Expanding Surface
Rollers
Expanding surface rollers (rubber band rolls) use polymer bands
that expand and contract when the roll is turned. The bands are
attached to cams on each end of the roll so that during half of
each rotation of the roll the bands are expanding and the other
half they are contracting. As the web travels over the roll, it
is riding on the polymer bands while they are expanding, thus the
web is encouraged to expand as well. The expanding roll is an effective
web spreader but like the bowed roller, it is expensive and a high
friction device that may require a separate drive. Furthermore,
this roll has more moving parts that will require maintenance or
replacement.
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