How Applied Motion Systems eliminated manual core slabbing injuries and extended parent roll core life through industrial automation

The Problem: A Hazardous, Wasteful Manual Process in the Converting Complex

A paper converting facility had a task nobody wanted, and everyone had to do.

After each production run, operators had to clean spent parent roll cores and return them to service at the paper machine. Operators manually slabbed remaining paper from each core using sharp cutting blades, while managing heavy blankets of broke that accumulated around them.

The facility had protective gloves. It had safe work practices. Neither was enough. Lacerations happened, and repetitive motion injuries accumulated. Paper converter’s EHS teams document this kind of ergonomic risk and struggle to design it out. This was a textbook example.

There was a sustainability problem, too. Each manual cleaning cycle damaged the core’s outer layers through blade contact, surface wear, and structural degradation. The facility was retiring cores early that could have run many more production cycles, discarding perfectly usable material because the cleaning method destroyed what it was meant to preserve.

The ask was direct: remove operators from the hazard zone entirely, stop damaging the cores in the process of cleaning them, and keep a reliable supply of serviceable cores in circulation to support paper machine uptime.

The Automated Sequence

The sequence runs like this:
• Incoming roll detection: Distance-measuring sensors scan each spent parent roll as it enters the conveyor, reading diameter and position before anything moves.
• Core grip and lift: A lifting carriage positions to insert chucks with which to grip the core internally using inflatable bladders, securing the roll before the cleaning cycle begins.
• Automated slabbing: A linear carriage-mounted saw traverses the full length of the roll, cleanly and consistently removing the remaining paper. No blades in the operator’s hands, and no manual force, instead, consistent results, every cycle.
• Guarding and containment: The cutting operation runs fully enclosed. The machine guarding systems built into the design keep all personnel clear of the hazard zone during operation. That’s the point.
• Broke handling: Automated material handling sequences manage removed material and cleaned cores. The workflow is continuous. The area stays clear.

The result is a process that doesn’t vary with headcount, shift conditions, or operator experience. It runs the same way at 6 am Monday as it does at 11 pm Friday, which is exactly what a paper machine reliability program needs from a cleaning system.

The Solution: An Automated Cleaning System Built Around the Process and the People Running It

Applied Motion Systems engineered a fully automated core cleaning machine with one central design requirement: take operators out of the loop completely.

Before specifying anything, we needed to understand how cores moved through the facility, how broke created by the system is processed, where these processes broke down, and what the maintenance team would need from the system. This is where the design started.

What we built integrates roll handling equipment principles with precision motion control and integrated machine guarding systems.

The Results: What the System Delivered

Operator injuries eliminated. AMS removed manual core slabbing — sharp tools, heavy broke, repetitive strain — from the workflow entirely.

Core service life extended significantly. The automated saw cleans cores without surface damage. Parent roll cores complete far more production cycles before retirement. Less waste, lower consumable spend, and a sustainability gain that compounds with every run.

Paper machine downtime reduction. A consistent supply of properly cleaned, structurally sound cores means fewer turn-up failures tied to damaged cores. More predictable uptime. Fewer unplanned stops. That kind of operational stability is hard to attribute to a single change — until you make it and notice its absence.

Labor redeployed to higher-value work. The hours that used to go into manual core preparation could now go elsewhere. That’s a common outcome of well-designed industrial automation in paper converting environments, and worth naming plainly: the machine does the dangerous, repetitive work so people don’t have to.

About Applied Motion Systems

AMS is a systems integrator and machine builder. Our work is in motion control and industrial automation systems, across paper converting, web handling equipment, aerospace tooling, and applications most companies haven’t tried before.

We design with the future in mind by creating solutions that deliver enduring performance and reliability for decades. Our focus isn’t just on meeting today’s specifications. We build systems that continue to serve operators years after commissioning — when thoughtful engineering and quality manufacturing stand out.

If you have a process that’s wearing out your team or your equipment, we’d want to understand it.