Slitter blades, also known as slitting knives or rotary knives, are circular or disc-shaped cutting tools used in slitting machines to cut wide rolls of material into narrower widths. These blades typically operate by rotating against a fixed anvil or another rotating blade, creating a precise and clean cut as the material passes through the slitting machine. The term “slitter blades” emphasizes their primary function of slitting or cutting material along its length.
Uses and Applications of Slitter Blades
スリッターブレード are essential tools across a wide range of industries that process materials in roll form. Their key applications include:
Paper Industry: Slitting large rolls of paper into narrower widths for printing presses, converting machines, and other downstream processes.
Film and Foil Converting: Slitting plastic films, aluminum foil, and laminates for packaging, labeling, and other applications.
Textile Industry: Slitting rolls of fabric, nonwovens, and textiles into narrower widths for garment manufacturing, industrial textiles, and other textile products.
Tape and Label Manufacturing: Slitting wide rolls of adhesive tapes and label stock into individual rolls of desired widths.
Rubber and Plastics Industries: Slitting rubber sheets, plastic films, and extruded profiles.
Metalworking: Slitting metal coils (steel, aluminum, copper, etc.) into narrower strips for further processing.
Packaging Industry: Slitting various packaging materials like flexible films, paperboard, and corrugated board.
Medical and Pharmaceutical: Slitting medical tapes, films, and dressings.
Hygiene Products: Slitting nonwoven materials for diapers, wipes, and other hygiene products.
Common Materials for Slitter Blades
The choice of material for スリッター刃 depends on the type of material being slit, the speed of operation, and the required blade life. Common materials include:
炭素鋼: Suitable for less demanding applications and slitting softer materials like paper and thin films. Offers good initial sharpness.
ハイスピード鋼 (HSS): Provides improved wear resistance and can maintain sharpness at higher speeds compared to carbon steel. Various grades like M2 and M42 are used.
Alloy Tool Steel (e.g., D2, A2): Offers a good balance of hardness, toughness, and wear resistance, suitable for slitting thicker and more abrasive materials like thicker paperboard and some metals. D2 steel is particularly popular for its wear resistance.
タングステンカーバイド: Offers exceptional hardness and wear resistance, ideal for high-speed slitting of abrasive materials like reinforced paper, fiberglass, and thin metals, significantly extending blade life. Can be used as solid carbide blades or as carbide-tipped inserts.
ステンレススチール: Provides good corrosion resistance, important in applications involving moisture or where contamination is a concern, such as in some food and medical applications.
Coatings such as titanium nitride (TiN), chromium nitride (CrN), or diamond-like carbon (DLC) can be applied to enhance surface hardness, reduce friction, and extend the life of slitter blades, especially when dealing with abrasive or sticky materials.
Common Slitter Blade Shapes
スリッターブレード are primarily circular but come in various edge configurations and thicknesses to optimize slitting performance:
Solid Disc Blades: Simple, one-piece circular blades with a sharpened outer edge. The edge can be straight, bevelled (single or double), or have a radius.
Inserted Blade Knives: Feature replaceable cutting inserts made of harder materials like carbide, mounted on a steel body. This allows for cost-effective replacement of the wearing cutting edge.
Scored Knives (Crush Cut Knives): Used in pairs, where one or both knives have a rounded or profiled edge that presses against a smooth anvil to create a score or crush cut in materials like paper or thin films.
Shear Cut Knives: Used in pairs with overlapping, sharp edges that create a clean scissor-like cut. The overlap and side force are critical for clean cutting of materials like thin films and foils.
Razor Blades (Circular): Very thin and sharp circular blades used for precision slitting of delicate materials like thin films and tapes.
Dished Knives: Circular blades with a concave or convex profile, often used for slitting where material tension needs to be controlled or to create specific edge profiles.
Perforating Slitter Blades: Circular blades with teeth or специально designed protrusions to create lines of perforations while slitting.
The working principle of スリッター刃 involves rotary motion combined with controlled pressure to shear or crush the material as it passes between the blade and a counter surface (another blade or an anvil). The sharpness and geometry of the cutting edge, along with the speed of rotation, material tension, and the specific slitting method (shear cut, score cut, etc.), determine the quality and efficiency of the slitting process. Proper setup and alignment of the スリッター刃 are crucial for clean and accurate slitting.