August 1999 Issue
Full Circle
Always the tail that wagged the converting dog, solid rotary die technology is now as sophisticated and efficient as any aspect of the package printing process. by David Luttenberger, CPP With quality and service a given, diemakers are looking toward more sophisticated and value-added options on which to hang their hats. No matter whether the die is for cutting paper, polyester or even non-wovens, new coatings and time-saving methods for hardening steel are what many diemakers feel will give them an edge in a segment that has seen more than a handful of new competitors pop up in the past few years. "Basically, steel
Move Over, Makeready
Quick-change can happen on-line, off-line, or perhaps even somewhere in between. By Susan Friedman Clark Kent may have consistently favored an "off-line" retreat into a telephone booth for his legendary Superman "changeover," but quick-change makeready systems for today's presses are a little more fickle. A supplier's idea of the fastest, most cost-effective job-changeover set-up can range from a completely self-contained system that never leaves the press, to a completely removable system, to one that can move a job off-line, but not away from the immediate printing area. Here's a look at several design rationales. The inside story Propheteer's standard approach to quick-change—an open print
What's My Line?
Experts debate the role of electronic line shafts in register control. By Susan Friedman Earth-shattering advances, break-through innovations? Well, not exactly. Developments on the register control front are a little more low-key at the moment. "Not a lot has happened [recently in register controls], other than improvements in human-machine interface to make life easier," notes Jack Woolley, president of PC Industries. "Refinements will be subtle, small, and ongoing." However—if the focus is expanded to include progressions in press motion control systems, specifically the electronic line shaft and its ultimate implications for register control, the discussion becomes a little more animated. Some suppliers believe electronic
