Feed Width vs Formed Width on Glazed Roof Tile Lines

1. Definition

On a glazed roof-tile roll forming line, two width numbers always appear:

• Feed width (material / coil / input width) — the flat strip width entering the machine
• Formed width (effective / covering / after-formed width) — the finished tile cover width after ribs, steps, and side geometry are formed

They are not the same number. Industry catalogs routinely print both, for example “material width 1250 mm / formed width 1100 mm.” Roof layout and sales language usually care about formed (covering) width; the machine and coil purchase must also match feed width.

2. Why the numbers differ

Roll forming and tile-step pressing consume strip width into waves, side laps, and embossed geometry. The finished cover is therefore narrower than the coil that entered the decoiler. Coil width must still be matched tightly to the machine’s feed specification — typical industry guidance keeps coil width tolerance on the order of about ±1 mm to avoid tracking and surface damage.

If a buyer only quotes “1100 machine” without saying whether 1100 is feed or formed, the wrong coil or wrong tooling set can be ordered.

3. Common feed → formed pairs

Examples used across glazed-tile profile families (each pair belongs to its own machine configuration):

Public vendor pages for “YX 1100” / “HD1100” glazed-tile machines commonly list the same 1250 → 1100 idea (sometimes feed written as 1200/1250). Use the table as orientation, then lock both widths on the buyer’s drawing and technical proposal.

4. How marketing names confuse buyers

• Many machines are named by formed width (828, 950, 1100).
• Some documents are named by feed width (for example a “914” file that actually forms about 800 mm).
• Never assume the number in the model name is the coil width you should buy.

5. Coil purchasing and decoiler sizing

• Order coil at the feed width required by the selected profile machine.
• Size the decoiler max coil width to that feed (plus any documented margin on the proposal).
• Roof take-off and panel count should use formed / covering width, including side-lap rules from the drawing.

6. Inquiry checklist

• Target formed covering width on the roof layout
• Matching feed / coil width for purchasing
• Tile drawing (pitch, peak, step length)
• Material grade, thickness, coating
• Do not mix 828 / 950 / 1100 parameter sets

7. Buyer FAQ

If the machine is called “1100,” do I buy 1100 mm coil?

Usually no. On the 1100 class, formed cover is about 1100 mm and feed is about 1250 mm. Buy coil to the feed width.

Is 914 mm the covering width?

Not on the 914-named family documented here — feed is about 914 mm and formed cover is about 800 mm.

Can one width pair serve every glazed-tile code?

No. Each code (and many variants under the same number) has its own roll set and width pair.