Summary
After seeing the impact of ParAlign Roll Alignment Services at one facility, a global packaging and blown film manufacturer extended the service to another site—eliminating misalignment and improving production efficiency at both locations. The impact was immediate:
- Wisconsin facility: Precision alignment of 120 rolls and 42 targeted adjustments kept production running smoothly, minimized defects, and supported the company’s high-quality manufacturing standards.
- Iowa facility: Alignment of 90 rolls delivered a 68.36% vertical and 69.54% horizontal improvement, reducing mechanical strain and improving production efficiency.
Background
Our customer is a global leader in plastic consumer packaging and engineered products, producing everyday essentials we rely on—from food wraps that lock in freshness to diaper components that keep babies comfortable.
Keeping up with demand means running high-speed production lines where precision is non-negotiable. Every roll, nip station, and air bar must be exactly where it should be. Even the slightest misalignment can throw off tension, lead to uneven cuts, and cause waste to pile up. Even a fraction of a degree off at the roll becomes a full-scale problem by the time the product reaches the finish line.
When their facility in Wisconsin needed roll alignment to maintain peak performance, the company brought in the ParAlign Services team. The results led another facility in Iowa to do the same.
ParAlign x Wisconsin Facility
The ParAlign Services team arrived to measure and adjust 120 rolls across two critical blown film production lines. But tight spaces, restricted access, and strict safety protocols added layers of complexity to the job while ongoing production and equipment constraints required careful coordination.
Working methodically over two days, the team navigated these challenges with a structured approach. To establish a clear reference, they selected the Secondary Nip roll as the anchor point for measurement with guidance from the facility team. Then, they placed ParAlign—a device with high-precision laser gyroscopes— on each roll and swept it at least 20 degrees along its circumference. This measured the roll’s center axis in relation to the reference, capturing any misalignment.
Within seconds, the data told a clear story.
Visual indicators made it clear: the green circle showed the operator end, the red marked the drive end, and the blue indicated the reference roll.
With this reference, the ParAlign team guided facility technicians through 42 targeted adjustments with dial indicators and precision shims. Each correction brought the rolls within the required tolerance of +/- 0.060, to keep production running smoothly.
Results
Thanks to the precise adjustments, the Wisconsin facility maintained production quality without interruption. And the improvements didn’t go unnoticed.
Soon after, the company’s facility in Iowa reached out, requesting the ParAlign team to help bring the same level of precision achieved at Wisconsin to their production lines. But the facility in Iowa presented a new set of constraints that made alignment more complex.
ParAlign x Iowa Facility
With 90 rolls in need of alignment, the team faced a challenging layout where structural barriers and restricted access made some rolls difficult to measure. Others were pinned or welded in place, limiting adjustment options. Instead of forcing unnecessary changes, the team took a strategic approach—focusing on the rolls that could be corrected to maximize overall alignment.
ParAlign service technicians used the Primary Nip roll as a reference for the oscillating Primary Nip station and the Secondary Nip roll as a reference for the rest of the line. This gave them fixed points to compare against, providing a reliable basis for measuring the parallelism of the other rolls, even with the physical constraints.
During their assessments, ParAlign service engineers noticed that the gears for the turning roll and air bars had a horizontal gear backlash of roughly -/+ 0.150”; a quick discussion with the facility supervisor verified that a horizontal measurement was within acceptable standards.
The team moved forward, measuring and guiding adjustments to bring the rolls within the target tolerance of -/+ 0.030”. ParAlign engineers directed on-site mechanics through each step, navigating tight spaces and structural challenges to align the rolls accurately over the two-day appointment.
Results
With targeted adjustments, the ParAlign team delivered a 68.36% vertical improvement and a 69.54% horizontal improvement in roll alignment. Rolls that had previously caused alignment challenges were now within the required tolerances, reducing mechanical strain and improving overall production stability. The facility could move forward with confidence, backed by the careful work of the ParAlign team.
Site-by-Site, Precision That Delivers
The ParAlign team’s work at Wisconsin set a strong precedent. When the facility brought them in, it reinforced a key takeaway: the value of reliable alignment services isn’t limited to a single site. The improvements in both facilities—measured and impactful—showed that extending alignment efforts site by site can lead to significant operational gains.
The trust placed in ParAlign Services across multiple locations underscores the power of consistent alignment practices in maintaining quality and efficiency throughout an organization—keeping every seal secure, every wrap fresh, and every product meeting the highest standards.
