How can you increase the lifetime of the Teflon roller of the Paperfox TD-1 tape applicator head?

In Paperfox adhesive tape applicators, the adhesive side of the adhesive tape runs on Teflon-containing rollers.

Adhesive tape does not stick to rollers with a high Telfon content, but these materials are not very strong and wear out quickly. The mechanical properties can be improved by adding glass fiber or graphite, but in this case the glue also adheres better to the roller. On the paperfox.eu website you can find the types of rollers produced.

Below I present a trick that can be used to increase the life of the rollers.

At the end of the tape strip, the applicator roller of the TD-1 applicator head presses the adhesive tape against the Teflon roller, and the resulting force pulls the tape against the knife, which cuts it.

1.
The load on the Teflon rollers can be reduced to a small extent by reducing the supply pressure.

2.
The applicator adjustment screw can be adjusted so that the applicator roller does not touch the Teflon roller.

This significantly reduces the stress on the rollers, and this solution works well for easy-to-cut adhesive tapes.

Unfortunately, when cutting in this way, the tensioning force of the tape is also reduced, which can cause inaccurate cutting especially in the case of adhesive tape made of strong material. (The edge of the knife slides over the surface of the tape before cutting it.)

A sharper knife is also available for the machine (www.paperfox.hu), which makes cutting more precise even with lower cutting force.

If the knife still does not cut the adhesive tape reliably, you can try to solve the problem by adjusting the flat spring.

Paperfox FTD-1 Tape applicator test with a long sheet

If you want to place self adhesive tape with a Paperfox FTD-1 tape applicator on a long sheet, then the usual adjustment is not the best.

The starting position of the tape application can be set accurately, but if you adjust the end position the position is not accurate, especially if the length of the sheet is not accurate or changing.

In this case set the start position and set the end position to much higher as the length of the sheet.

The tape application end automatically at the end of the sheet, and you can fine-adjust the position by adjusting the "END" parameter on the display of the FTD-1 tape applicator machine. You can find more information about Paperfox products at www.paperfox.eu

New improvements of FTD-1 Tape applicator

The Paperfox FTD-1 Tape applicator is a very popular new development from Paperfox.
This device is very versatile so we received several customer ideas to make the machine even more capable of doing more tasks.

Summay of improvements:

1. Gear motor

The old round belt transmission injured sometimes during delivery so we changed it to a more comact geared motor transmission.

2. Optosensor

At the early versions of Paperfox FTD-1 tape applicator the optosensor was fixed on a TD-1 tape applicator head. This was quite easy to use and easy to adjust, but had some limits: If the sheet on which the tape should be placed is not rectangular (for example: die cutted boxes) then the position of the optosensor often should be replaced.
Now we mounted the optosensor on a slider so you can move it in cross direction. The longitudinal position can be compensated with the digital controller.

3. Additional paper guides

The slider for the optosensor can be used for fixing other elements (paper guides, other type of optosensor...) as well. We fixed two aditional paper guide to ensure the smooth movement of the paper under the applicator heads.

4. Teflon coated rollers

The sticky side of double sided self adhesive tapes can contaminate the guiding rollers. We've put feflon surface on the rollers to eliminate this issue.

5. Software improvements

Now you don't have to calculate the proper delays, you can set the tape laying positions in millimeters.

The delay time due to the position of the optosensor can be set digitally, you don't have to adjust the optosensor mechanically into the proper position.

Up to 10 program can be stored into the programming unit.

... and this is still not the end. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any idea about the improvement of this device.

What kind of double sided adhesive tape can be used in Paperfox tape applicators?

The Paperfox TD-1 tape applicator head is an affordable device for placing double coated pressure sensitive adhesive tape on paper cardboard plastic foil or other sheet materials but the usage of this useful device has some limits.

The most obvious limit is  the width of the tape. We are manufacturing this heads for 12 and 20mm maximal tape widths.

The other limit is the material of the tape. 

To understand this limit let's have a look at to the construction of the double coated pressure sensitive adhesive tapes.

The construction of the double coated pressure sensitive adhesive tapes.

Release liner

The white paper strip on the photo is the release liner. Release liners are usually paper coated on booth sides with silicone layer.
The width of the liner is usually the same as the width of the adhesive coated carrier, but the so called "finger lift" tapes having extended liners to make the manual removal of the release liner easier.

Paperfox tape applicators can applicate tapes only with easy to tear thin paper release liners. (Fortunately the most release liner is easy to tear)

Backing or carrier

The transparent strip is the backing or carrier coated on booth sides with adhesive layer. The carrier can be different:

• acrylic film
• other plastic film
• felt or non-woven tape
• paper
• foam materials
• etc...

Paperfox tape applicators can applicate tapes only with easy to tear carrier such as paper, felt or non-woven tape.

Adhesive

There are different adhesives used. Rubber based adhesives are having a high initial strength so they sticking to the paper quickly providing a stabile workflow. Unfortunately if you keep this kind of tapes long on stock it loses the quality don't sticks well the tape application can be unstable.

Acrylic adhesives having weaker initial strength but the quality is more stabile and having better environmental (temperature, chemical...) resistance. 

Tear test

The easiest way to determine if the tape can be used in Paperfox TD-1 Tape applicator is to test. Try to tear the tape.

Breaks easily as the white tape on the photo, then it can be used. If the backing material is stretches and hard to tear then maybe that the tape applicator head can't cut the tape well.

If the tape is old and there are gaps between the turns then the glue maybe dry and don't sticks to the paper well. In this case the tape application can be stopped. 

What if the tape sticks "too good", and it sticks to the guiding elements of the tape applicator?

In this case you can put a drum sanding cylinder on the guiding screw as in the picture below.

Two tricks for the Paperfox tape applicators

1. 

If the paper curls up at the edges and it bumps to the knife it can cause paper jam and stop the machine. With a peace of plastic plate or a peace of wire as in the pictures you can avoid this problem.

2.
If the adhesive band sticks on the guiding screws it can also cause jam. Put a small (1/4") drum sanding cylinder on the guiding screws so that it can turn around and the problem is solved.

Tape applicator with conveyor

We have manufactured a programmable tape applicator with two Paperfox TD-1 tape applicator heads and with a conveyor belt.

The tape application positions can be programmed by both tape applicator heads independently.
The machine is similar to the machine which we have manufactured with cylinders.

What do you think which solution is the better?

What kind of knives can you use in your Papefox TD-1 tape applicator?

In the Paperfox TD-1 Tape Applicator you can use different knives.
There is no "best solution", the optimal knife profile depends on the tape and the material on which you want to stick the tape.

1. Rotary cutting rules

There are several manufacturer which offers rotary cutting rules. We used Böhler rules. Rotary cutting rules show a serrated cutting edge for easy penetration into the board.

Advantages:

• This knife produces a semi-straight, toothed cutting line
• There are different tooth profil available

Disadvantages:

• Sometimes it is not easy to buy Rotary cutting rules
• With some type of adhasive bands the knife collects the glue and dirt between teeth
• You have to cut the blade to insert it into the machine.

2. Martor Nr. 763 blades.

Avantages:

• Quiete a sharp knife
• This knife produces a semi-straight, toothed cutting line

Disadvantages:

• The manufcturer is going to finish the manufacturing of this knife.
• You have to cut the blade in two to insert it into the machine.

3. OLFA MCB-1 knife.

Advantages:

• This knife is available worldwide in paper od decoration shops in 5 pcs. packets. So you can get is easily.
• You can mount it without any modification into the Paperfox Tape dispensers.
• Very sharp knife, so it cuts even the strong tapes.
• Because of the simly shape of the knife it don't collects the glue and dirt between teeth.

Disadvantages:

• The cutted ends of the tape are not sraight they are "V" shaped.
• If the tape is not symmetric (assimmetric finger lift tapes) it can push the tape aside.
• This knife is drangerous, it can couse injuries.

Programmable tape applicator

Wie have constructed a 72cm breit rollentable for two TD-1 tape applicator heads and attached a progammable controller to thedevice.

Now you can position the tape independetly on booth TD-1 tape applicator heads and you can interrupt the tapa laying and start it again in a sheet.

Lets have a look at how this device works in the following video:

Tape Application System with 2 Tape Heads

Now you can apply even two different kind of double sided self adhesive tapes in different length at once with this semiautomatic tape applicator.

Max. sheet width: 52cm
Tape width: 6...12mm
Maximal roll diameter: 300mm
Speed: 0.16/0.23/0.3 m/sec.  (~ 2000 A4 sheet/hour)

Making envelopes with the tape applicator

You can lay self adhesive tapes on envelopes with the Paperfox TD-1 tape applicator head and with a roller table which we have manufactured to present the usage of this device.

We have made a video to show how can you set the Paperfox TD-1 tape applicating head to different tasks.

Improved tape applicator

The paperfox TD-1 tape applicator head was designed for usage in Paperfox HH-1 return receipt making machine but a lot of our customers want to use it in other tape application systems.

So we have manufactured some extra accessories to make this device easyer to applicate.

In the HH-1 we applied only one optosensor so the mounting bracket was only for holding one optosensor. In other tape applicating systems the tape not allways applicated in full length of the paper, so often needed two optosensor to controll the start and end position of the tape applying.

Now we created a rail with sliding brackets. So you can now set easily the position of the adhesive tape.
more>> http://furcht.hu/pdf/manual-td-1-en.pdf