Since launching into the North American market nearly 25 years ago, the Titan brand of slitter/rewinders has sold more than 325 systems to converters of every imaginable finished product. Since Drupa 2000 alone, more than 100 Model SR7 machines have been placed, and over the years, customers have included converters such as Bryce Corp., Printpack, Cryovac, Duralam, James River, GBC and others.

Titan is now part of Valmet Converting, a division of Metso Corp. of Finland, the $4.3 billion global provider of converting, automation and control technology. Such financial muscle has given Titan a position of even greater strength. Although machines now carry both the Titan and Valmet names, they are still marketed as Titan slitter/ rewinders, under the new company name of Valmet Atlas plc, based in the UK, where they are manufactured.

The Titan SR7 is however, only one part of the Titan story. High specification slitting, rewinding and handling technology was added to the portfolio with the Titan SMA Series, which features fully automated slit-roll unloading, conveying, packing, labeling, and robotic palletizing. One such machine has been in operation since late 2000 at Toronto-based Flexible Packaging Corp.

Other Titan SMA slitting lines have since been installed around the world in the last three years. The latest model introduced last year, the SMA 900, handles webs to 98 in. wide at 2,000 fpm, slitting materials up to 600 microns with rewind diameters up to 35 in. The first Titan SMA 900 was recently commissioned at flex-pack maker Plasticos Industriales SA (Valencia, Spain).

New product development is continuing to meet the changing demands of the market. Another example is the automated Titan CT 600 turreted system, specifically designed for high output with low machine downtime. The compact CT 600 slits down to less than 2 in., handles 71-in. web widths at 1,800 fpm and a 24-in. rewind diameter. With an overhead web path, the turret design speeds slit-roll changeovers. The machine is fitted with Titan "Quickshaft" differential rewinds.

Titan slitter/rewinders will continue to have a bright future, the company says. Its new Service & Customer Support facility in Charlotte, NC, has also opened recently to serve converters. More info: 704/587-2450, fax: 704/587-2318, e-mail: sales.titan@valmet.com