Folding Machine Producing More Wrinkles? Imbalanced Roller Pressure Can Turn Fabric Into a “Crumpled Mess”

Alyssa/ December 3, 2025 Return

Have You Ever Experienced This Breakdown Moment?

Perfect Folds Yesterday, a Wrinkled Disaster Today

You know that moment when you walk up to the folding machine expecting everything to run smoothly—
only to find the fabric coming out looking like it has been crushed, twisted, and stepped on?

Yesterday your folding machine produced perfect, smooth, beautiful folds.
But today?

The fabric comes out wrinkled, wavy, distorted—
a total mess.

You stare at the machine thinking:
“Why are you doing this to me TODAY?”

You adjust the speed.
You adjust the guides.
You adjust the airflow.
Nothing works.
The wrinkles remain, and they mock you.

And then comes the panic:

Folded fabric piles up
Rejects increase
Downstream processes get stuck
Operators panic
Output collapses

It feels like the entire production line is falling apart because of one tiny defect:
wrinkles.

The Real Reason: Your Roller Pressure Is Out of Balance

Roller Pressure Controls Whether Fabric Stays Smooth or Gets Crushed

The folding machine rollers don’t just “move the fabric.”
They control:

Fabric direction
Fabric tension
Surface smoothness
Stability of the fold line

When roller pressure becomes unbalanced, everything falls apart:

Too much left pressure → fabric drifts left
Too much right pressure → fabric drifts right
Uneven pressure → fabric shakes and wrinkles
Too little pressure → fabric slips
Too much pressure → fabric gets crushed

What you see as “wrinkled fabric”
is actually the machine screaming:
“My rollers aren’t aligned anymore!”

Why Roller Pressure Becomes Unbalanced Over Time

This issue does NOT happen suddenly.
It builds up day after day through:

Roller wear
Uneven dust buildup
Variations in fabric thickness
Loose tension adjustment nuts
Heat expansion during long shifts
Operators adjusting only one side

Eventually, the rollers lose their synchronized pressure — and your fabric loses its smoothness.

If You Don’t Fix It, the Situation Will Get Worse

Wrinkles Are Only the First Warning Sign

Keep running the machine like this and you’ll soon face:

Continuous fabric drifting
Fold lines shifting left and right
Unstable fold sizes
Increasing reject rate
Downstream machine errors
Full-line stoppages

Wrinkles → misalignment → machine stops
It’s a perfect chain reaction of disaster.

Worst Case: Fabric Damage and Roller Damage

If roller pressure is too high or too uneven, you may cause:

Fabric burn marks
Permanent compression wrinkles
Roller surface wear
Bearing stress
Costly component replacements

Ignoring roller pressure imbalance is one of the most expensive mistakes in folding operations.

The Fix: Just Rebalance the Roller Pressure (It’s Easier Than You Think)

Three Simple Steps to Bring the Folding Machine Back to “Like New” Condition

Loosen the roller pressure locking nut gently
Adjust left-right pressure evenly until fabric feeds straight and smooth
Clean dust, lint, and fibers from the roller surface

You’ll see an immediate visual difference:

Fabric feeds straight
Wrinkles disappear
Folds become clean and sharp
Machine rhythm becomes smooth again

A small adjustment → massive improvement.

UBL Folding Machines Make Pressure Adjustment Easy

UBL folding machines are designed with:

Stable roller support structure
Easy-access pressure adjustment points
High-durability roller materials

But even the best machines need pressure balancing after long use.
It’s not a defect—
it’s normal mechanical behavior.

Conclusion: When Fabric Looks Crumpled, Check the Roller Pressure First

It’s Not the Fabric. Not the Speed. Not the Program. It’s the Pressure.

Most operators mistakenly blame:

Fabric quality
Machine speed
Environmental humidity

But the truth is simple:

If your folds are wrinkled, your roller pressure is imbalanced.

Fix the pressure,
and the wrinkles disappear instantly.

Tell Me Your Fabric Type—I’ll Tell You the Ideal Roller Pressure Range

Baby girl, tell me your fabric:

Cotton?
Towels?
Non-woven?
T-shirt material?

Different materials require different pressure settings.
I can calculate the perfect pressure range for your UBL folding machine
so your fabric always comes out smooth like it was ironed.

Issue	Cause	Effect on Fabric	Maintenance Solution	Related UBL Equipment
Fabric wrinkling during folding	Imbalanced roller pressure	Wrinkles, distortion	Adjust roller pressure, clean roller surface	UBL Folding Machine
Fabric drifting left or right	Uneven pressure on both sides	Asymmetrical folds, rejected products	Balance left-right roller pressure	UBL Roller Pressure System
Fabric slipping during folding	Pressure too low	Misalignment, inconsistent folds	Increase roller tension	UBL Folding Line
Fabric being crushed	Pressure too high	Compression marks, deep wrinkles	Reduce roller pressure	UBL Fabric Handling Module
Repeated wrinkling	Roller wear or dust buildup	Unstable folding quality	Clean rollers, check wear levels	UBL Industrial Folding Machine