Q.  What should I do if we change the material or process from the original specification of the shaft?
A.  IF you change your roll weight, web widths, speed, tension and/or handling parameters, you will need to contact a Tidland Representative at 800-426-1000 and supply them with the new information to assure the safety and performance of the shaft.  If it meets the requirements, you will receive a new Product Safety Data Sheet so you can have the legitimate documentation for your new application.

Q.  How can we reduce handling weight for my chucks or shafts?
A.  The best way to reduce handling weight is to either rework the existing shaft by consulting with a Tidland support representative, or look at the new selections from Tidland for lightweight shafts and chucks.  Tidland now has shafts available in lightweight materials including their GX Ultralight, composites and other aluminum alternatives. 

Q.  Why would we have excessive wear on our journals/squares?
A.  To extend the life of your journals/squares, you can have Tidland heat treat/harden the journal ends.  Talk to your Tidland representative about this option at 800-426-1000.

Q.  Why is my shaft wearing, bending or cracking?
A.  There are many instances that could make any shaft wear, bend or crack.  Usually, pushing your shaft beyond the original specifications that the shaft was designed for, such as putting more stress with a heavier roll or a faster speed or shock load than originally specified, the shaft could experience excessive wear, bend or cracking.  Always think safety first.  Remove any bent or cracked shaft from service immediately Talk with your local field representative to review your application.  

Q.  Why are cores slipping?  How do I get my shaft to grip the core?
A.  You may find core slippage when you have core variations or have been reusing cores, which can exceed the expansion and torque capabilities of the air shaft.  Insufficient air pressurize in the air shaft could also cause slippage.  Tidland recommends air press between 80-100 psi.  Check the technical specifications on the product sheet for the air shaft that you own. 

Q.  Why are we wearing out chuck tires so fast?
A.  Excess clearance (oversize cores) and insufficient chuck pressurization can lend to early wear and failure of chucks.  Chuck tires are application specific.  Please contact your customer support representative to review your application and assure the best fit for environment.

Q.  Why would our rolls bounce or have vibration?
A.  Excessive clearance of shaft or chuck in core (oversize cores) or insufficient pressurization can aggravate roll bounce and vibration.  Also, you may be going beyond the critical speed that the shaft was originally designed for.  The shaft may also be out of balance, which could be repaired by balancing the shaft at the Tidland factory. 

Q.  What air pressure should I be inflating to?
A.  Tidland recommends air press between 80-100 psi.  Check the technical specifications on the product sheet for the air shaft that you own. 

Q.  How do I repair or disassemble the air shaft?
A.  Tidland has documentation available to help you to maintain and replace components of your own shaft effectively. Call 1-800-426-1000 and we will help you. 

Q.  Do you have a drawing showing all of the parts of the air shaft?
A.  Each air shaft has an engineering drawing associated with the serial number of the shaft.  If you know your serial number, you can contact the Tidland representative to request an assembly drawing by calling 1-800-426-1000.  If you only need a drawing to view basic cross sections of the air shafts, you can download a product sheet by going to the Documents and Resources section of our website by clicking here>>

Q.  What is the capacity of my air shaft?
A.  With the serial number of your air shaft, you can request a Product Safety Data Sheet showing the application parameters that your shaft was designed to support. Call Tidland at 1-800-426-1000.

Q.  What's the status of my purchase order?
A.  If you would like an update of the current status of your order, Click here>> to request an electronic inquiry.  In the future, we will offer this service to you in a real-time environment.

Q.  Where do I find my shaft serial number?
A.  You will find the serial number of each shaft either engraved on the end of the journal OR it is stamped into the body of the shaft.

Q.  How can I extend the life of my brake pads and/or rotors?
A.  The useful life of brake pads and rotors is dependent on the application and cannot be predicted.  See Tidland Air Brake Installation, Operation, & Maintenance Instructions for general guidelines to correct brake operation problems. 

Additional troubleshooting items follow:

• Check the maximum air pressure required for proper tensioning at full roll diameter.  Tidland brakes are designed to operate at a maximum 50 PSI during normal tensioning.  Higher pressures will lead to premature pad/rotor wear.  If the installation and condition of the brake system is OK, the brake may be undersized for your application.  Contact Tidland Customer Service for verification.
• Routinely swap the brake pads from one side of the caliper to the other.  This will even out the wear pattern and extend pad life.
• Check brake shaft axial travel.  Loose or worn bearings may allow too much shaft travel, causing the rotor to be pushed into the pad and resulting in excessive wear.
• Longer-wearing friction material may be available for your brake pads. 
  Contact Tidland Customer Service for details.

Q. What can be done about brake squealing?
A.  See Tidland Air Brake Installation, Operation, & Maintenance Instructions for general guidelines to correct brake operation problems. 

Additional troubleshooting items follow:

• Check that the mounting plate is rigidly attached.  A loose or flexible plate can allow vibration that causes squealing noise.
• Check brake shaft axial travel.  Loose or worn bearings may allow too much shaft travel, causing the rotor to be pushed into the pad and resulting in excessive noise.
• Check rotor T.I.R.  Run-out should be within .005 inch to prevent rotor wobble which can cause noise as well as non-uniform tension control.
• Check brake caliper location relative to the mounting plate.  The entire pad surface must be in contact with the rotor, with no part set above the rotor's edge.
• Check pad wear.  Sand pads flat if they have become warped.
• Check air pressure range to the calipers.  Very low pressure may allow pad vibration resulting in noise. Check for wear grooves in rotor surfaces.  If you machine the surfaces, contact Tidland Customer Service for minimum thickness recommendations.

Alternate friction material may be available for your brake pads that has successfully reduced noise in some applications.

Q.  Can you cross-reference shafts specifications to equipment that I purchased through an O.E.M.?
A.  Many O.E.M.'s use Tidland products in their equipment.  You can find general specifications on your Tidland products by viewing the product page on this web site, where you can also download the product sheet.  Click here>> to view our product pages. 
You can also find more detailed information on the product by requesting a Product Safety Data Sheet.  Click here>> to request your Product Safety Data Sheet from Tidland (we will need the shaft serial number)

Q.  How do I find a replacement shaft for my unwind stand?
A.  Tidland supports several manufactures for replacement shafts for unwind stands.  Click here>> to find the replacement shafts for some common manufacturers equipment.

Q.  Who is my local representative?
A.  Tidland has factory direct representative's available world wide.  Click here>> to find the one nearest you.

Q.  Why won't my shaft lugs/buttons retract when deflated? 
A.  Some lugs/buttons will not completely retract when the bladder needs to be replaced. 
To request a replacement bladder, contact Tidland directly at 1-800-426-1000
(the Customer Service Representative will ask for your serial number).

Q.  How can I receive literature on your full product line?
A.  Tidland has made all product literature available on-line to download, or you can request literature by clicking here>>.  We have a Winding Solutions brochure as well as a Slitting solutions brochure that outline our core products.  If you find that you are specifying Tidland products you can request a full catalog be sent to you.

Q.  How fast can we get our shaft/chuck once we order it?
A.  Tidland products have Standard,Rush, or Priority delivery options.  The estimated delivery time depends on the configuration and availability of the material that is required, however a general guideline includes.

For Shafts:

Standard = 5-6 weeks

Rush = 3-4 weeks

Priority = 2 weeks

For Chucks:

Off the shelf stock = 1 week or less

Standard products = 2-4 weeks

Specialized/Custom order = 8-10 weeks

Did you find the answer you were looking for?  If not, feel free to contact a Tidland Customer Service Representative at 1-800-426-1000 or email your question to tidland@tidland.com.