Finishing - Material Handling

The best time to make a quality check of printed sheets is either immediately before or during jogging. At this stage, crumpled sheets can easily be sorted out, and the appearance of the remaining sheets can be examined. The sheets also can be checked for even positioning by looking at the cutting marks printed on them. By turning the sheets over while fanning them out, the operator can also detect sheets that have been positioned in the press with their sides incorrectly aligned. Sheets displaying dirty edges because of misalignment can then be removed from the pile. Using a stacklift that can be adjusted to the

SOME PEOPLE look at paper trim and see scraps of refuse. Others see dollar signs. In an industry where chief execs need to keep track of every nickel coming in and going out, there is no scoffing at opportunities to turn trash into cash. When printers think of money makers, they think of heavy iron from manufacturers such as Heidelberg, KBA and MAN Roland, the press makers. But there are other manufacturers, such as G.F. Puhl, Vecoplan, Ohio Blow Pipe, Air Systems and Design, and American Baler, that may not have the household name recognition level, but can spur a ROI while those Komori

Landmark Stacker Installed at Vertis BALTIMORE—Vertis Inc., owner of more than 50 stackers from RIMA-SYSTEM, has ordered an RS 36 compensating stacker—the 8,000th such machine installed worldwide. Shown here celebrating the landmark purchase are, from the left, Pat Frey and Linda McClure from Vertis Inc. with Horst Steinhart, president of RIMA-SYSTEM. Mailing System Is a Match at Jersey Firm SWEDESBORO, NJ—Direct Group, a provider in the high-volume, time-sensitive segment of the direct mail industry, has added Lake Image Systems' IntegraVision and IntegraJet systems for document matching and in-line envelope personalization on its new high-speed mail inserting equipment for its new Direct Match mail matching capability. IntegraVision ensures

Direct Mailer Installs 20 Inserters SWEDESBORO, NJ—Direct Group (DG), a provider in the high-volume, time-sensitive segment of the direct mail industry, has purchased 20 new BÖWE Bell + Howell DemandWorks CMC-250S high-speed inserters. Each new machine inserts as many as six items into envelopes at speeds up to 18,000 hour. The new inserters feature interchangeable shuttle and rotary feeders to accommodate the weight and order of items that need to be inserted into a package. All will accommodate envelopes up to "stretch," or 6x11˝. Some will also accommodate up to jumbo envelopes while still reaching speeds of 16,000 per hour. These new inserters will help Direct

by chris bauer Managing Editor Productivity equals time and time equals money. Obviously, sheetfed and web offset printers want to get the most out of their expensive equipment. And, just as obvious, is the fact that printers want to be as profitable as possible. The opportunities to become more productive in the lithographic pressroom are numerous. "The trend in pressrooms across the country is toward more and more automation, both in material handling at both ends of the press, as well as more closed-loop control processes on the press itself," notes Edmond Kelley, executive director for the National Council for Skill Standards in Graphic

Call it paper kinesiology 101. The science of moving materials around the bindery is getting ever more digitized and automated, if not complicated. It is taking its cue from current automation trends up the production stream—although it can be difficult to automate the entire finishing process. “Printers have picked the low-hanging fruit available to them by automating the prepress and pressroom areas,” explains Dennis Mason, president of Western Springs, IL-based Mason Consulting. “In many operations, the bindery remains a veritable beehive of activity, with people performing a wide variety of tasks. But it is this same incredible variety of tasks that makes it difficult for printers

By Erik Cagle Senior Editor The recent, unfortunate death of a worker making repairs to a stacking machine brought to light the recurring theme of 'safety above all else.' We are fortunate to live in an age where automation has made life a lot easier in the printing plant. Much of the grunt work has been eradicated and, in some cases, the need for human intervention has been erased. Manufacturers have made great strides to enhance performance and ensure optimal operator safety. The pressroom is a much safer place than it was 20, 10, even five years ago. But safety doesn't end with the

The Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) are contained in 49 CFR parts 171 through 180. Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) amended the HMR in conformance with amendments to the Federal Hazardous Materials Transportation Law that required the DOT to regulate the training of all hazardous materials (hazmat) employees. Training to meet these requirements will increase a hazmat employee's safety awareness and be an essential element in reducing hazmat incidents. Hazmat employee refers to an employee that directly affects hazmat transportation safety, including: * Loads, unloads or handles hazmat; * Tests, reconditions, repairs, modifies, marks or otherwise represents packagings as qualified for use in the

A Strong Finish Optimism was sky-high throughout the exhibit halls during GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO, held in Chicago this past September. Why? A sizeable segment of the vendors noted that there appeared to be more printers and trade finishers touting checkbooks—and fewer tire kickers at McCormick Place. Whether it is the first signs of economic recovery and prosperity in this country remains to be seen, but big crowds on the show floor was certainly a good sign. And it wasn't just the prepress and press vendors that reported brisk activity—those pitching finishing products found the latest GRAPH EXPO to their liking. "We did

By Erik Cagle A dozen manufacturers were asked to list the primary differentiators that set apart multiple brands of collating equipment. It may come as no surprise to learn that virtually no one mentioned the price factor. It seems there are numerous attributes that factor into choosing a collator that is the right fit for a particular printer or trade finisher. The depth of choices on the market only underscores the importance of looking past the price tag, as there is a collator for every need. Versatility is a key ingredient for serving the evolving needs of clients, according to Tony Cockerham of Buhrs