Getting to 50"
by Frank Balentine
Should the analysis presented by the NAA Web Width Reduction Task Force to
the NAA Board of Directors Sept. 12 lead your management to adopt the
50-inch-web option, get ready to implement a complex set of modifications to
your press, whatever type of press you run. Here's a checklist of what to
expect.
Reel-Tension-Paster
Rolls for single-wide presses can be realigned to the folder without
mechanical modifications. For double-wide presses equipped with automatic
pasters, stop blocks on the spider shaft would have to be relocated to handle
the narrower roll.
- Static belts and straps (single-wide and double-wide presses):
On double-wide presses, outside straps would need to be moved inward so
outside brushes would not extend too far beyond the narrower roll. Existing
brushes and knives would need to be replaced with narrower ones. Pre-drive belts
would need repositioning. This could pose problems and require mechanical
adjustment to center the belts for fraction-size rolls.
- Running belt tension (single-wide and double-wide): Very few
mechanical changes would be necessary, although some software changes might be
required in the newer automatic reels. Some presses could require mechanical
adjustments to brackets to center the pre-drive belt when running fraction-size
rolls.
Units
- Open fountains (single-wide and double-wide): End seals would
need to be moved inward and ink keys re-spaced. The keys would need to be shut
off on the outside, and seals and dividers installed. This would also hold true
for some single-wide presses with open fountains.
- Injector page packs and digital page packs (double-wide only):
Presses equipped with mechanical and digital page packs would have similar
problems with their ink pick-up rollers. Each type would require the orifice
plates on the ink rails to be replaced or modified. The surface length of the
pick roller would also need to be reduced.
Mechanical packs would require
some modification to remap the zone-area control for each ink-key position. The
face length of all rubber rollers in the ink train would need to be cut.
Dampeners and Anti-setoff Rollers
- Sprays bars (single-wide and double-wide): The spray bar
manifold would have to be replaced with a new manifold having nozzle-mounting
holes spaced for a 50-inch web. The other parts could be used by transferring
them from the existing bars to the new manifolds.
- Spiral brushes and sock roller (single-wide and double wide): The
body length of the brush or sock roller would need to be trimmed. The inner-page
water stops would need to be cut and the outer stops replaced with longer ones.
The face length of the associated rubber rollers would also need to be cut.
- Turbo system: The shutters on the turbo system would need to be
modified to reduce the area to be covered.
- Plate lock-up (single-wide and double-wide): Many presses would
require new plate lock-up assemblies. Early vintage presses would need extensive
modification and new-part replacement. Newer presses with plate locks-ups could
be rearranged to accommodate smaller plate sizes. In this case, only the
register pin would have to be repositioned.
Angle Bar Assemblies
- Roller front of bar (double-wide only): The roller would have
to be removed from the press and machined with new slitter grooves. This would
allow the quarter-page (dinkey) web-slitter knife and slot cleaners to be
repositioned as required.
Folder
- Former boards (double-wide only): The inside areas of the
former boards would have to be trimmed to allow the boards to move inward for
the narrower web. Adjustment rods and hand wheels might have to be modified. The
former-board support located behind and between the double former pans could
require modification to allow the boards to move far enough toward each other to
align the center fold of each section. The modifications to the bottom former
boards and nipping rollers would also apply to presses equipped with two- and
three-high balloon formers.
- Nipping roller (single-wide and double-wide): The design of some
nipping rollers could require the roller body to be removed from the press and
machined to allow the back collar to be moved toward the front of the section
and to control the back margin. This would depend on the vintage folder. Some
folders are equipped with nipping roller bodies that can be adjusted without
being removed from the press.
- Cross association (double-wide only): Some of the larger 3:2
folders are designed to allow the cross-association roller to be adjusted
without major machining. Others would need new idler gears and mounting brackets
on both sides of the folder.
- Folding cylinder (single-wide and double-wide): The folding pins
that grip the open back edge of the paper and prevent the paper from dog-earing
would have to be moved inward. This could require moving more than one pin.
Additionally, the knife bar would need to be modified to accept the new pin
positions.
- Expansion bands (double-wide only): It would be necessary to
relocate the outside expansion band on 3:2 folders. This would require slide
bars, cover plates and tucking (folding blades).
- Second-fold rollers (single-wide and double-wide): In general, the
second-fold rollers that are not timed could be used as is. However, some types
of rollers would have to be replaced.
- Delivery belts and conveyor (single-wide and double-wide): The
delivery pan and fly would have to be adjusted inward to allow for an even
delivery from the second-fold rollers to the conveyor or pick-up station.
Pressrooms equipped with single-gripper conveyors could be required to realign
the grippers so the pick-up would be centered on the paper.
- Negative-reading preset system (single-wide and double-wide):
Presses equipped with ink-control preset scanner systems would need to be
calibrated to the new web size.
NAA's Balentine can be reached at (703) 648-1217. E-mail is
naanetwork!naa!balef@naaatt.attmail.com
Related items:
TechNews Volume 1, Number 5: September/October 1995
©1997 Newspaper Association of America. All rights reserved.