Non-powered decoiler ยท pull-off uncoiler
Non-Powered Manual Decoiler Machine
A HENLI manual decoiler has no drive motor. The coil sits on an expanding mandrel, the straightener, leveler or feeder downstream pulls the strip, and an adjustable brake helps limit coil overrun. Choose a single reel, a press-arm or large-O.D. reel, a non-powered double-head decoiler, or a 2-in-1 machine that combines the reel with a straightener.
Definition
What Is a Manual (Non-Powered) Decoiler?
A manual decoiler, or non-powered decoiler, is a coil reel without a drive motor. It holds the coil on an expanding mandrel and lets the next machine โ a straightener, leveler, servo feeder or roll former โ pull the strip off the coil. Because nothing drives the reel, an adjustable brake is used to limit overrun when the pull stops.
Also called
The same machine is sold as a passive uncoiler, pull-off decoiler, non-motorized decoiler, manual stock reel, pay-off reel or coil reel stand. It is also the simplest decoiler type to buy and maintain: there is no motor, drive or loop control. In every case the downstream machine sets the speed, so its pulling force and the strength of the strip decide whether a non-powered reel is suitable.
MT models
Manual Decoiler Models: MT-200, MT-300 and MT-400
Choose the model by strip width and coil weight. The standard values are below; coil I.D., O.D. and load can be engineered to your coil data and are confirmed in the quotation.
| Specification | MT-200 | MT-300 | MT-400 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum strip width | 200 mm | 300 mm | 400 mm |
| Standard coil load | 500 kg | 800 kg | 1,000 kg |
| Coil I.D. | 450โ530 mm | ||
| Maximum coil O.D. | 1200 mm | ||
| Drive | Non-powered; pulled by the downstream machine | ||
| Mandrel expansion | Manual, hand crank | ||
| Brake | Adjustable mechanical brake with handwheel | ||
| Options | Pneumatic press arm, large-O.D. retaining arms, hydraulic expansion | ||
Metric is the source unit; imperial values are rounded. The double-head MTD-A table is in the configuration section below; 2-in-1 tables are on the UL and UL-C pages. To estimate coil weight from coil size, use the coil weight and PIW calculator.
Structure
How a Manual Decoiler Is Built
A non-powered reel is simple, but every part has a job: grip the coil bore, keep the coil centered and control overrun, so the machine that pulls the strip receives it smoothly.
Hand-Crank Expansion
On an uncoiling reel with manual expansion, turning the crank at the shaft end expands the mandrel segments until they grip the coil bore; turning it back releases the coil. Hydraulic expansion can be specified for heavier coils or frequent coil changes.
Brake-Adjusting Handwheel
The handwheel sets the drag of the mechanical brake so the coil does not keep turning when the downstream pull stops. It is not a tension controller; set it for the actual coil weight and pulling machine.
Upright Frame and Wide Base
A welded upright frame carries the mandrel on one side and leaves the other side open for coil loading. The wide base keeps the reel stable while the coil unwinds.
Manual Decoilers in Assembly
Manual decoilers in the HENLI workshop. Standard equipment is usually completed 7โ10 days after the configuration is confirmed.
Configurations
Non-Powered Decoiler Configurations
Every reel below is pulled by the next machine. They differ in how many coils they hold, how the outer wraps are restrained, and whether the straightener shares the same base.
| Configuration | Coils held | Pulled by | Main feature | Typical fit | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-head manual decoiler (MT) | 1 | Straightener or feeder | Hand-crank mandrel, brake handwheel | 200โ400 mm strip, coils up to 1 t | MT models |
| With pneumatic press arm | 1 | Straightener or feeder | Air-operated arm holds the outer wraps | Thick or springy coils | Press arm |
| Large-O.D. reel | 1 | Straightener or feeder | Long retaining arms, larger backplate | Large outer diameter coils | Large O.D. |
| Double head (MTD-A) | 2 | S-loop leveler or feeder | Load one coil while the other runs | Continuous high-speed stamping | MTD-A |
| 2-in-1 (UL / UL-A / UL-C) | 1 | Built-in straightening head | Reel and straightener side by side on one base | Saving press-side floor space | 2-in-1 |
| ML uncoiler straightener | 1 | Straightening section | Two sections on a connecting base | Thicker material | ML |
Manual Decoiler with Pneumatic Press Arm
A pneumatic press arm lowers a roller onto the outer wraps. It keeps thick or springy material from loosening when the strip is cut or the line stops, and holds the coil end during threading. The arm is raised and lowered by an air cylinder; the reel itself stays non-powered. See the pressing arm guide for set-up and safety limits.
Arm and Roller on the Coil
The arm swings down over the mandrel so its roller rests on the outer wraps of the coil.
Cylinder and Regulator
An air cylinder moves the arm; the regulator and gauge on the frame set the holding pressure.
Large-O.D. Manual Decoiler
When the coil outer diameter is large, the reel is built with long cross-shaped retaining arms and a larger backplate so the whole coil face stays supported while it unwinds. The frame, mandrel and brake are sized from your coil O.D., width and weight.
- SendCoil O.D., I.D., width, weight and material
- Built asNon-standard reel, drawing agreed before build
- Pairs withStraightener, leveler or feeder that pulls the strip
Non-Powered Double-Head Decoiler (MTD-A)
Two mandrels sit 180ยฐ apart on a rotating turret. One coil feeds the line while the operator loads the next coil on the idle mandrel; at coil end the turret turns 180ยฐ and is locked in position. The pull-off design needs no motor and no large loop, which is why it is common in high-speed lamination stamping with an S-loop leveler and feeder. Motorized MTD-B and high-speed versions are on the double head decoiler page.
Turret Head and Brake Handwheel
The brake handwheel on the turret housing sets the drag on the running mandrel.
Mandrels 180ยฐ Apart
While one coil runs, the idle mandrel faces the loading side for the next coil.
| Specification | MTD-200A | MTD-300A | MTD-400A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material width | 200 mm | 300 mm | 400 mm |
| Material thickness | 0โ2.0 mm | 0โ3.0 mm | 0โ3.0 mm |
| Coil I.D. | 450โ530 mm | 450โ530 mm | 450โ530 mm |
| Coil O.D. | 1200 mm | 1200 mm | 1200 mm |
| Listed pay-off speed | 60 m/min | 60 m/min | 60 m/min |
| Coil weight | 500 kg ร 2 | 800 kg ร 2 | 1200 kg ร 2 |
Listed MTD-A values. The pay-off speed must be verified with the approved coil, brake setting and pulling machine. Coil I.D., O.D. and load can be engineered to your coil data.
2-in-1 Decoiler Straightener: Reel and Straightener Side by Side
A 2-in-1 machine โ a straightener and coil reel combination โ mounts the reel and the straightening head next to each other on one base. The straightening rolls pull the strip from a braked, non-powered reel, so the press line needs only one machine position before the NC servo feeder. HENLI builds this layout as UL and UL-A for 0.35โ3.2 mm strip and UL-C for 0.5โ4.5 mm strip, with a standard pneumatic press arm on UL-C.
Compact 2-in-1 Layout
The reel (right) and the straightening head share one base, with local controls on the front.
Press Arm and Worm-Gear Adjustment
A pneumatic press arm on the reel and worm-gear roll adjustment for thicker material.
ML Uncoiler and Straightener: Two Sections on a Connecting Base
The ML keeps the reel and the straightener as two sections and joins them with a connecting base, instead of placing them side by side on one frame. It is used mainly for thicker material. The reel is non-powered โ the straightening section pulls the strip โ and can be fitted with a press arm and hydraulic mandrel expansion, as on the build shown.
Reel, Connecting Base, Straightener
The reel with its press arm stands on a base that links it to the straightener.
Hydraulic Mandrel Expansion
Seen from the straightener: the reel on this build expands the mandrel hydraulically.
Selection
Manual or Motorized Decoiler?
Both hold the coil. The difference is what turns it: a motorized decoiler pays out strip with its own motor and loop control, while a manual decoiler relies on the machine downstream to pull.
| Selection point | Manual (non-powered) decoiler | Motorized decoiler |
|---|---|---|
| Drive | The downstream straightener, leveler or feeder pulls the strip and turns the coil. | A motor turns the mandrel; a loop control starts and stops pay-off. |
| Speed | Set by the pulling machine; the brake limits overrun. | Set by the decoiler drive and the loop signal. |
| Layout | No decoiler motor or loop sensor; compact. | Needs room for the material loop and its control. |
| Strip | Strip strong enough to be pulled without stretching or marking. | Thin, soft or surface-sensitive strip. |
| Coil weight | Lighter coils, or heavier coils with an adequate brake and pulling force. | Heavier coils; reduces the pulling load on the straightener. |
| Typical lines | Light press feeding, high-speed lamination (double head), press-side 2-in-1. | General stamping, shearing, cut-to-length and roll forming lines. |
| HENLI range | This page. | Motorized decoiler, 200 kgโ5 ton; CR light duty reel |
A manual decoiler fits whenโฆ
- The downstream straightener, leveler or servo feeder has enough pulling force.
- The strip can be pulled without stretching, twisting or surface marks.
- Coil weight and speed are moderate, or the line is a pull-off high-speed setup with a correctly set brake.
- Floor space is limited and a separate decoiler drive and loop are not wanted.
Choose a motorized decoiler whenโฆ
- Thin, soft or polished strip must not be stretched or marked.
- Heavy or wide coils would overload the pulling machine with inertia.
- The decoiler has to follow a changing line speed through a loop signal.
- Coils above the manual range need hydraulic expansion and loading support โ see the heavy duty hydraulic decoiler.
Brake trouble on a pulled reel usually shows up as overrun, loose wraps or strip slipping in the feeder; see brake and tension problems on non-motorized uncoilers.
In production
Manual Decoilers in Customer Lines
Photos from customer workshops show the two most common layouts: a manual reel ahead of a feeding unit and press, and a non-powered reel pulled directly by a precision straightener.
Manual Reel Feeding a Press Line
The coil sits on a single-head manual decoiler. The strip runs to the feeding unit in front of the press, which pulls it off the reel at the press rhythm while the brake stops the coil from running on between strokes.
- Pulled byFeeding unit ahead of the press
- ReelSingle-head, hand-crank expansion
- KeepA clear strip path and a brake set for the coil
Manufacturer
Manual Decoilers from a Factory in China
HENLI is the brand of Dongguan Xinxiang Machinery Equipment Co., Ltd., a coil feeding equipment manufacturer founded in 2003 in Dongguan, Guangdong. Manual decoilers are built in-house alongside motorized decoilers, straighteners and NC servo feeders, so the reel can be matched to the machine that will pull it.
Quotation checklist
Send Your Coil Data for a Manual Decoiler Quote
A non-powered reel is selected together with the machine that pulls it. These details let HENLI check the reel, brake and pulling force in one step.
FAQ
