The Cutting Edge

Your paper cutter can make or break your printed pieces. Choose it wisely.

By Erik Cagle

WHAT MAKES Jeff Gordon a top driver on NASCAR's stock car driving circuit? Speed alone is hardly the reason Gordon gets to spray his pit crew with champagne. Luck and patience play roles, as does tactical positioning on the track. But even the slightest flaw in the No. 24 car's mechanical composition can mean the difference between success and a short day at the track.

Similarly, a paper cutting system can, like Gordon, slice right through a straightaway. But precision handling is even more important around a tricky corner or bend, and the slightest miscalculation can spell disaster for a printed product.

"Cutting is one of the most critical operations in the print production workflow," notes Tyrone Adams, manager of postpress sales for MAN Roland, which sells Wohlenberg cutters. "It's a function that requires both precision and speed. Plus, by the time the job arrives at the knife, it has considerable value because it has already been printed. So any mistakes at the cutting stage can be costly."

Among the questions Adams suggests that end users ask manufacturers while on the prowl for a cutting system: How fast are the knife changes? What are the safety features? And how easy is it to use?

"Reliability is a big factor," Adams says. "So self-diagnostic features and the support of a field service force are other requisites to consider. You also want to make sure that a complete and dependable spare parts and consumables source is part of the package."

Fitting Your Requirements

Jeff Marr, vice president of sales for Colter & Peterson, emphasizes the importance of three cutter characteristics:

1. How well the system fits the customer's requirements.

2. The quality of construction and level of support.

3. The amount of technology in the system.

"Will the machine stand up to rigorous workflow demands and, if service is required, can the vendor respond quickly with the required items needed to make repairs?" Marr poses. "And does the system incorporate the latest in both operator controls and operating elements?"

Users need to keep in mind the largest press or imaging size at their disposal, according to Mark Pellman, marketing manager for Baum Corp. The cutter should have the table width and depth to accommodate your largest current and future requirements. Other considerations include:

• The varieties of stock and how often they are used.

• The user's electrical power and floor space requirements.

• The finishing/trimming applications. If the user produces perfect bound or saddle stitched books, three-side and face trimming capabilities must be considered.

• Are an air bed and/or workflow systems needed? An air bed can greatly increase productivity by reducing the effort required to move large lifts of stock through the cutter.

Britt Cary, director of sales and marketing for Challenge Machinery, notes that the pool of skilled bindery journeymen has been decreasing and small- to mid-sized shops must utilize less experienced labor. Thus, the equipment they operate must be safer and more user-friendly. Backgauge controllers must be easy to program and backgauge positioning has to be accurate.

"Having all the bells and whistles of the most advanced controller will not increase productivity if the operator does not understand how to program the machine," Cary says. "With modern, computer-operated backgauge controllers, position accuracy and repeatability should be self-checking. If the backgauge is knocked out of location by jogging the stock, the computer should automatically correct the error. The computer should have the ability to detect the loss of accuracy of the positioning system and notify the operator of a problem. On all but lower cost machines the backgauge position should be derived from some device other than the lead screw so position accuracy will not be affected by wear of the lead screw."

Technology allows for pinpoint cutting precision, less operator handling and fast changeover of cutting sizes, notes Hans Max, president and CEO of MBO America, which also distributes the Wohlenberg cutter line. Those features, alone or combined, allow a bindery to be more productive.

"State-of-the-art software and hardware have almost limitless storage capacity that can eliminate operator error and generate the cutting programs displayed graphically on a screen," Max remarks. "New software updates always keep the guillotine up to date with the latest standard."

Don Dubuque, marketing manager for Standard Finishing Systems, sees programming as a defining characteristic of a quality cutting system. Users should look for the ability to program and store multiple jobs on a cutter, with the capability of instant recall of complicated jobs.

"Programming also helps improve setup times and efficiency rates of a job," Dubuque notes. "Customers can easily compare the programming features of various cutters, including how many steps are involved in inputting a job into memory, how easy it is to recall the job and how many different jobs can be stored. As with automation, programming can help to eliminate costly mistakes and reprinting of jobs."