Reap What You Sow

It is a common business model that what you invest in plays a big role in what you get back. So, what can package printers do to improve productivity? One option is to invest in the right cores, shafts, and chucks for your print runs.

“The persistent trend that we see with our customers is their desire to increase machine throughput, reduce waste, and improve ergonomics. They find that properly specified machine components can help them achieve all three,” says Bret Hardy, marketing manager, Double E Company. “Double E takes advantage of this trend in many ways. For example, we offer lightweight carbon fiber lug shafts that can carry heavier and/or wider rolls at higher critical speeds. We also recently debuted a new lightweight strip shaft that reduces weight by [more than] 20 percent without diminishing load capacity. The shafts perform at a higher level while improving worker safety.”

Aware that printers need to maximize uptime and use equipment that accommodates a wider variety of materials. “By simplifying their designs, and using common parts, Convertech has developed a line of shafts which maximizes uptime and can be repaired with common hand tools,” says Larry Taitel, Convertech, Inc. “In addition to their ease-of-use, Convertech shafts also feature QuickChange air bladder cartridges which can reduce repair time to as little as 10 minutes.”

Another trend with cores, shafts, and chucks is the shift toward shaftless center-wind technology from shafted center-wind technology, according to Bob Banks, Boschert. “In order to achieve higher line speeds, safety chuck manufacturers try to find ways to improve the concentricity of the safety chuck unit and at the same time allow effective torque transmission and a smoother run,” he explains. “To address this, Boschert GmbH innovated the square/round seat geometry for safety chucks and roll shaft journals. This patented feature is identified by Boschert as the VT-7 style seat geometry. It is available to retrofit on any Boschert VT Style Safety Chuck.”

Because digital printing brings short runs into the package-printing industry, converters should be aware of how cores, shafts, and chucks fit into this growing market. “Digital printing is characterized by shorter runs. Shorter runs increase the need for quick changeover,” says Sean Craig, winding product manager, Tidland. “To facilitate the need for faster changeover, integrating shafts and chucks that are lightweight (i.e., easier to handle) and easy to maintain into digital printing processes will reduce the time needed for setup between runs and routine maintenance.”

The use of these important components may have to be altered a bit based on advances in digital printing, but they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, says Courtney Donaldson, marketing director, Goldenrod Corp. “We are living in a digital world, but it’s not yet a paperless society,” he explains. “Printing is a huge part of the shaft and chuck industry, and as long as digital images and [text] are printed on paper or film to package, protect, and market products, there will always be a need for shafts and chucks.”

The following is a sample of related products that can help package printers meet their productivity needs.

Differential shafts

The Equalizer Model D4 Differential shaft is designed to convert dust-free rolls with precise tension, as low as 0.15 PLI, for running ultra-thin films. A two-row, 12-ball, torque activated core-lock design ensures equalized tension across any combination of roll widths.—Tidland Corp., www.tidland.com

Air roll lock differential shaft

Convertech’s new Air Roll Lock Differential Shaft features a system that ensures all roll locks grip cores independently and firmly. The newest design of its GlideLock clutched rollers includes CoreLock pads, which grip the core on loading, and apply the correct tension across multiple width cores and different materials on the same shaft. The clutched rollers eliminate dust, wobble, and slip while ensuring concentric rolls.—Convertech, www.convertech.com

Self-centering strip shafts

Double E’s SRS-2000 self-centering strip shaft creates and maintains a consistent axis of rotation for the roll, allowing smooth winding of web materials. It features wear-resistant gripping elements and polyethylene centering strips, which help support the roll as the bladders compress naturally during rotation. The shaft yields consistent pressure from the nip roll all the way around the winding roll, reducing web damage.—Double E, www.doubleeusa.com

Air chuck adapters

NimCor’s pneumatic air chuck adapters provide an alternative solution for converters when core shafts do not match a roll’s core size. The self-centering pneumatic air chuck adapters can be inserted and removed without damaging cores, and air valves can be easily changed without disturbing other components. Chucks can be pneumatically linked using an optional interconnecting air system, allowing single-point inflation of multiple chucks in a single shaft set-up.—NimCor, www.nimcor.com

Safety chuck replaceable insert

Boschert’s VT-7 replaceable insert design of the shaft journal retrofits on any Boschert VT-style safety chuck. The round piece accepts the load-bearing footprint of the roll shaft. The square part transmits torque through the safety chuck to the roll shaft. The torque of the operation (square part) is separated from the load bearing footprint of the roll shaft (round part) preventing wear to the round part of the roll shaft journal.—Boschert, www.boschert.com

Ultralight leaf shaft

Goldenrod Corporation’s new 1260-LF Ultralight Aluminum Multiple Bladder 3˝ Leaf Shaft—at less than 0.24 lbs. per inch of assembled body—is reported to be the lightest weight 3˝ shaft on the market. The 1260-LF shaft is intended for light duty single or multiple roll applications, and is recommended for drum-supported systems.—Goldenrod Corp., www.goldrod.com

Air shafts and chucks

COR-LOK air shafts and chucks provide greater gripping pressure and improved core contact. When inflated, its tubing provides even, controlled expansion for the aluminum leaves and surface engagement with the core I.D., locking it to the shaft.—Converter Accessory Corp., ww.converteraccessory.com pP