The role of the knifeholder in shear slitting

Gone are the days when a shear-slitting knifeholder was a primitive, cast-iron contraption that required a pocketful of wrenches every time a pattern change was made. It had to have the durability of an anvil because repositioning involved a lot of pounding with a hammer. Lost time, lost product and accidents were a fact of life. This, of course, is no longer acceptable. Current knifeholders must be thought of as precision instruments, rather than blacksmith tools. As such, we expect more from them, and need to be more discerning about their usability, efficiency, design features and safety. This article will address some of these issues.

Rigidity, compliance, and vibration
Cant angle control
Set-up and repositionability
Side-load force regulation
Engage and disengage sequencing
Blade changing
Slitter Safety