🏭 British Engineering & Manufacturing Plant in the East Midlands, UK • Global Export Partner
British Capital Engineering Excellence

British Engineered Cable Winding Systems & Converting Machinery

Autoreel Ltd engineers, manufactures, and services heavy-duty cable winding systems, de-reelers, and precision linear measuring machinery from our dedicated manufacturing plant in the East Midlands, Great Britain. Empowering global cable manufacturers and distributors to cut, measure, and re-spool bulk materials with certified ±0.5% metric accuracy, effortless one-man floor handling, and minimal product giveaway.

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40+
Years Manufacturing
8,000 kg
Max Drum Capacity — Enquire for Bespoke Drum Sizes & SWL
±0.5%
Calibrated Metric Precision
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Max Drum Weight (SWL):
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50 kg 5,000 kg 10,000 kg
Max Flange Diameter:
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Understanding Cable Converting Systems: Pay-Offs, Winders & Combined Stations

Whether you are setting up a high-volume cut-to-length converting yard or continuous manufacturing process, a complete reeling line comprises three synchronised stages. Here is how each system functions and what they are called in industrial practice:

Stage 01 • The Supply Source

The Pay-Off

Also known as: De-reeler, Unwinder, Payout Stand, Unspooling Gantry, Drum Dolly Payoff.

Holds the heavy master supply drum (up to 8,000 kg with PLP) and lets off the material smoothly under controlled tension. Autoreel Pay-Offs feature friction or pneumatic disc braking to prevent high-speed drum overrun ("free-wheeling" momentum) when the pulling winder decelerates, eliminating bird-nest tangles and damaged cable jackets.

Stage 02 • Quality & Precision

Measuring & Guidance

Also known as: Linear Length Counter, Automated Traverser, Line Dancer, Tension Accumulator.

The critical profit and protection bridge between payout and take-up. Features calibrated ±0.5% linear meters that eliminate expensive product giveaway, automated linear traverse guides that lay down cable in tight, parallel rows, and pneumatic dancers that provide 0–10V analog feedback to synchronise line velocity and prevent cable stretching.

Stage 03 • The Target Spool

The Take-Up Winder

Also known as: Powered Winder, Spooler, Re-reeler, Take-Up Stand, Hank Coiler, Plywood Reeler.

The motorised machine that drives and rotates the destination drum (or collapsible coiling head) to pull the material. Driven by AC inverter vector drives with variable speed control, dynamic braking, and safety interlocks. Slashes drum loading changeover times from 30 minutes to under 2 minutes with patented pintle arms.

Autoreel PLW Series Shaftless Pintle Loading Winder (To 8,000 kg SWL)

See the Autoreel PLW in Action: 15-Stage Operational Lifecycle

Watch how the Autoreel PLW (Pintle Loading Winder) revolutionises cable drum handling. Built with 40+ years of British engineering excellence, the PLW eliminates loose mandrels and overhead crane lifts, enabling a single operator to roll in, hydraulic-pinch, interlock, and wind heavy reels up to 8,000 kg safely in under 2 minutes.

1-Man Floor Loading: Slashes changeover from 30m to <2m
Heavy-Duty Range: 1,000 kg to 8,000 kg SWL Capacity
Statutory Safety: Interlocked guard & vector drive control

AUTOREEL PLW

SHAFTLESS PINTLE WINDER • 8,000 KG MAX SWL

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Engineered for High-Volume Cut-to-Length Converting

When your business model relies on converting massive production master drums into custom-specified customer lengths, every second of setup time and millimeter of measurement accuracy directly drives bottom-line margin.

01

Master Drum Floor Loading

Roll master drums directly into position with our roll-in ramps or engage pintles directly from ground level. Eliminates heavy crane lifts and dangerous shaft handling.

02

Certified Calibrated Lengths

Industrial linear meters (±0.5% accuracy) ensure exact target lengths with programmable automated slowdowns, completely eliminating costly copper giveaway.

03

Clean Automated Layering

Smooth traversing carriages guide the material uniformly across drums, dispatch plywood reels, or collapsible coiling heads for a professional presentation.

04

Instant Order Dispatch

Integrated guillotines, quick-release collets, and collapsible coiling heads enable 2-minute order turnarounds for same-day and next-day customer dispatches.

All-In-One Workstations

Combined Winders & Pay-Offs (The CWP & Reelotech Series)

Instead of separate independent machines, a Combined Converting Workstation integrates the roll-in pay-off, calibrated linear meter, traversing carriage, and powered take-up winder into a single unified chassis. This is the industry-standard equipment for electrical wholesalers and cable distributors processing dozens of custom cut-to-length orders per day.

Explore CWP Series (500kg–3T) → Explore Reelotech Mobile Series →

Key Combined Benefits

  • 50% Less Floor Space: Integrates payout, meter and winder into one compact footprint.
  • Zero Crane Lifts: Roll-in floor ramps allow effortless ground-level loading.
  • Sub-2-Minute Cycles: Rapid custom order processing for same-day dispatch.
  • Calibrated Accuracy: ±0.5% linear meters eliminate copper giveaway.

Continuous Reeling for Any Flexible Material

Autoreel machinery is trusted globally across offshore energy, fluid power, and heavy manufacturing to handle virtually all reel-stored continuous products.

Power, Control & Telecom Cable

From delicate sub-miniature instrumentation wire and high-bandwidth fibre optic bundles to 400kV armoured transmission cables.

  • Low, Medium & High Voltage Transmission
  • Offshore Wind Farm Inter-Array Cabling
  • Industrial Armoured Multicores & Flexible Cords

Hydraulic & Industrial Hoses

Re-spooling and precision length cut-offs for wire-braided high-pressure hydraulic lines, pneumatic tubing, and chemical transfer hoses.

  • High-Pressure Wire-Reinforced Hydraulic Lines
  • Large-Bore Chemical & Fuel Transfer Hoses
  • Continuous Food & Beverage Grade Tubing

Steel Wire Rope & Subsea Umbilicals

High-tension take-ups and payoff systems capable of handling heavy crane cables, offshore mooring hawsers, and subsea control umbilicals.

  • Mining, Crane & Elevator Steel Wire Rope
  • Offshore Subsea Umbilicals & Flowlines
  • Large-Diameter HDPE / MDPE Gas & Water Pipe

Featured Cable Handling Systems

Explore Complete Catalogue (13 Systems) →

Regulatory Updates & Technical Guides

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Statutory Safety

PUWER 98 Compliance Guide for Cable Machinery

Statutory HSE Regulations

A comprehensive overview of legal inspection duties, emergency braking deceleration standards, and written schemes of examination for cable machinery.

Read Guide →
Converting Margins

Eliminating the 2% Giveaway in Cable Converting

ROI & Commercial Precision

How ±0.5% calibrated linear meters protect copper profit margins and eliminate tens of thousands of pounds in annual length giveaway.

Read Analysis →
Supply Chain Velocity

Master Drum to Trade Dispatch: Modern Converting

Operational Efficiency

Slashing drum changeovers from 30 minutes to 2 minutes with roll-in payoffs, automated traversing, and collapsible coiling heads.

Read Guide →

Factory Machine Demonstrations

Watch Autoreel's British-engineered capital winding, pintle loading, and mobile converting machinery operating in real production environments.

Shaftless Pintle Winder & Payoff

PLW Series: Patented Floor Loading

Single-operator floor loading and high-speed spooling of heavy cable drums up to 8,000 kg with patented motorised pintle arms.

Self-Propelled Mobile Reeler

The BOA: Mobile Warehouse Converting

Demonstrating independent lateral pintle movement and powered warehouse steering for fast cut-to-length cable orders.

High-Speed Despatch Reeler (350 RPM)

HSR 100: Rapid Small Wire Spooling

Watch closed-loop automatic cable layering and rapid spooling onto domestic plywood and cardboard reels at up to 350 rpm.

Lifelong Engineering Support

Global Supply Chain Support & Statutory PUWER 98 Compliance

Autoreel operates dedicated in-house machine testing bays and mobile field engineers to service, audit, and certify machinery across the UK and internationally. We guarantee full mechanical, electrical, and safety brake conformity.

Book a Safety Inspection Call Service Team

Factory Service & Inspection Covers:

  • Emergency stop system reaction times & perimeter interlocks
  • Hydraulic lifting circuits & pressure relief valve audits
  • Braking torque calibration to eliminate free-spool overrun
  • Metric length counter certification and calibration
  • Official Written Scheme of Examination and Conformity Certificate