| 200 Series Stands || 310 Series Stands |

DM&E TENSION STANDS

 DM&E began its involvement with radial blade cutters and reels in 1974. We began by repairing and restoring cutter components and cutters. We continue to repair, modify and restore cutters and components for all major fiber producers. Through our commitment to fiber cutting we developed the DM&E cutter and tension stands.

TENSION AND CUTTERS

 Cut length in radial blade cutters is determined by the blade spacing around the cutter reel. Different reels are required for different cut lengths. Staple length can be varied slightly by the tension with which the fiber is wound on the cutter reel. (Relaxing tension on crimped fiber will slightly increase staple cut length). To provide consistent cut length, tension should be as uniform as possible.

 Sufficient tension must be provided in the tow band to prevent the tow from rolling up in front of the presser wheel. If the tow is allowed to accumulate in front of the presser wheel, the presser wheel will eventually roll over a folded tow band. Cutting this doubled tow band will result in excessive side loads on the cutting blades which may break. If the blades survive the side loading they will cut the folded tow resulting in over length staple. Proper tow tension is especially critical in short staple flock reels as the blades are not supported by individual blade support pins.

 Excessive tension results in excessive motor load on the cutter. The tow may also slip around the reel causing variable cut lengths. Excessive tow tension may even cause the tow to be wrapped so tightly around the reel that the tow is cut prematurely.

TENSION CONTROL WITH TENSION STANDS

 Tension is cumulative. Every corner that the tow turns and every surface that the tow touches creates tension in the tow band. Most tow bands are made from smaller tow bundles supplied from a creel. Each of these smaller bundles adds to the total tow band tension. Tow supplied to the cutter directly from a crimper or drawstand tends to be more uniform in tension than that supplied from a creel.

 The tension of a moving tow band will change very little as speed increases. A simple fishing scale connected to the tow band and read as the tow is pulled by hand will indicate tension created by the creel and guides. The tension necessary to start the tow moving will be higher than the moving tension.

 Tow being lifted vertically creates very little tension. A six million (6,000,000) denier tow band lifted 20 feet adds only 9 pounds of tension to the band.

 Optimum cutter performance normally requires considerably more tension at the cutter than the creel friction or lifting load can provide. A tension stand will provide the necessary tension to the fiber being pulled by the cutter.

 A tension stand that provides a constant load on the tow band adds to the accumulated tension in the band. In order for the constant load tension stand to provide the most uniform tension, it should provide a very high percentage of the total tension, since creel or upstream tension may vary. The DM&E 200 series tensions stand is a constant load unit.

 The accumulated creel tension in some arrangements may be either a very large percentage of the total desired tension, or the creel tension will vary considerably. This requires that the tension stand be more sensitive to the resulting tension to the cutter.

 To provide true constant tension to the cutter, the tension stand, must be capable of adding varying levels of tension to the creel tension. The 310 series DM&E tension stands have this capabiity.

 In the event that the accumulated creel tension is greater than the tension desired at the cutter, supplemental pulling power is required. For these cases we provide the 310 series cutter with regenerative motor. The motor will overcome the upstream tension and supply a lower tension to the cutter. Additionally, the RGM option will return most braking energy to the electrical system when braking is necessary to control tension.

TWO SERIES OF DM&E TENSION STANDS

 DM&E offers a complete line of tension stands for tow cutters. Tension stands are available to process the smallest lab samples or up to 15 tons of tow per hour!

 Each DM&E cutter is carefully configured to match the customer's needs. DM&E tension stands are engineered to match DM&E cutters. Many options are available and custom engineered units may be requested to satisfy special requirements.

 DM&E tension stands come in three basic sizes, each with its own special features. From the 200 Series to the sophisticated control of the 310 Series, one of these tension stands will satisfy your requirements.