The Troubleshooter’s Trap: Why Adjusting These Two Parameters Can Be Fools Gold

Presented by Joe Kotwis, Web Handling Insights LLC

In web handling systems, speed and tension are the two most powerful control parameters—and the most tempting to adjust when things go wrong. Yet, tweaking these knobs without a full understanding of their systemic impact often leads to new defects, material waste, lower throughput, and unstable processes. This presentation explores why speed and tension should be regarded as sacred settings during problem solving and how using them can mask a solution rather than resolve the root cause. Drawing on case studies and web handling principles, we’ll explore what could go wrong by adjusting speed and tension when the root cause is elsewhere. Attendees will leave with a clearer roadmap for troubleshooting without triggering unintended consequences—and a renewed respect for the knobs best left untouched.