ABSTRACT

What is narrow slitting? To a mill, 6 in. may be considered narrow. To an electronic component manufacturer, 0.020 in. is considered narrow.

There are many factors that must be considered when slitting light-gauge narrow-width material. Depending on these factors, the slitting job may be substantially easier if the factors are in your favor and, conversely, extremely difficult if the factors are working against you, factors that must be considered are as follows:

1. Material thickness 2. Material temper 3. Material shape 4. Finished stock width 5. Parent coil width 6. Is there a drop coil to be restocked? 7. Finished coil inner and outer diameter

8. Is the material to be wound on a core? 9. Type of equipment available for slitting

Taking 10 cuts 0.250 in. wide from a parent coil 3 in. wide, 0.005-in. ~hard brass is much easier than trying to take two 1.000-in. cuts out of a 12-in.-wide coil of 0.007-in. dead soft copper. The 10-cut job could easily be run on any light-duty tight-line slitter. However, the three-cut job would prove to be quite difficult on anything but a double-loop slitting line-difficult but not impossible. It would be possible to run this job on a tight-line slitter, providing that you are willing to accept reduced line speed, possible damage to the edges on the restock coil, and post tightening the job order coils. As with any job, having the proper tools can make the job much easier. The same applies to slitting. Having a slitter designed to slit light-gauge material can make the job much easier, increase the production rate, and improve the quality of the final product.