The RFA - 680 is used for manufacturing both small and large rollers using polyurethane. A ribbon of liquid urethane is applied to a rotating roller and moved across the cylindrical surface.
The method is somewhat similar to turning, but the material is applied instead of being removed. It is possible to build layers to different thicknesses for subsequent machining to accurate dimensions.
Rollers can be coated with several hundred kilograms of polyurethane. This is a fast and efficient method for coating large or small rollers for use in demanding applications.
In this process, the Ribbon Cast™ material is pumped through a metering machine to a traversing mix head that deposits the mixed material onto a rotating steel shaft. Depending upon the required thickness, one or more mix head passes might be required to obtain the correct build. Once applied, the polyurethane will achieve a final cure at room temperature.
The application of Crosslink’s RFA-680 Ribbon Cast™ polyurethane has the following advantages when compared with the conventional hot mould casting of industrial rollers:
- There are no molds required
- The use of an oven is optional
- Less scrap resulting from trapped air bubbles
- Overbuild waste is greatly reduced
- Considerably less labor required
- Short turn-around time
- Lower production costs
