Before a duct is formed, the coil has to be unwound, flattened and cut. Fitting blanks go to a duct plasma cutting machine. Flange profiles need clean cuts to length. The machines here handle that first stage in a duct shop, from the decoiler holding a 5-ton coil to the CNC plasma table cutting fitting blanks. EBR METAL builds all five duct cutting machines and coil handling units in its Konya factory. Each one works alongside the auto duct lines and seaming machines in the rest of the shop.
Duct Cutting Machines and Coil Handling
CNC Plasma Cutting Table
CPC 1530
Cuts flat duct fitting blanks along programmed paths on a 1500 × 3000 mm working area. Carbon steel up to 6 mm, galvanized and aluminum up to 5 mm, stainless up to 3 mm.
Plasma Sheet Feeder
PFM, PFM-S3
Straightens coil sheet up to 1500 mm wide and feeds it to the plasma table in the length the job needs. The PFM comes with one decoiler, the PFM-S3 with three.
Cut-to-Length Line
CTL
Flattens coil up to 1500 mm wide and cuts blanks to set lengths and quantities on a guillotine shear, ±1 mm, under PLC control. Comes with a manual decoiler.
Flange Cutting Machine
FCM
Pneumatic saw with a diamond-tipped blade and a foot pedal. Cuts 20, 25, 30 and 35 mm duct flange profiles 100–1500 mm long without burrs.
Decoiler (Uncoiler)
UCR
Manual decoiler with brake for coils up to 5000 kg and 1500 mm wide. Fixed, on wheels or on rails.
Compare the Cutting and Coil Handling Machines
| CNC Plasma Cutting Table (CPC 1530) | Plasma Sheet Feeder (PFM) | Plasma Sheet Feeder (PFM-S3) | Cut-to-Length Line (CTL) | Flange Cutting Machine (FCM) | Decoiler (UCR) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it does | Cuts flat parts along programmed paths | Straightens and feeds coil sheet to a plasma table, 1 coil | Straightens and feeds coil sheet to a plasma table, 3 coil inlets | Flattens coil and cuts blanks to length | Saws flange profiles to length | Holds the coil and lets it unwind |
| Supplied with | — | 1 UCR decoiler | 3 UCR decoilers | Manual decoiler | — | — |
| Sheet thickness (mm) | Carbon steel 0.5–6, galvanized and aluminum 0.5–5, stainless 0.5–3 | up to 1.20 | 0.50–1.20 | 0.50–3.00 (galvanized up to 3, stainless up to 1.5) | capacity 1.2 | — |
| Working size | 1500 × 3000 mm working area | Feed width up to 1500 mm | Feed width up to 1500 mm | Coil width up to 1500 mm | Flange sections 20 / 25 / 30 / 35 mm, length 100–1500 mm | Coil up to 5000 kg, up to 1500 mm wide, inner diameter Ø508 mm |
| Speed | Cutting 7–9 m/min, rapid traverse 20 m/min | — | approx. 4 m/min | approx. 6 m/min | — | — |
| Control | CNC, pneumatic Z axis | — | — | PLC screen, servo-driven cut, ±1 mm | Pneumatic, foot pedal, measuring ruler, piece counter | Manual, brake and control wheel |
| Power (kW) | 11 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 2 | 1.5 | manual, no motor |
| Power supply | 380 V / 3 Ph / 50 Hz | 380 V / 3 Ph / 50 Hz | 380 V / 3 Ph / 50–60 Hz | 380 V / 3 Ph / 50 Hz | 380 V / 3 Ph / 50 Hz | — |
| Compressed air | 189 L/min at 7 bar | Not required | Not required | Not required | 6 bar, 8 L/min | — |
| Dimensions L × W × H (mm) | 4500 × 2400 × 1400 | 1600 × 800 × 1200 | 2100 × 1220 × 1200 | 6750 × 2100 × 1400 | 1000 × 560 × 720 | 2100 × 1500 × 1400 |
| Weight (kg) | 1000 | 220 | 800 | 2000 | 120 | 200 |
Sheet thickness is given for ST37 (S235JR) mild steel unless a material is named. CTL dimensions are for the complete line without the decoiler.
How to Choose Duct Cutting Machines
Cutting fittings? Elbow cheeks, transitions, offsets and other fitting parts have curved or angled outlines that an auto duct line does not make. The CNC Plasma Cutting Table cuts them along programmed paths.
Losing the end of every plate? Put a Plasma Sheet Feeder in front of the table. It cuts from the coil then, and the feeder pushes forward only as much sheet as the job needs. One coil means the PFM. If you switch between three coils, take the PFM-S3, which has a separate inlet for each, and ask us if you need more inlets.
Straight duct on manual machines? A Cut-to-Length Line gives you flat, square-cut blanks in the lengths and quantities you enter, ready for beading and lock forming. For straightening, beading, cutting and folding in one pass, look at the Auto Duct Lines.
Separate flange profiles? The Flange Cutting Machine cuts them to length with a clean end. Shops that roll the flange from the duct wall itself (TDF) can skip it.
Working from coil? Every coil-fed machine needs a coil holder in front of it, and that is the job of the Decoiler. Most coils on the market are 1300 mm wide, well inside its 1500 mm limit. The plasma sheet feeders and the cut-to-length line already ship with their decoilers.
A few straight cuts a day? A hand-lever guillotine shear may be enough. The KMH models cut up to 1.5 mm sheet over 1050 or 1280 mm (see Hand Operated Machines).
How Each Machine Works
CNC plasma cutting table. A plasma torch cuts with an electric arc and a jet of compressed air, so the table needs an air supply as well as power. On the CPC 1530, stepper motors drive the torch along a bridge on linear rails. A pneumatic Z axis sets the torch height while the CNC control follows the cutting program.
Plasma sheet feeder. Sheet comes off the UCR decoiler. The feeder straightens it and pushes it onto the cutting area in the length the program asks for, and the plasma table cuts the parts.
Cut-to-length line. The CTL is a roller feed unit and a guillotine shear, supplied with our manual decoiler. The rollers flatten the sheet as it comes off the decoiler and feed it to the shear. Its blades are 2379 cold work tool steel and leave no burrs. You enter lengths and piece counts on the PLC screen, and a servo motor drives the cut.
Flange cutting machine. The operator sets the length against the measuring ruler, holds the profile with both hands and starts the cut with a foot pedal. A piece counter keeps the tally. A stainless cover guards the saw.
Decoiler. The coil sits on the UCR (inner diameter Ø508 mm). Its brake stops the coil from running on when feeding stops. During flattening, a round control wheel turns it forward or back.
Plasma from Coil or from Standard Plates?
Standard plates leave an offcut at the end of most sheets, and each one is loaded by hand. Cutting from the coil through a sheet feeder wastes less. The feeders stop at 1.20 mm, so heavier work still goes on the table as plates.
What Comes Before and After
The Decoiler comes first. It feeds an auto duct line, the Plasma Sheet Feeder or the Cut-to-Length Line. Cut-to-length blanks go on to the Z Beading Machine and then to the Pittsburgh Lock Former. Fitting blanks from the plasma table go to lock forming and seam closing. Flange profiles cut on the FCM are joined to the duct, for example with a spot welder from our Other Equipment range. If you roll the flange from the duct wall, see the TDF Flange Forming Machine. The full HVAC Duct Production Line shows how it all connects.
Frequently Asked Questions
What thickness can the CNC plasma cutting table cut?
Carbon steel (black sheet, DKP or HRP) from 0.5 to 6 mm, galvanized steel and aluminum from 0.5 to 5 mm, stainless steel from 0.5 to 3 mm. The working area is 1500 × 3000 mm.
Does the plasma sheet feeder cut the sheet?
No. It straightens the sheet from the coil and feeds it to the plasma table. The table does the cutting.
How many decoilers come with the plasma sheet feeder?
One UCR decoiler with the PFM, three with the PFM-S3. Each coil on the PFM-S3 has its own inlet on the feeder. More inlets are possible on request.
Does the plasma sheet feeder work with any plasma table?
It works with our CPC 1530. For another plasma table we check the table layout, sheet width and control arrangement before an order.
What is the difference between a cut-to-length line and an auto duct line?
A cut-to-length line flattens the coil and cuts flat blanks to length. An auto duct line also beads, notches (on some models) and folds the sheet into duct parts in the same pass.
Is a decoiler the same as an uncoiler?
Yes. Both names describe the machine that holds a coil and lets the sheet unwind into the next machine. The UCR is a manual decoiler with a brake, with no motor.
Which machines need compressed air?
The CNC plasma cutting table (189 L/min at 7 bar) and the flange cutting machine (6 bar, 8 L/min). The PFM, PFM-S3 and CTL run without it.
What is the delivery time?
Many EBR METAL machines ship from stock. Built to order, a machine currently takes about 2–3 weeks, and the quotation confirms the date for your order. Spare parts usually ship from stock.