Converter Builds in Automation
Fralock Benefits from a Controls Upgrade

	Automated registration control was the goal of a retrofit to this rotary die press. Adhesives and tapes converter Fralock, based in Canoga Park, CA, is now reaping the benefits.

Canoga Park , CA (August 9, 2005) "In all of our operations we strive to automate and take the controls and dimensioning out of the operator's hand and make them automatic," says Marcelo Norona, chief operating officer of Fralock, a division of Lockwood Industries.

Given that philosophy, it's no wonder that the converter of electrical insulating materials, adhesives and tapes sought a way to automate its rotary die-press operation. Originally, Fralock's rotary die press, supplied by Pace Converting Equipment, was equipped with a manual registration control system. Since Fralock's customers often require labels that aren't fully adhesive coated, it was looking for a system to automatically control these jobs better. Most of its customers order either zone-coated adhesives or adhesives only added in certain areas.

In its search for the right system to add to its rotary die press, Fralock decided on Candy Manufacturing for its Web Master WM-019-1 registration control system. "The Candy registration controls were able to adapt the manual system Pace developed and automate it," says Norona. The results were better tolerances than with the manual system.

"The Pace control system works very well, but if you're trying to do it manually you have to wait for people to change it. This [Candy system] takes a very good control system and automates it," says Norona.

The installation went well and has been trouble-free since, states Norona. "They provided about a day of setup and training. It didn't require a tremendous amount of intensive training," says Norona.

Two methods warn operators that the material is out of tolerance: the press stops altogether or a warning light goes off. "It does warn you when it goes out of tolerance, but it hasn't gone out of tolerance yet," states Norona.

Within months of the Candy installation to the Pace press, Fralock purchased another Pace rotary die press, but instead of having the manual registration control added, it had Pace engineers pre-wire the machine to plug in the Candy registration system. To illustrate how happy Fralock is with its two Candy models, a third one will be purchased. "The third press is on the way. We plan to add the Candy controls on that one as well," says Norona.

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