Once, if there was a production problem in the mailroom, "the solution was to throw bodies at it," recalls Howard Eichler, NAA vice president of newspaper operations. "The current solution is to throw technology at it."

Some of this technology was on display at NEXPO:

• Automated Guided Vehicles. The Jervis B. Webb Co., Farmington Hills, Mich., has adapted its automatic guided-vehicle systems for newsprint roll storage to moving preprints or bundles around production areas. Rival FMC of Chalfont, Pa., offers a mailroom AGV aimed at the top 150 dailies, as does HK Systems, New Berlin, Wis.
• Totalizing Systems. Heat and Control Inc., South San Francisco, Calif., exhibited a totalizer that can be programmed in less than 30 seconds to accommodate frequent setups. Exhibitor Ramsey Technologies Inc., Minneapolis, is selling a similar system.
• Bundling and Wrapping. Longtime bundler Signode Packaging Systems, Glenview, Ill., and relative newcomer Sterling Packaging Systems, Westlake, Ohio, introduced mobile, high-speed strapping machines at NEXPO.
  Power Strap of Hodgkins, Ill., and Dynaric Inc. of Teaneck, N.J. offered bundlers aimed at smaller newspapers. David Jackson, applications manager for EAM Mosca Corp., West Hazelton, Pa., reported strong interest in the TR-I, which cross-straps bundles without turning.
• Counter-stackers. Total Mailroom Support Inc., Brook Park, Ohio, unveiled a counter-stacker that ejects bundles in four directions.
• Palletizers. Alvey Inc. of St. Louis, and sister The Buschman Co., Cincinnati, offered the Alvey 600 LTN Palletizer and Buschman On-Line Status Screen, tracking bundles on conveyors using bar codes read by lasers. Western Atlas Inc., Hebron, Ky., displayed the von Gal® Z-3 NewsWrap(TM) Palletizer, which stretch-wraps layers of bundled newspapers as the conveyor deposits them onto pallets. Both Quipp Systems Inc. of Miami and Machine Design Service Inc. of Denver demonstrated robotic palletizers.

TechNews Volume 2, Number 4: July/August 1996

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