System and method for paint-roller manufacturing with integrated final cutting online and for conditioning paint-roller cover fabric

A method for conditioning paint roller cover fabric inline in a continuous paint roller manufacturing process, the continuous paint roller manufacturing process comprising feeding an inner strip and an outer strip towards a mandrel, wrapping the inner strip and the outer strip about the mandrel in offset relation, applying a strip adhesive to at least a portion of an outer side of the inner strip and at least a portion of an outer side of the outer strip, feeding a paint roller fabric cover strip having a fabric side and a backing side towards the outer side of the outer strip, the fabric side comprising loose fibers and attached fibers, forming a paint roller tube by wrapping the paint roller fabric cover strip about the outer strip at a point in the process after the strip adhesive has been applied to the outer side of the outer strip such that the backing side contacts the strip adhesive, applying compression to the paint roller tube, and cutting the paint roller tubes into like lengths, the method comprising:

• providing a fabric conditioning unit upstream of the point in the process that the paint roller fabric cover strip is wrapped about the outer side of the outer strip, the fabric conditioning unit including a fabric conditioning device that conditions the paint roller fabric cover strip as it is being fed towards the outer side of the outer strip by removing loose fibers from the fabric side of the paint roller fabric cover and by generally orienting the attached fibers.

A method for conditioning paint roller cover fabric in a paint roller manufacturing process, comprising:

• winding a length of paint roller cover fabric around a first mandrel such that the paint roller cover fabric is spun at a speed exceeding 1800 RPM so as to remove excess fibers from the paint roller cover fabric;
• feeding spun paint roller cover fabric from the first mandrel;
• feeding the spun paint roller cover fabric into an accumulator;
• winding an inner strip and an outer strip about a second mandrel in offset relation;
• using a strip-coating applicator to apply a strip adhesive to at least a portion of the outer strip as it is wound about the second mandrel;
• simultaneously with the step of applying the strip adhesive to the outer strip, receiving a portion of the spun paint roller cover fabric at the outer strip and winding the portion of spun paint roller fabric material about at least the outer strip to form a paint roller tube;
• applying compression to the paint roller tube;
• and,
• cutting the paint roller tube into like lengths.

A method for conditioning paint roller cover fabric inline in a single-strip continuous paint roller manufacturing process, the single-strip continuous paint roller manufacturing process comprising feeding a single strip towards a mandrel, wrapping the single strip about the mandrel so that individual adjacent winds are in offset relation, applying a strip adhesive to at least a portion of an outer side of the single strip, feeding a paint roller fabric cover strip having a fabric side and a backing side towards the outer side of the single strip, the fabric side comprising loose fibers and attached fibers, forming a paint roller tube by wrapping the paint roller fabric cover strip about the single strip at a point in the process after the strip adhesive has been applied to the outer side of the single strip such that the backing side contacts the strip adhesive, applying compression to the paint roller tube, and cutting the paint roller tubes into like lengths, the method comprising:

• providing a fabric conditioning unit upstream of the point in the process that the paint roller fabric cover strip is wrapped about the outer side of the outer strip, the fabric conditioning unit including a fabric conditioning device that conditions the paint roller fabric cover strip as it is being fed towards the outer side of the outer strip by removing loose fibers from the fabric side of the paint roller fabric cover and by generally orienting the attached fibers.