Intermediate Web Guides

Used before a critical process in the converting line 

In our previous post on web guiding fundamentals, we mentioned the terminal web guides. These are web guides that are found at the start or the end of the process. Their location is usually on an unwind or a rewind stand. As we discussed, their installation depends on whether the guiding system is used for unwinding a roll of web or rewind a processed web into a roll.

Web Guiding within the converting process

Intermediate web guides are located before any critical process in the converting line. We know that machines and materials are not perfect. In order to assure that the web is correctly aligned to a printing station or slitting operation, we require to correctly align the web at a point as close as possible to where the critical process will occur. 

There are several different types of intermediate web guides.

The most commonly found web guide type in the industry is the Off-set Pivot Guide (OPG). These guides are also referred to as:

• Displacement Guides
• Positive Displacement Guides
• Pivot Frame
• Table Guide

  

The second most common web guide type found in the industry is the Remotely Pivoted Guide, also known as:

• Steering Guide
• Steering Roll
• Swivel Roll

However, there are other less common intermediate guides that converters must consider when selecting a system for their converting line, such as end pivoted guides, center pivoted guides and turn-bars.

In future blogs we will go into more detail on web guiding systems and the dynamics, including the main principle behind web guiding that allows converters to correct the position of webs.

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