roll is designed to provide enough pressure to squeeze out bubbles, blisters, and wrinkles trapped between the substrates, giving a high quality lamination. The nip pressure between the rolls is created by the weight of the pinch roller, and is about 2 lbs per linear inch. The pressure between the nip rolls is sufficient to squeeze air bubbles out of the layers of the lamination, but does not exert excessive pressure that would crush the flutes on corrugated or collapse foamcore board.

The floating pinch roll can follow variations in substrate thickness while maintaining consistent nip roll pressure. Both nip rolls are powered to provide positive pulling force and to eliminate any slippage between the layers of the lamination. The nip rolls are covered with urethane rubber for a positive grip and to conform to surface imperfections in the lamination substrates. Rolls can be separated for cleaning or shutdown periods. Initial opening between the rolls is adjustable.

The smoothing press is powered by a D.C. variable speed drive. Top speed is approximately 60 feet per minute, but it can also be operated at lower speeds to match the output of adjoining machinery.

Four versions of the smoothing press are available, with different maximum openings between the nip rolls. These are the standard SP, the SP3, the ACP, and the SPL. Details on each of these are on the adjoining pages.