The cut-to-length line mainly consists of an uncoiling system, feeding mechanism, length positioning system, shearing mechanism, control system, and automatic stacking unit. The feeding mechanism is responsible for feeding metal coils into the shearing area, while the positioning system ensures the precise placement of the material before cutting. The shearing mechanism is the core of the cut-to-length line, using high-precision blades to cut the sheet transversely. The control system automates the entire process, ensuring cutting accuracy and efficiency.
The composition of the slitting line is similar to the CTL line, but with a different shearing mechanism. It mainly cuts metal coils longitudinally into strips of various widths and rewinds them into rolls by recoiler. The feeding mechanism and positioning system also play key roles in ensuring stable feeding and precise positioning of the material before cutting.
Both cut-to-length and slitting lines incorporate sensors, PLCs, and touchscreens for real-time monitoring and intelligent control of the cutting process.
Predefined cutting parameters and programs allow automatic adjustment of cutting speeds, ensuring consistent quality and stability.
This improves production efficiency while reducing manual operations difficuty and errors.
The cut-to-length and slitting lines are widely applied in automotive, home appliances, construction, and steel industries for metal cutting and processing, providing strong support for the rapid development of these sectors.
Cut-to-Length Line and Slitting Line, as two key pieces of equipment in the field of material cutting, differ mainly in cutting direction and application.
The cut-to-length line, as the name suggests, performs transverse cutting along the width of the material. It is commonly used to adjust the length of the material, cutting it into sheets of various lengths to meet different application requirements.
In contrast, the slitting line performs longitudinal cutting along the length of the material. This method is primarily used to adjust the width of the material or to slit it into strips for further processing and use.
Although both the cut-to-length line and the slitting line are cutting processes, their applications and effects differ significantly.
In practical operation, the choice between a cut-to-length line and a slitting line often depends on the material properties, cutting precision requirements, and subsequent processing needs. Each plays a vital role in its respective area, providing strong support for various processing tasks.
The slitting line is a complex and precise multi-step production process specifically designed for slitting steel coils of various materials. In this process, steel coils are accurately slit into multiple strips of the desired width. These strips are then recoiled and bundled into steel strip coils, ready for secondary processing such as cold roll forming, stamping, and welding pipe production lines.
The entire process of the slitting line follows a strict and orderly workflow: first, the coil loading car sends the steel coil into the production line. After uncoiling and head flattening, the coil enters the initial pinch leveling stage. Next, the head shearing device trims the leading edge of the strip, and the lifting roller table guides it to the slitting blades. Here, the steel strip is precisely slit into several strips of the required width, while the edge trimming winder collects the waste edge material. Subsequently, after passing through the hydraulic loop bridge, the pre-divider, and the damping press rollers, the strips are recoiled into coils by the recoiler. Finally, they are bundled and output, completing the entire production process.
With intelligent and precise control, each step of the slitting line works in close coordination to ensure highly efficient and stable production. Its operating speed can reach 60–150 meters per minute, and its annual production capacity easily exceeds 300,000–500,000 tons, fully demonstrating the high efficiency and strong production capabilities of this process.
The main process steps of a slitting line include coil loading, uncoiling, head flattener, pinch leveling, trimming shear, lifting transition table, edge guiding and feeding, slitting, scrap winder, tension stand, recoiling, and unloading.
Several key factors play a decisive role in the overall design of a slitting line. The type of material is a fundamental element, as it not only guides the selection of the production process but also has a profound impact on the layout of subsequent processing stages. Tensile strength is another critical factor, as it directly affects the choice of equipment. High-strength materials require more robust equipment to ensure effective processing. Additionally, material type, hardness, and thickness are crucial for selecting cutting tools and adjusting cutting techniques, which are essential for maintaining consistency and quality. Meanwhile, line speed and precision requirements further define the performance parameters of the equipment, ensuring the production line operates stably and meets the market’s strict accuracy demands.
Common materials include cold-rolled steel, hot-rolled steel, galvanized steel, color-coated steel, stainless steel, aluminum sheets, and oriented silicon steel (electrical silicon steel). These materials have different metal properties and are suitable for varying production needs. The typical thickness ranges are 0.2–3mm, 1–6mm, 3–12mm, 4–16mm, and 8–25mm.
0.2–3mm is suitable for light and thin parts manufacturing.
1–6mm is commonly used for general structural parts.
3–12mm and 4–16mm are ideal for applications requiring higher strength.
8–25mm is mainly used for heavy-duty structures.
These thickness ranges are flexible and can be adjusted based on the customer’s specific production requirements. Processing speed is another important parameter, typically ranging from 0–200 m/min, depending on the material thickness and hardness. Thicker and harder materials generally result in slower processing speeds.
A cut-to-length line is used to uncoil, level, measure, and shear metal coils into flat sheets of specific lengths, which are then stacked.
It is suitable for processing cold-rolled and hot-rolled carbon steel, silicon steel, tinplate, stainless steel, and various coated and plated metal materials. The cut-to-length line consists of a loading car, uncoiler, leveling machine, feeding mechanism, shear, conveyor system, stacking device, and control system. For applications requiring high flatness, an additional precision leveling machine can be added.
This is a high-performance, integrated mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic system with high automation, simple and reliable operation, high length accuracy, and excellent flatness of the processed sheets.
Slitting and cut-to-length processes can be seamlessly integrated into a combined slitting and cut-to-length line. This production system combines both cutting methods into one unified process to meet the increasingly diverse production demands of enterprises. By merging the two lines, companies can not only reduce initial investment costs but also save floor space in the workshop. More importantly, for specialized production processes, the combined line significantly enhances production efficiency while ensuring product quality. At the same time, it provides greater operational flexibility and adaptability, allowing manufacturers to handle a wider variety of orders effectively.
The blade arrangement in a slitting line is determined based on metal thickness, material type, and strength. The following table outlines recommended blade clearance values for different thicknesses (for reference only):
Thickness ≤ 0.45mm: gap = 0.05mm
Thickness 0.45–1.0mm: gap = 0.1mm
Thickness 1.1–1.6mm: gap = 0.2mm
Thickness 1.7–2.2mm: gap = 0.3mm
Thickness 2.3–2.8mm: gap = 0.4mm
Thickness 2.9–3.0mm: gap = 0.5mm
Different materials also have varying gap coefficients:
Cold-rolled steel coil: 0.08
Hot-rolled steel coil: 0.12
High-strength steel: 0.15
Brass: 0.04
Blade clearancegap should be adjusted based on the material and thickness to eliminate burrs, edge curling, and edge deformation problems, ensuring the final product meets quality standards.
The service life of slitting line blades depends on multiple factors such as the production volume, operating environment, and material properties. The value of blades in the entire production line accounts for approximately 5% to 8%.
Experienced technicians can assess blade sharpness based on the burr condition of the steel edges and perform timely grinding and maintenance to extend blade life. However, the material composition of the blades and the specific application scenarios will lead to variations in their lifespan.
