Application Cases
Root Cause Analysis & Prevention of Knife Breakage in Corrugated Slitting
Circular knife chipping and breakage usually cause unplanned line downtime, raise safety risks and increase production costs. Breakage rarely happens randomly and it usually links to grinding issues, improper installation and abnormal production conditions.
Targeted prevention measures based on different scenarios reduce breakage risks and extend total knife life effectively.
Breakage During Grinding
Root Causes
·Spindle bearing damage on the knife grinder, resulting in grinding wheel runout and impact loads
·Excessive grinding air pressure
Prevention Measures
·Inspect and replace grinder spindle bearing on a regular schedule
·Set grinding air pressure properly to avoid over-grinding and impact stress
·Replace grinding wheels and knives at a matched set when bearing wear occurs.
Breakage After New KnifeInstallation
Root Causes
·Debris on the surface of knife holder
·Asembly misalignment
·Excessive grinding air pressure on new blades
Prevention Measures
·Clean all the surface of holder thoroughly before installing new knive
·Insure full-surface contact of the knives and uniform clamping force
·Start with moderate grinding pressure for new blades and adjust gradully
Breakage During Production
Root Causes
·Impact from metal foreign objects in the corrugated boar web
·Insufficient board thickness for high-weight corrugated board
·Excessive cutting resistance
Prevention Measures
·Install metal detectors ahead of the slitting station to catch foreign objects
·Use thicker knives for high-weight, high-resistance corrugated board
·Check and adjust cut depth settings to avoid unnecessary cutting resistance
Systematic breakage prevention reduces unplanned downtime, improves workplace safety and lowers long-term knife consumption.