In press operations, too much time is spent changing the position of reel arms for newsprint rolls of different sizes. This is especially true when printing zoned editions with small circulations.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which uses multiple presses to print its zoned editions, has a special system in its reel room. This innovation allows the company's press operators to switch among rolls of various sizes without having to reposition the reel arm.
Pressman load the reel with three rolls of different sizes---for example, a half roll on one arm, a three-quarter roll on the second arm, and a full roll on the third arm. The arrangement depends on the number of pages in a particular section.
Mike Schuster, a press supervisor at the Journal Sentinel, explains that each reel arm uses a light-weight aluminum shaft 55 inches long (the width of a full roll). The shaft is slipped through the core of each fractional-size newsprint roll. Each roll is aligned on the shaft so the web will travel through the unit in the correct position. The roll is then securely locked into place by inflating a rubber bladder inside the shaft, which pushes a series of small metal pistons against the inside of the core.
Once the roll is locked in the correct position on the shaft, both are pushed onto the reel between the reel arms. Then both ends of the shaft are securely locked on the reel.
Time is saved by loading a different-size roll as the press completes its previous run. All that remains is to paste the start of the new roll to the tail of the old roll and walk the web into the folder. Rolls can be changed during the run without stopping the press to move the reel arms.
Schuster points out that the shafts are very light and easy to handle. They have been in use for a long time at the Journal Sentinel and have been well-received by the pressmen.
The amount of time saved is a function of the number of zoned editions and the number of pages in each particular zoned section, and it can be significant. Newspapers printing zoned editions that require many changes during the total run can certainly benefit from this innovation.
Frank Balentine is NAA press manager. E-mail is naanetwork!naa!balef@naaatt.attmail.com ; phone is (703) 648-1217.
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