Macro Engineering's popular AUTOMAX Surface Winder is now available with an automated shaft handling system that makes roll transfers safe and easy. This new option is designed to eliminate operator airshaft handling and remove the need for overhead cranes. The shaft handling system is exceedingly useful for winding applications that produce wide, large or multiple rolls where the airshafts are too heavy to be easily handled by hand.

When a roll has been wound and transferred to the unloading position, a shaft extraction system attaches to one end of the airshaft and draws it out of the core of the roll. This extraction system can be manually or automatically operated. The finished roll is then free to be removed and a new core can be placed onto the empty airshaft. Due to the cantilevered position that the shaft is held by the extraction system, core loading is easy. The shaft extraction system returns the airshaft to the winder and releases it. The shaft is then automatically lifted and delivered to the loading position of the winder by a pair of mechanical arms.

To accommodate specific plant space requirements, the shaft handling system is flexible enough to facilitate roll unloading from the front of the winder or from the side of the winder. The automatic shaft handling system is capable of handling rolls that are up to 100 inches in diameter and up to 160 inches wide.