The three numbers
- Smallest roll diameter handled — this sets the minimum arm closure.
- Largest roll diameter handled — this sets the arm opening and the arm length.
- Heaviest roll mass, with its width — this sets the clamping force and the truck size.
The one decision: does the roll need rotating?
A non-rotating clamp handles rolls that stay in one orientation, typically standing on end. It is lighter, cheaper and derates the truck less.
A 180° rotating clamp picks a roll up lying down and stands it upright, or lays it back over. A 360° continuous rotating clamp does the same in either direction without a return stroke, which suits high-cycle work and awkward presentation angles — feeding a press, for instance.
Rotation is the most common specification regret in both directions: bought unnecessarily, it is weight the truck did not need; left out, it forces a second handling step for the life of the clamp.
Protecting the product
Damage is what roll handling is judged on. Arm contour has to match the diameter range so contact is spread along the roll rather than concentrated at two points; contact pads and arm faces have to suit the grade; and clamping pressure has to be enough to hold the roll and no more.
Where the product is particularly sensitive — light grades, printed stock, film — damage-reduction systems with pressure control are worth specifying from the start. They cost less than a month of crushed outer wraps.
Truck and duty
A roll clamp is heavy and it moves the load centre a long way forward, so the derating calculation matters more here than on most families. Bring the truck’s make, model and rated capacity into the conversation early.
Because a dedicated roll clamp replaces the forks, a clamp truck is a clamp truck. Mills that also handle pallets almost always run a separate fork truck rather than swapping attachments through the shift — the changeover time costs more than the second machine.