1.1 Why Tension Your Web?

What is the Right Tension?

Dr. Kevin A. Cole

Optimation Technology, Inc.
Kevin.Cole@optimation.us / 585.321.2325

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1.1 Learning Objectives
 What is tension? What is compression?
 Why is tension important to web handling?
 What problems occur if tension is too high?
 What problems occur if tension is too low?
 What tests are used to determine the right tension for a
given product or material?
 What is Young’s modulus of elasticity?
What is a web’s spring constant?
 What is strain? Why is strain important?

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The Right Tension Qs

Why tension a web?

What defects are

caused by poor
tension control?
3
Benefits of Tension Control
Coordinates web speed Controls web stretch
at different drive points to pull out bagginess
during acceleration, without damaging
steady-state, and the web.
deceleration.
Stiffens the web to reduce
sag and wrinkles.

Creates traction on rollers

and in winding rolls to
control slip, scratching,
and tracking.

4
Problems from Poor Tension Control: high/low?

Increased Wrinkle
Slip, Scratching Web Breaks
Sensitivity

Loose or Tight Roll

Web Curl Width Variation
Defects
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Tension vs. Compression

Tension: A force tending to Compression: A force

stretch or elongate a solid tending to shrink or shorten
material. a solid material.
Here, the hanging beam Here, the standing beam
develops tension due to develops compression due
gravity. to gravity.
The gravity-induced tension The gravity-induced
will go from zero at the compression will go from
bottom to the full weight of zero at the top to the full
the beam at the top. weight of the beam at the
bottom.

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Tensile and Compressive Stress

Tensile Stress No Stress Compressive Stress

Many webs can Most webs will buckle

handle high tension or wrinkle under even
stress without low compressive stress.
damage.

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Tension vs. Compression

Tension and compression can occur at the same time.

This beam is simply-supported at both ends.
Gravity pulls down on the beam,
causing it to subtly sag in the middle.
The sagging curvature elongates the bottom of the beam, creating
tension or tensile stress.
Also, the top of the beam is forced to a shorter length,
causing compression..

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Web Bending Stress Analysis

Lateral bending -sx +sx

requires lateral force
and creates uneven T
stresses at the pivot
end.

Web bending to reach

perpendicular entry -sx +sx
requires web/roller T
traction and creates
similar upstream stress
variations.

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The Right Tension Qs

What is the right tension?

The answer to this requires

understanding of:
force, tension,
stress, strain,
tensile-elongation testing,
yield point, break point,
& modulus of elasticity.
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 KEY CONCEPT
Stress
Stress and pressure are both defined in units of force per area. To
better understand any web process, convert forces into stresses by
dividing the load by the cross-sectional area it is exerted over.

Use: Machine tension is commonly measured as a force in units of lbf, kgf, or N.

To compare different products or processes, calculate tensile stress by dividing
tension force by product thickness and width.
Example:
FT = 50 lbf creates higher stress as cross-sectional area decreases.
For w=50” and t=0.010”, the tensile stress is a low 100 psi.
For w=50” and t=0.001”, the stress is 1000 psi.
For w=1” and t=0.001”, the stress is 50,000 psi!
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 KEY CONCEPT
Strain
Strain is dimensional change in a solid material in reaction to stress.
For positive stresses, materials will elongate in the direction of the
stress. For negative stress or pressure, materials will compress.
Strain is calculated as the change in dimension divided by the
original dimension.

Use: When a web is forced to conform around variations in roller

parallelism or diameter, the web’s response will begin by
determining the web strain.
Example: If a roller diameter varies from 5.00” to 5.05”, the web
develop a 1% strain differential to conform to roller.

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Strain Defined
Strain, e, is the ratio of the change in a dimension over the
untensioned dimension. For tensioning, strain is the change in
length over the untensioned length.
DL
L0
L0 = Dimension of zero
tension web
L1 = Dimension of
tensioned web L1
L1  L0 L
 
L0 L0
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Tension Units (English)
FT T sT
Tension Force Tension Tensile Stress
Force Force per Width Force per Area
lbs pli lbs/in2
FT Ft
T 
FT w tw
w
w, width

t, thickness
FT
FT = 10 lbs FT = 10 lbs FT = 10 lbs
w = 10 in. w = 10 in
T = 1 lbs/in t = 0.001 in
T = 1 pli sT = 1000 psi
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The Right Tension Qs

What tension will break or

deform a web?

What is stress?
What is strain?
What is modulus?
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Typical Tensions

The ‘magic’ tension is 1 lb/in or 1 PLI.

175 N/m or 18 kgf/m
80-90% of processes run
between 0.3 and 3.0 PLI
50 N/m to 500 N/m
95-98% of processes run
between 0.1 and 10.0 PLI
17 N/m to 1750 N/m
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Tensile-Elongation Testing
Most tensile-elongation testing focuses on measuring
ultimate break strength or elongation.

Tension
L
or
Force

dL %Elongation
F

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Yield Point
Yielding is a permanent, non-elastic dimensional change.
Each material has a characteristic stress and strain where yield
begins – called the yield point.
yield point

stress
s
(force/area)

elastic strain

strain, e (%)

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Break Point
The break point is the ultimate, catastrophic end to high
elongations or high stresses.
Brittle materials have little yielding prior to breakage.
Ductile materials will have significant yielding prior to the break
point.

Break with brittle

X fracture
stress
X
s Break with ductile
fracture
Force
Area

strain, e (%)
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Measuring Modulus
Calculate modulus by noting the
length change of a strip under a
known weight (tension).

L F
Stress, psi

tw
Strain,%

L

dL L
F
 FL
E 
 L tw

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Modulus is Important
It is quite common to find quality labs
measuring break or yield points, but
never calculating modulus.

Knowing modulus is quite

useful in web handling and
critical to laminating.

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Modulus? We Don’t Do Modulus!
Quality labs commonly have tensile elongation testers for
break, peal , or tear testing, but when asked to measure
modulus, 1) have never done it, 2) don’t know how to, and 3)
find no help in the equipment manual...
Output Data
Unshared Data!
= very frustrated
web handler.
Force, lbs

Strain,%

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Modulus Defined

Modulus is the initial slope the stress-strain curve.

It describes a web’s “stretch-ability.”
High modulus: Foils
Yield
Brittle Break s
Stress Point x Papers
x
s Ductile Break
Polyester
BOPP
(psi)
HDPE
E=Ds/De Low modulus:
Elastic strain PE, Vinyl, PU
Strain, e (%) e
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Material Properties – Modulus & Yield Point

Source: TopWeb Web Handling Software, MCF Training 7/30/12

(www.RheoLogic.co.uk)

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Material Properties – Temperature Effects

Source: Effect of Temperature on Tensile Properties of Typical

Aerial Films

Measurements made in length direction on unprocessed web at a strain

rate of 50% elongation per minute and a relative humidity of ~5%

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Web Handling Stress
Typical web handling tensions are 10 to 20% of a
web’s yield or break stress.
brittle break
yield point
stress x
x
s ductile break
(force/area)

E

elastic strain

Tension setpoint should be

strain, e (%)

10-20% of yield or break point.

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Tension, Strain,… Qs

Why is a 5:1 or 10:1 tension

safety factor needed?

Tensioning systems control average

tension.
Web and equipment imperfections
can create larger MD and TD
variations from average tension.

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Visualizing Tension Variations
A thermostat will indicate the A load cell or dancer roller will control
temperature at one point, but the or indicate the tension at one point in
temperature will vary from point-to- a process, but the tension will vary
point within the house. through the process, both MD and TD.

1.5PLI 0.2PLI
+30
-20
72
0PLI
1.8PLI
+20
40lbs 80lbs
+20 1PLI 70lbs 2PLI
-5

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Sources of MD and TD Tension Variations

Diameter Drag and

Baggy Web Misalignment
Variations Inertia

T T T T

width width width MD

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Strain is Key!

How do you
What is the
know who much
tension change secret to web
will be caused by handling?
variation X?

e
STRAIN!
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Material Properties – Yield Strain

Source: TopWeb Web Handling Software, MCF Training 7/30/12

(www.RheoLogic.co.uk)

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Strain Change from Bending

 


LA  LB  For misalignment that induces bending,
the strain change will equal the ratio of the
LB LB error to the span length.
d

Example:
d = 0.4 in
LA
LB = 40 in.
De = 0.4/40
= 1%

LB

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Strain Change from Twisting
L2A L2B   2
For misalignment that induces
L  L B  
  A
L2B   2  LB twisting, the strain change will be
LB LB nearly insignificant.
LA
d
LA
d
LB LB
Example:
d = 0.4 in.
LA
LB = 40 in.
LA = 40.002 in.
De = 0.002/40
= 0.005% LB

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Tensioning Baggy Webs
The ideal web carries tension For an imperfect web, tension stretches
uniformly across the web the short lanes first. When short lanes are
width. stretched to equal the long lanes, the web
appears taut.
T1 > 0 T1 > 0 T2 > T1

T0 = 0 T0 = 0

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Non-uniform Tension and Stiffness
Non-uniform tension means that at low tensions only a
portion of the width of the web carries the tension force.
Such webs are less stiff at low tensions.

As tension is increased, the “baggy” portions of the web are

“pulled out”, and the stiffness will approach the expected
stiffness:
E w t
K
L
where “K” is a spring constant or stiffness with units of force
per width (lb/in or N/m).

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Strains from Nipping and Spreading
Tensioning in the machine direction (X) changes the strain in the
crossweb (Y) and thickness (Z) directions.
Similarly, nipping and spreading may change the machine direction
tension.

Nipping creates MD web strain. Spreading may tighten baggy lanes

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The Right Tension Qs

What is a minimum bending

radius?

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Stresses from Z-Direction Curvature

A web wraps a roller creates a stress t

 in / out 
differential through the thickness of r
the web. tE
 in / out 
r

e = strain, (unitless)
s = stress, psi (force/area)
E = modulus, psi (force/area)
t = web thickness, inch (length)
r = radius of curvature, inch (length)

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Example: Wrapping a Roller

t = 0.005”
E = 454500 psi (PET – 200°F)
For Ds < syield
Assume syield = 7570 psi
For zero tension case: ryield = tE/syield
tE r0 = (0.005)(454500)/(7570)
ryield 
 yield = 0.30”

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The Right Tension Qs

What are typical tensions

by product?

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Typical Tensions – Paper, Paperboard
Paper Basis Wt Tension Paperboard Tension
15 lbs/ream 0.5 pli 8 point 3.0 pli
20 lbs/ream 0.75 pli 12 point 4.0 pli
30 lbs/ream 1.0 pli 15 point 5.0 pli
40 lbs/ream 1.5 pli 20 point 7.0 pli
60 lbs/ream 2.0 pli 25 point 9.0 pli
80 lbs/ream 2.5 pli 30 point 11.0 pli
40 point 14.0 pli
TUNWIND (in pli) = 0.035 basis wt 50 point 16.0 pli
TWIND (in pli) = 0.055 basis wt 60 point 18.0 pli
ream = 3000 ft2
lbs/ream = 0.615 g/m2
pli = 0.56 N/cm
Almost all tension are between 0.1 and 10 pli.
point = 0.001” = 25.4 mm Most are between 0.3 and 3 pli.

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Typical Tension – Films, Foils
Material Tension PET
Polyester (PET) 0.5 - 1.5 pli/mil t = 0.001”
w = 2”
Aluminum (Al) Foil
F = 2 lbs
Cellophane 0.5 - 1.0 pli/mil
Polystyrene 1.0 pli/mil
Al Foil
Polypropylene 0.25 - 0.50 pli/mil t = 0.003”
Polyethylene w = 5”
Nylon 0.10 - 0.25 pli/mil F = 15 lbs
Vinyl 0.05 - 0.2 pli/mil
Vinyl
pli = lbs/in (pounds per linear inch of width) t = 0.005”
mil = 0.001” w = 24”
F = 12 lbs

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Tension, Width, and Thickness
If you double your web width, you should
probably double your web tension.

If you double your web

thickness, you should probably
increase your web tension, but
likely not double it, unless you
are laminating.
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Tension Selection Summary
Optimum tensions for a process depend on:
 product properties (yield strain) in the face of:
 variations in product (web shape imperfections,
property variations) and
 process (conveyance design layout, machine
alignment, traction requirements, defect requirements)
factors
 rule of thumb is to select a tension factor of safety of at
least 5 to 10
 many product and process factors that influence
tension can be computed in terms of web strain
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