UK company makes low cost rubber roll grinder

By Ross Dempsey, ERJ staff

Huddersfield, UK - Rollertech, the UK-Based service provider to the roller manufacturing industry, has developed a low cost rubber roll grinder in conjunction with UK company, Halifax Numerical Controls Limited (HNC).

Following a request from one of its German customers for a roll grinder suitable for smaller volume batches without the large cost of a production machine, Rollertech came up with the idea to design and manufacture a retro-fit system to convert an existing precision metal cutting lathe to a roll grinder.

“I think really where this machine will deliver is the efficiencies it provides in the current economic climate,” said Rollertech managing director Carl Slingsby.

“We designed the unit really,” explained HNC managing director Mike Diskin. “I have worked on various roll grinders before so I was familiar with what was required. We used an Omoron PLC and got the basics working here but the lathe was in Germany so we integrated it on site.”

I have got a good working relationship with Carl (Slingsby) at Rollertech, he knows the roller industry and we know the machine side, so it made sense to team up together,” added Diskin. He also said that the retro-fit system has proved very successful with the company already working on more orders.

Slingsby explained that he is currently visiting clients who now realise that this system could help them increase their output by 50 - 100 percent with only a small capital investment. “We are upgrading a system,” explained Slingsby. “People don't want to put massive capital investments down due to the economic climate,” he added.

Slingsby went on to explain that over the last 12 months the company has discovered a niche market with no real competitors and will push forward with its retro-fit technology and expand into new markets.

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