2 Shafts vs 6 Shafts: Semi-Automatic and Automatic Rewinders Compared

The semi-automatic rewinding machine has 2 shafts, rewinds aluminium foil and baking paper, and glues by hand. The fully automatic LKWD-450 has 6 shafts, rewinds foil, baking paper and cling film, applies glue with an automatic gluing machine, and stops and alarms by itself for short label pasting, film breakage and missing paper tubes.

What a rewinder does in the production chain

Foil and paper arrive on mother rolls. A rewinder slits them to width and rewinds them into the roll lengths shops and kitchens buy: 5 m, 10 m and 300 m rolls. This is the step that turns an industrial input into a retail product, and errors here show up as slack, uneven or mislabelled rolls.

The materials list decides the machine first

Semi-automatic, 2 shafts:

• aluminium foil and baking paper.

Fully automatic, 6 shafts:

• aluminium foil, baking paper and cling film.

If cling film is on your product list, the 2-shaft machine is out and you are looking at the 6-shaft machine.

Shaft count sets the running pattern

Shafts are the number of rolls the machine winds at the same time. The 2-shaft machine winds two. The LKWD-450 winds a full set each cycle: 20–30 rolls per minute at a 5 metre roll length, and 25–40 rolls per minute at 10 metres. The 2-shaft machine is fed, wound and unloaded more often; the 6-shaft machine runs longer between interventions.

Side by side: the two configurations

What "automatic" covers on the LKWD-450

Gluing

The LKWD-450 includes an automatic gluing machine, so adhesive is applied without the operator stopping the cycle. On the 2-shaft machine, gluing is manual, with an automatic option available on request. Gluing is also tied to roll length: rolls longer than 60 m are glued; rolls under 60 m with a material thickness below 15 microns run without glue.

Stop-and-alarm on three faults

The LKWD-450 stops and alarms for short label pasting, film breakage and paper tube shortage. All three are otherwise found late, at the packing station or after the batch has been re-labelled.

Cutting and core handling

Foil cutting is automatic. Paper core sizes of 30 mm, 35 mm and 38 mm are supported, and other sizes can be customised. On the 2-shaft machine, core replacement is a manual step.

Cling film runs at its own speed

On the LKWD-450, foil and baking paper run up to 450 m/min; cling film runs up to 350 m/min. If cling film is your main product, plan around 350 m/min.

FAQ

Q: Which materials can each machine rewind? A: The 2-shaft semi-automatic machine rewinds aluminium foil and baking paper. The LKWD-450 rewinds aluminium foil, baking paper and cling film.

Q: Is gluing manual or automatic? A: Manual on the semi-automatic machine, with an automatic option available on request. The LKWD-450 includes an automatic gluing machine.

Q: What is the maximum working speed? A: 450 m/min on the LKWD-450 for foil and baking paper, and 350 m/min for cling film.

Q: What roll sizes can be produced? A: On the LKWD-450, standard finished rolls are 300–450 mm wide and 5–300 m long. Other widths and lengths are customized to order.

Q: What paper cores are supported? A: 30 mm, 35 mm and 38 mm, with customization available.

Q: Is the foil cut automatically? A: Yes. Foil cutting is automatic.

Q: What triggers the automatic stop and alarm? A: Short label pasting, film breakage, and paper tube shortage.

Q: Do short rolls need glue? A: Rolls under 60 m with a thickness below 15 microns are produced without gluing.

Q: What control components are used? A: A Mitsubishi PLC, Schneider sensors and SMC pneumatic components.

The bottom line

Choose by material first, then by shaft count. Two shafts cover foil and baking paper with manual gluing. Six shafts add cling film, automatic gluing, and the stop-and-alarm behaviour that lets one operator watch more than one machine. Roll widths, core sizes and speeds follow from that choice.