Why Does the Film Break?

Problem

The machine stops on a film-break fault, or the operator sees the web tear during production. The break repeats at roughly the same position or under the same conditions — after a reel change, at a specific speed, or during acceleration.

Possible Causes

1. Tracking drift develops until the loaded edge tears at a guide or the forming area.
2. Tension spikes during acceleration, deceleration or splicing exceed the film's limits.
3. A damaged roller or guide — nicks, deposits, wound-on scraps — cuts or catches the web.
4. The film batch or its storage condition has changed (age, humidity, temperature).
5. Reel braking or clamping allows the reel to surge or shift.

What to Check

• STEP 1Note where the web breaks.Inspect the torn edge and the machine position of the break — a clean straight tear at one guide points to that element.
• STEP 2Look for drift before the break.Confirm whether tracking was already moving to one side in the minutes before the fault.
• STEP 3Observe tension behavior.Watch the web during acceleration and deceleration for a snatch or jerk at the same moment the break occurs.
• STEP 4Inspect the film path.Locked out per procedure, check every roller and guide between the break position and the reel for damage or residue.
• STEP 5Review the film batch record.Compare the batch, storage location and age of the current reels against reels that ran without breaks.

Corrective Actions

• Resolve tracking drift first — follow the film tracking procedure before anything else.
• Clean or replace damaged path elements; record the correction in the shift log.
• Where breaks coincide with acceleration, review the ramp settings in the machine manual rather than increasing tension limits.
• Store film per the supplier's conditions and record batch numbers per shift for traceability.