Paper Cutters — Honing a Competitive Edge
At PRINT 01, MAN Roland featured a 54˝ Wohlenberg paper cutter with an integrated waste evacuation system. "By adding a pile hoist, jogger with an air removal system, curved gripper transport system and an unloader to this cutter, we were able to show an increase in production of two to three times that of a standalone cutter," Simons says.
The company also showed the new BA3 unloader, which has a left side-aligning gauge that follows the material during the movement of the table to facilitate handling of very small pieces. In addition, Wohlenberg has redesigned its Cut-Tec 92 product to offer half-size printers the same programming capabilities—including CIP3 interface—available on its larger machines.
There is another facet to productivity, asserts Terry Lee, vice president of sales and marketing at Dexter-Lawson Mfg. in Cambridge, ON. That is the ability to handle a wider range of substrates.
Dexter-Lawson cutters are known for being reliable, heavy-duty cutters, Lee points out. "Our industry-leading 7˝ clamp opening and 63⁄4˝ maximum lift height allow for greater capacity and production output per hour of operation," he says. The machines have the power to cut pieces of material up to 3˝ thick and can handle a range of materials beyond paper, including photographic film, metal plates and cardboard.
The manufacturer's 47˝ to 70˝ cutters offer the same basic feature set, with the exception of dual-drive knife action being standard on the 60˝ and 70˝ models. These synchronized drives, one for each pull bar, are said to pull the knife easily and smoothly through the heaviest lifts. A flex clamp option is also offered on the larger models.
The maximum stack height issue is a littler more complicated, asserts John Porter, division manager at LDR International in Portland, OR. If a printer/bindery is using older equipment, often times it is worn to the point that it can't cut maximum-height lifts of paper accurately, he says. "But, the cycle time of the machine for a 6˝ lift is the same as for a 2˝ lift. Therefore, the easiest way to increase productivity is to maximize the size of the lift being cut," Porter explains.
