There are several alternatives to minimizing down time due to roll changes.
First, you may consider having a second set of shafts so that you can “preshaft” the next set of rolls while the current set is being run. Another option is to invest in air shafts. They have the advantage of eliminating chucks, which can be awkward and time consuming to position.
Depending on your order mix, perhaps you might consider investing in shaftless roll stands. Shaftless roll stands offer several advantages over shafted designs. A self loading shaftless roll stand doesn’t require a method of lifting the rolls into position thereby providing quicker and safer set up times. If your production has evolved to shorter runs and more size changes, two or three shaftless roll stands can be loaded within 10 minutes compared to the 30 – 45 minutes of loading six shafted roll stands.
