CD-N Non-Stop Unwinding Equipment

Non-stop auto-splicing eliminates downtime caused by paper reel changes in web inkjet printing. This maximizes press output, improves efficiency, and lowers cost per print. At the same time, it reduces paper waste and frees operators to focus on higher-value tasks. The result: higher productivity and a smoother, more reliable workflow.

With a mono unwinder, every manual reel change can take around 15 minutes. If you need to change a reel every hour, this quickly adds up to a 25% loss in production capacity. The Contiweb CD-N Non-Stop Unwinder eliminates these costly interruptions. When the running reel is empty, it automatically splices the web to the new reel while production continues at full speed. The operator only needs to prepare the splice, a simple two-minute task that can be done at any convenient time during the splice cycle. For ergonomic loading, the CD-N is equipped with motorized lift arms that allow reels to be loaded safely from ground level.

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The Contiweb CD-N is an auto-splicer with two reel positions, allowing the next reel to be loaded and prepared while the first is running. As the expiring reel nears its end, a festoon (or accumulator) expands to build a paper buffer. The running reel is then stopped, and while the press is fed from the buffer, the splice is performed. The new reel accelerates to match press speed, ensuring production continues without interruption.

The Contiweb CD-N Non-Stop Unwinder is designed to eliminate downtime caused by reel changes. The CD-N has two reel positions, so while one reel is running, the next can be loaded and prepared in advance. Reel loading and splice preparation are safe, easy, ergonomic and take only two minutes. As the running reel nears its end, a festoon expands to create a paper buffer. The reel brought to a controlled stop, the expiring web is then cut, and the splice to the prepared reel is performed while both reels remain stationary. During this splice, the press is continuously fed from the buffer. Once complete, the new reel accelerates to press speed, ensuring seamless, uninterrupted production.

Watch how automatic splicing works and see how reel loading and splice preparation are done

A manual reel change on a mono unwinder takes around 15 minutes of lost production, even for trained and experienced operators. The press must slow down, stop, and later ramp back up, while the operator handles routine steps. If a reel is changed every hour, this downtime can reduce press capacity by 25% or more.

A manual reel change involves around 12 steps, including slowing down the press, cutting the web, unloading the empty core, loading and centering a new reel, taping, carefully threading the splice through the line at crawl speed to ensure it passes safely, and ramping the press back up to speed. Although the tasks are straightforward, they are disruptive and take the operator away from more valuable activities. Even with skilled operators, the process consumes around 15 minutes and leads to paper waste during restart. In busy production environments, these repeated interruptions add up to hours of lost output, higher substrate costs, and reduced overall efficiency.

Yes. The Contiweb CD-N Non-Stop Unwinder performs every reel change automatically while the press keeps running. It splices seamlessly to different paper types—whether grammage, coating, or reel width—without interruption.

Each manual reel change takes around 15 minutes, during which labor, energy, and paper are wasted. The CD-N eliminates this by executing the splice automatically while production continues. It can handle changes in grammage, coating, and reel width without issue, so operators save valuable time at every changeover. In addition, leftover reels can be processed down to the core, improving paper utilization and preventing unnecessary stock build-up. Together, these benefits ensure that auto-splicing remains highly valuable, even in short-run environments with frequent paper changes.

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No. The Contiweb CD-N Non-Stop Unwinder is specifically designed for continuous-feed inkjet presses and ensures splices run safely through at full production speed. The system communicates with the press so the printheads retract at the right moment, avoiding any risk of contact.

The Contiweb CD-N combines exceptionally high splice quality with direct communication to the press. Every splice—whether overlap with a short tail or butt splice with no overlap—is produced with outstanding consistency and reliability. Before the splice reaches the print zone, the CD-N signals the press to retract the printheads briefly, preventing any risk of damage. Because the splice runs at full production speed, the loss of press time is negligible. By uniting this superior splice quality with synchronized press control, the CD-N ensures safe, reliable splicing and uninterrupted output, even at the highest web speeds.

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The payback time for an auto-splicer depends on several factors, such as the price of the equipment, the amount of production lost during reel changes, the cost of wasted paper, and the operating costs that continue during downtime. When measured carefully, the impact of these losses is often higher than expected. Many customers recover the investment in a Contiweb CD-N in less than two years.

The return on investment for an auto-splicer depends on how often reels are changed and the costs that continue to accrue during downtime. Each manual reel change takes about 15 minutes, during which labor, energy, and press expenses accumulate, and additional paper waste occurs. When measured carefully, the total cost of lost production is often higher than expected. With a Contiweb CD-N, splicing is fully automatic, so operators spend less time on routine reel handling and more on valuable tasks. Because production continues without interruption, shift capacity increases. In peak periods, this higher output can reduce the need for overtime—or even remove the need for additional shifts.

Calculate your productivity gains with the Contiweb ROI Calculator