In recent months, roll grinding companies and OEMs have faced difficult times. With precision grinding standards becoming even more meticulous, many providers simply do not have a way to keep pace with industry demands.

Born out of a necessity for paper manufacturers to increase sheet quality, these heightened standards have forced some producers to reevaluate their partners, and others to find new ones. 

The costs of insufficient roll grinding in the paper industry have become too great to be ignored.

History Lesson: The Relationship Between Paper And Roll Grinding

Since the ’80s, many paper manufacturers have increased machine speeds by as much as 20% in order to elevate production output. Unfortunately, while manufacturers have produced more paper, the quality of their sheets has been compromised.

When operating these machines at greater speeds than their original designer intended, every tool in the production process must be perfectly maintained, and roll tolerances have to be tightened – beyond OEM specs in most cases.

For instance, a precision grind for a typical calender roll’s TIR spec is 0.0002˝.  But, historically, grinding to this tolerance by most providers has not been the case. In fact, many roll grinding companies have only been able to achieve .0005˝ in TIR.

Rolls with defects – even those that can’t be seen by the naked eye – significantly reduce the quality of paper you produce. In an era in which publishers and converters have demanded greater and greater paper quality, these mistakes are detrimental.

3 Tips To Determine If Your Roll Grinding Partner Is Hurting You

Your ability to safeguard your reputation as well as maximize your production efficiency and profitability is tied closely to the quality of your roll grinding provider. If you’re to meet the demands of your customers, your roll grinding partner must meet the demands of modern-day roll specifications.

But, how do you know if your provider is capable of such precision grinding? 

1. Do Your Research

Which roll grinding companies do the leaders in your industry partner with? Research these companies. How does your partner stack up?

2. Examine Your Partner

Is your roll grinding provider using modern equipment? Do your homework and determine the last time they invested in a new grinder and up-to-date technology.

3. Examine Your Partner Even Further

Roll grinding companies are facing a lot of pressure. A company under financial stress could cut corners in order to cut costs, but it’s at the expense of your quality. Ensure that this isn’t the case with your partner.

4. Examine Your Grind Reports Closely.

Some roll grind providers mask their results by reporting tolerances on radius rather than diameter or provide graphs with very wide ranges to hide the issues with their grinds. 

The importance of precision grinding has never been greater. If ever there was a time to assess the quality of your roll grinding partner, today is that day. Ensure their quality to ensure yours.