Improving Operator Safety with ASC’s Automated Coil Handling System for TKR-X Purlin Lines

Safer Coil Handling Starts at the Front End

Coil handling is one of the most demanding and potentially hazardous tasks in purlin manufacturing. Large steel coils can weigh thousands of pounds, and manually positioning, securing, and loading those coils requires operators to work around heavy equipment and moving machinery.

ASC Machine Tools has engineered an automated coil handling system for the TKR-X Purlin Rollforming Line that significantly reduces the amount of manual intervention required during coil loading. The system combines a Turnstile, Coil Car with Coil Stabilizer Arms, and Double-Arm Uncoiler to create a safer, more controlled method of moving and loading coils.

The result is a coil-handling process designed not only to improve production efficiency, but also to keep operators farther away from the heaviest and most hazardous parts of the operation.

From Coil Storage to the Uncoiler

The automated system begins with a Turnstile, which allows multiple coils to be staged and made readily available for production.

Instead of requiring an operator to repeatedly move individual coils into position, the Turnstile provides an organized staging area for incoming material. When the next coil is needed, the system can rotate the selected coil into position for loading.

This reduces unnecessary material handling and helps create a more predictable workflow at the front end of the TKR-X line.

Coil Car with Stabilizer Arms

The Coil Car is a key component of the system. The Coil Car transports the steel coil from the staging area to the Double-Arm Uncoiler. As the coil is moved, Coil Stabilizer Arms help support and control the coil, reducing the possibility of unwanted coil movement during transportation and positioning.

Handling a large steel coil requires more than simply moving it from Point A to Point B. The coil must remain stable while being transported and accurately positioned for loading onto the uncoiler.

The Stabilizer Arms provide an additional level of control during this process, helping operators avoid having to manually guide or steady a heavy coil.

Double-Arm Uncoiler Improves Loading Safety

Once the Coil Car has positioned the coil at the Double-Arm Uncoiler, the coil can be loaded into the machine.

The Double-Arm design provides a controlled method of supporting the coil while reducing the need for operators to work directly around the coil during loading.

This is especially important with the heavier coils commonly used on high-production purlin lines. As coil weights increase, minimizing manual interaction becomes increasingly important.

The objective is simple: Let the equipment handle the heavy coil—not the operator.

Reducing Operator Exposure to Heavy Material

Traditional coil-loading methods can require operators to work in close proximity to cranes, forklifts, coil cars, and uncoilers while positioning heavy steel coils.

ASC’s automated coil handling approach changes the operator's role.

Rather than physically controlling the coil throughout the loading process, the operator primarily controls and monitors the equipment.

This can reduce:

• Manual coil handling

• Exposure to suspended or moving loads

• Operator movement around heavy equipment

• The need to physically stabilize coils

• Risk associated with improper coil positioning

• Unnecessary forklift and crane activity around the production line

The result is a safer and more controlled work environment.

Safety and Productivity Working Together

Operator safety and production efficiency do not have to compete with each other.

Automating coil handling can actually improve both.

With coils staged and ready for production, the operator can spend less time preparing material and more time monitoring the rollforming process. The automated sequence also provides a more consistent method of loading coils, reducing variation caused by manual handling.

For high-volume purlin manufacturers, these improvements can add up over an entire production shift.

Designed for the TKR-X Purlin Line

The ASC TKR-X Purlin Line is designed for demanding structural steel production, and the coil handling system is engineered as an integral part of that production environment.

The combination of:

Turnstile → Coil Car with Stabilizer Arms → Double-Arm Uncoiler

creates a coordinated material-handling system that moves the coil efficiently from staging to production.

This approach is particularly valuable for manufacturers processing large and heavy coils where traditional manual loading methods can create unnecessary safety risks and production delays.

Building a Safer Purlin Manufacturing Process

As purlin manufacturers move toward higher production speeds, heavier coils, and increased automation, coil handling becomes an increasingly important part of the overall production system.

ASC’s automated coil handling system helps address that challenge by moving more of the physical work from the operator to the machine.

The operator's job becomes less about handling steel and more about controlling the production process.

That is the fundamental advantage of automation.

ASC TKR-X: Automation from Coil to Finished Purlin

The TKR-X Purlin Line combines high-performance rollforming technology with automated material handling to create a production system designed around productivity, consistency, and operator safety.

From the Turnstile that stages the coils, to the Coil Car and Stabilizer Arms that safely transport and control them, to the Double-Arm Uncoiler that loads the coil into production, ASC provides an integrated approach to one of the most demanding tasks in purlin manufacturing.

ASC — Engineering Safer, Smarter, More Productive Purlin Manufacturing.