Charlotte, NC-based Pinnacle Converting Equipment & Services LLC has been issued US. Patent No. 12,275,607 B2 for its “Tabbed Roll of Sheet Material and Method of Making Same,” which covers a novel method and apparatus for tabbing rolls of sheet material. This innovation sets a new standard in precision and efficiency for the converting industry.
Traditionally a time-consuming and inconsistent process, Pinnacle’s innovative method provides a more streamlined approach to securing the free end of a roll of sheet material. This tabbing innovation can be used in converting perforated rolled materials like paper, plastic film, and nonwovens such as disinfectant wipes, which have increased in demand post-COVID.
How It Works
The machinery first converts a master roll of sheet material, then winds the smaller roll of sheet material onto a spindle. The tabber and an apparatus called a joiner work together to secure the free end of the spindle roll at a tabbing position. The tabber and joiner use a combination of mechanical entanglement (such as pressing or crimping) and heat welding (to melt the material slightly) to keep the roll tight and prevent it from unspooling.
“This invention is another common-sense approach to improving the slitting and rewinding process developed by Pinnacle Converting Equipment. Over the past thirty years, Pinnacle has delivered an incredible amount of innovation to improve our customers manufacturing experience. This patent is an example of these innovations that continue to improve the operational efficiencies of our customers factories” says Tom Kepper, PE, General Manager.
Benefits of this new technology include:
- Improved automation and process consistency
- Reduced product waste
- Minimized equipment downtime
- Applicability across various industries and materials
Furthermore, this patent reinforces Pinnacle’s intellectual property portfolio and competitive edge in the converting equipment market.
Greg Kalenowski, Technical Manager at Pinnacle, adds, “This new technology advances the converting of finished rolls and tabbing by eliminating the need for consumables such as staples, glue and tape etc.”
Pinnacle has already started integrating this new tabbing method into existing products and is hard at work creating new and custom products with this apparatus. This patented technology will allow Pinnacle to offer a broad range of solutions across various industries and materials be it installed on new or retrofitted and integrated on existing equipment and give a competitive advantage in finished roll tabbing.