Stay sheet-wise

Damage to the surfaces of sensitive paper and board grades in the form of bruising, marks and scratches is a problem paper mills and converters often face, says ECH Will. "In conventional sheeting machines these marks are caused by physical interaction in the sheet transport and overlapping section through contact with the material. Every year," the company points out, "tons of coated paper and board have to be taken back by converters and paper mills as a result of customer claims".

ECH Will's solution - introduced at drupa 2004 - is the FS PRO folio-size sheeter - said to guarantee mark-free sheeting of paper and board (see May, 2004). It features a new type of sheet transport and overlapping system. This works with a vacuum belt system and carefully controlled positive electrostatic charges instead of conventional overlapping fingers and break rollers, to slow down and overlap sheets. "It promotes continuous production and highest quality, even at higher speeds," boasts Martin Brandt, vp sales and marketing.

The first two FS PRO sheeters have been sold to Korean paper manufacturer Hongwon.

Another manufacturer's latest technology has been chosen by Kansas, USA, based Maverick Converting & Logistics. MarquipWardUnited's SheeterLeader is designed "for converters who demand the highest quality sheets and press-ready stacks but do not require the high throughput of more expensive sheeters".

Demonstrated at last month's CMM International, the SheetLeader utilizes a two-web configuration for light product, with single-web automated web splicing for heavier applications, allowing maximum flexibility to run a variety of products, from paper to board, including two-web 'cut-to-register'.

Maxson offers a feature on its precision sheeters to ensure the skids of sheeted stock delivered to the printing press are free of splices that could smash blankets and cause press downtime. A capacitance type splice detector is mounted prior to the cutter infeed. It senses a change in web thickness and signals the reject gate to divert the spliced sheet at speeds of up to 300 cuts/min.

Last year, Apollo (formerly Valmet) Sheeters, now a Bobst company, developed the TSK2 to fill an application niche between its basic TSK model sold mainly to converters, printers and folding carton producers, and the larger TSKS high volume, fully specified mill sheeter. Several customers, both mills and larger converters had indicated that whilst they could not justify the cost and features of the TSKS, they needed a little more technology, particularly in the area of sheet delivery, than the standard TSK sheeter.

Apollo's solution was a machine with a sheet delivery system similar to that of a fully specified mill sheeter - offered for "a marginal cost increase" over the standard TSK model. It has features said to allow a faster running speed with excellent stacking and "greatly reduced potential for sheet marking".

The TSK2 has been sold to Lenzing, in Austria, and Turkish board producer Kombassan.

Built with "the best European, American and Japanese parts and components", the Accura Apex 140 high speed sheeter from Philippines based manufacturer Accuratech is claimed to cost only a fraction of its German, British and American counterparts with approximately the same technical specifications. "In fact, it may be less than the half the cost of a used European sheeter with the same capabilities," the company states. A payback period of less than two years is promised.

Modular design allows users to configure the machine according to their present situation and future needs, says the manufacturer. It claims to have supplied over 600 units worldwide.