Web handling still a challenge

It's not printing. It's not slitting, coating or drying. But it's crucial to all these. It's the day-in, day-out operation of nearly every converting plant. It's web handling - the seemingly simple unwinding of the web at one end, progress through a series of rollers, and rewinding at the other end - hopefully without bagging, wrinkles or other major flaws that render it unacceptable to the customer. In an interview, two of the featured speakers at AWEB 06 - David Roisum, consultant and technical editor of Converting magazine - and Timothy J. Walker of WJWalker+Associates Inc, discuss why web handling is still a challenge. According to Roisum, web handling is still a challenge despite the progress of machinery and electronics because the computer can sometimes be more of a barrier than a link. Another challenge is that the bar is always being raised, Roisum adds. Walker asserts that in the majority of converting processes, web handling is not a challenge. As long as new products can be imagined, there will be new web handling charges to be solved.