PCT Engineered Aluminum Paint Line Upgrade User Manual

Aluminum paint line upgrade

Aluminum Paint Line Upgrade

The PCT Solution

PCT was asked to replace the paint line’s
existing bridle roll drives, motors and
gearboxes in order for it to operate with
improved tension control.
In addition, PCT provided:
• Programming of a new controller to

integrate the new drives into the
existing line control.

• Reassignment of the master bridle

function to improve tension isolation
between line sections.

• Mechanical and electrical design and

installation of four load cell systems
for tension feedback and monitoring.

The Application

An aluminum manufacturer of building and
construction industry products had experienced
strip-tracking difficulties resulting in line
“crashes” and poor strip quality on its 22-year
old paint line. A crash not only took the line out
of production, but also resulted in a large
amount of scrap material. Recovering from a
crash is a time consuming operation. Outdated
equipment made it difficult to make process
improvements. An engineering study identified
the need for improved tension control in order
for the line to resume running at its original
design speed.
The overall project consisted of several smaller
projects that were a combination of:
• Electrical controls upgrade

• Mechanical modifications

• Integration of purchased subsystems
• Installation planning and execution

Implementation of these improvements had to
be made with minimal disruption to the
production schedule.