Watershed Packaging installs high performance Universal X6 Slitting Machine

Watershed Packaging is a fast growing adhesive label and flexible packaging producer with three production sites, including a recently completed  custom-built factory in Leeds. The company needed a slitting machine with fast set-up times to slit material used within its conversion operation. It chose the Universal X6 for its automatic shear knife set up, ease of operation and closed loop tension control.  

The Universal X6 slitting machine is designed for processing flexible materials. Setting up the automation systems is fast and easy to enable Watershed to respond quickly to customers’ requirements with minimal downtime and reduced waste. A typical specification includes digital web guiding, automatic knife setting (ComputaSlit), an additional tension zone through slitting, closed loop rewind tension control, constant geometry contact rollers, automatic core alignment (ComputaCore) and a running speed of 600m/min.

The machine is designed to be simple to operate with a 22inch touch screen interface.  A typical changeover, including setting 20 shear knives, can take less than two minutes; making the machine ideal for short run work. The integrated drive and control system offers precision and repeatability with extensive diagnostics including dynamic circuit diagrams. All this performance in a machine with a small footprint.  The X6 is a high-performance slitter with a footprint considerably smaller than competitive machines.

Commenting on the investment, Stephen Walker, Managing Director of Watershed Packaging  said that the company's business is built on service and quality, and being able to produce high quality slit rolls with a quick turnaround allows Watershed Packaging  to respond quickly to the needs of its customers. He added that the  Universal X6 has been excellent since its installation. Watershed has been able to slit a lot of PET films which require shear slitting to obtain a good edge. The automatic shear knife setting system removes the need for operators to handle knives and heavy shafts and is both very quick and very accurate that job changes now take a few minutes.  

Alan Jones, MD at Universal Converting Equipment added that Watershed wanted a better solution and Universal Converting has proven that the X6 slitter rewinder is the ideal machine. Load cell tension feedback, automatic knife positioning and core alignment dramatically reduce downtime and increases the time the machine is making money.