CUTTING CYLINDER REFURBISHMENT

Extend Service Life with Lower Cost and Shorter Leadtime Than a New Cutting Cylinder

CUTTING CYLINDER REFURBISHMENT SERVICES

Whether pattern, tab, or cut-to-length, cutting cylinders are critical to maintaining shingle quality and overall plant efficiency. Over time, wear develops gradually, and it’s common for operations and maintenance teams to compensate with short-term adjustments rather than addressing the underlying mechanical condition of the cylinder.

While these workarounds may keep production running in the short term, unresolved cutting cylinder issues eventually lead to inconsistent cuts, increased knife damage, unplanned downtime, and lost throughput. At that point, refurbishment or replacement becomes unavoidable.

Our cutting cylinder refurbishment services are designed to restore performance, extend service life, and prepare your cutting system for current and future production requirements.

SIGNS YOUR CUTTING CYLINDER MAY NEED REFURBISHMENT

Common indicators that a cutting cylinder is approaching the end of its effective service life include:

Excessive knife chipping or premature knife wear
Inconsistent cut patterns or dimensional variation
Perforation cutting or fluctuating laminator tension
Worn or damaged journals, or evidence of the cylinder journals spinning on the bearing
Visible wear in knife beds or pockets
Temporary or improvised repairs such as shimming or welding in knife pockets
Knife wedge block fasteners require excessive torque (typically greater than 20 ft/lb) to remain secure or the cylinder treads for these fasteners are damaged

These symptoms often indicate loss of dimensional integrity in the cylinder body, knife pockets, or journals—conditions that cannot be fully corrected through routine maintenance alone.

WHEN CYLINDER REFURBISHMENT MAKES SENSE

Cutting cylinder refurbishment is often the most cost-effective option when:

You are addressing performance issues with existing shingle products
You want to maintain the same cutting pattern without investing in a new forging
You are planning to or have upgraded from tool steel knives to carbide knives
Lead time or capital budget constraints make new cylinder replacement impractical

Benefits of Cutting Cylinder Refurbishment

30–60% lower cost compared to purchasing a new cutting cylinder

Reduced lead times by avoiding new forging requirements

Extended service life of existing capital equipment

Ability to upgrade to carbide knife tolerances without full cylinder replacement

Many cylinders can be successfully refurbished after 20+ years of service, subject to inspection

OUR CYLINDER REFURBISHMENT PROCESS

Every refurbishment project begins with a detailed inspection and condition report. Because no two cylinders experience wear in the exact same way, each project is scoped based on actual operating condition and production requirements.

Depending on findings, refurbishment may include:

Complete cleaning, disassembly, and inspection

Measurement and verification of existing knife pocket specifications

Replacement of wedge blocks, filler blocks, and worn components

Machining of cylinder body for new knife inserts

Installation of reversible, bolt-in crosscut and slitter inserts

Repair or replacement of damaged journals, including chrome grinding as required

Addition of bumper strips to improve pull force and support

Plug rubber installation to support the sheet during cutting and provide pull force

Dynamic balancing for high-speed operation

Reassembly and final verification

STEEL-TO-CARBIDE KNIFE CYLINDER REFURBISHMENT

As carbide knives increasingly replace tool steel knives in asphalt shingle production, many plants encounter performance issues when running carbide in cylinders originally designed for tool steel tolerances. Carbide knives require significantly tighter height and runout tolerances.

Cylinders that are not properly prepared often experience:

Chipped or cracked carbide knives
Inaccurate or perforated cuts possibly leading to tension issues or strip breaks
Increased downtime and knife change frequency
Reduced cutting consistency at higher line speeds

Our steel-to-carbide refurbishment process prepares existing cylinders for carbide knife applications by:

Milling knife pockets to precise, repeatable specifications
Establishing tighter tolerances required for carbide performance
Installing precision inserts to minimize variation across knife locations
Chroming journals on pattern and tab cutter cylinders as required
Optional plug welding and re-machining of wedge block threaded holes

The result is a cutting cylinder capable of supporting carbide knives reliably (when the cutter system is set-up to design specification),improving cutting accuracy, knife life, and overall production stability.

In many cases, refurbishment can restore performance equal to (or often better than) original specifications. This is especially true when refurbishing to carbide knife tolerances.

Talk with our shingle production equipment experts

If you are experiencing cutting issues, planning a knife technology upgrade, or evaluating alternatives to new cylinder replacement, our team can help determine whether cutting cylinder refurbishment is the right solution for your operation.