Ravenwood announces the release of a new Stripe Roller Support Shaft. This airshaft is designed to replace the current, standard ETP locking bush system on the Com500 Coater.

The new airshaft is quick and easy to set up and adjust. The silicone stripe rollers are mounted onto the shaft which are then moved into position and tightened by filling the shaft with air from a simple air gun. To adjust the set-up of rollers, your operator simply deflates the Airshaft by pressing the air valve at the end of the shaft. The stripe rollers can then be repositioned and the airshaft re-inflated.

With the current ETP locking bush system, operators must use a hex drive to fasten and loosen the locking mechanism to enable any movement of the stripe rollers. This takes up valuable time during set up and adjustment of the Coater.

The ETP system is extremely effective at holding the stripe rollers in place and can give years of trouble free use when used correctly. The downside of these units is that they can prove time consuming to fasten and tighten, and also susceptible to breaking when overtightened. In terms of cost, they are also expensive to replace.

The new airshaft has undergone extensive testing in a production environment. The results have been extremely good. Although it is not possible to test every conceivable iteration of silicone pattern, all patterns set up so far, have worked correctly.

Customers wishing to swap to the new shaft will either have to have their current stripe rollers modified with a 6mm keyway or they can buy a complete set of replacement rollers from Ravenwood. Unfortunately, the current stock of silicone stripe rollers will not work on the new airshaft.

The benefits of the new airshaft are as follows: 

• Faster pattern set up
• Ease of use
• No expensive locking bushes to break and replace
• Unit is lighter

For further information, or to receive a quote on the new airshaft, please contact Brian Russell, Coater Manager on +44(0)1284 749144.