In modern manufacturing, as a fundamental material for insulation, packaging, buffering and other fields, the processing precision and efficiency of paperboard directly affect the quality of downstream products. Cutting equipment represented by circular cutting machines, round cutting machines (these two are different designations for the same type of equipment), cardboard circular shearing machines and transformer paperboard circular shearing machines has become a core force in the paperboard processing process, thanks to its high-efficiency and high-precision characteristics. When combined with in-solution processing technology, it further drives a qualitative leap in the processing level of the industry.
Circular cutting machines (also referred to as round cutting machines) are a type of cutting equipment with rotating cutters as the core component, and their primary advantage lies in “batch precision cutting”. Compared with traditional linear cutting equipment, circular cutting machines can rapidly complete the cutting of circular, arc-shaped or annular paperboard through the continuous rotational movement of the cutters. Moreover, the cut edges are flat and free of burrs, making them suitable for mass production scenarios such as circular carton blanks in the packaging industry and small insulating paperboard gaskets in the electronics industry. Currently, mainstream circular cutting machines are equipped with CNC systems, which can adjust the cutting diameter and speed by setting parameters. These machines are compatible with paperboard of various specifications ranging from 10mm to 500mm, meeting the segmented needs of different industries.
Developed from general-purpose circular cutting machines, cardboard circular shearing machines are specifically designed for processing medium and thick paperboard. Tailored to the characteristics of common packaging paperboards such as corrugated paperboard and kraft paperboard, this type of equipment has optimized the cutter pressure and feeding system. It adopts a double-roller clamping feeding structure to prevent paperboard from shifting during the cutting process. Meanwhile, high-hardness alloy cutters are used to handle the cutting of paperboard with a thickness of up to 5mm. Amid the booming e-commerce packaging sector, the high efficiency of cardboard circular shearing machines is particularly prominent: a medium-sized equipment can process 2,000 – 3,000 sheets of paperboard per hour, which is more than 10 times higher than the efficiency of manual cutting. Additionally, the qualified rate of cutting remains steadily above 99.5%, significantly reducing the production costs of enterprises.
As a specialized equipment for the industry, transformer paperboard circular shearing machines have more stringent requirements for precision and stability. Transformer paperboard is a critical insulating material for power equipment, and the flatness and verticality of its cut edges directly affect the insulation performance and service life of transformers. This type of circular shearing machine adopts dual-axis synchronous cutting technology, combined with micron-precision displacement sensors, which can control the cutting error within 0.02mm. Simultaneously, its unique cooling system can prevent thermal deformation of the cutters caused by long-term high-speed operation, ensuring the stability of continuous cutting. More importantly, this equipment is often used in conjunction with in-solution processing technology. Before cutting, the transformer paperboard is immersed in a specific insulating solution. Through the molecular penetration in the solution, the tensile strength and toughness of the paperboard are enhanced, and fiber breakage during cutting is reduced. During the cutting process, the solution can also lubricate the cutters and clean the cut edges, further improving the processing quality of the insulating paperboard.
The integration of in-solution processing technology not only optimizes the cutting effect of transformer paperboard but also provides an integrated “preprocessing + cutting” approach for the entire paperboard processing industry. Traditional dry cutting processes are prone to causing fuzzing on the paperboard edges and fiber shedding. In contrast, by adjusting the solution concentration and processing time, in-solution processing can customize preprocessing schemes according to the paperboard materials (such as wood fiber paperboard and synthetic fiber paperboard). This enables high-precision cutting of the paperboard while maintaining its original performance. Currently, this technology has been gradually applied in the processing of high-end packaging paperboard, helping enterprises produce gift boxes and premium packaging boxes with a better texture.
With the in-depth advancement of the concepts of green manufacturing and smart manufacturing, circular cutting equipment and in-solution processing technology are continuously upgrading. On one hand, environmentally friendly drive motors and recyclable cutters are being adopted for equipment to reduce energy consumption and waste of consumables. On the other hand, phosphorus-free and degradable environmentally friendly solutions are under development for the in-solution processing technology to minimize environmental impact. In the future, circular cutting equipment equipped with AI visual inspection systems will realize a fully automatic process of “cutting – quality inspection – correction”. Additionally, the in-solution processing technology will be integrated with digital twin technology to achieve real-time optimization of processing parameters, propelling the paperboard processing industry towards a more efficient, precise and environmentally friendly direction.
