Stacker Solutions
Bundle Line
Solutions
Stack Inverter
The issue – die cutting operations have long sacrificed production during stack or bundle ejection cycles. Some will argue that only a few impressions are lost each ejection cycle, but in high-production plants this can add up to hundreds, even thousands of lost sheets per hour. In addition to lost production, there is increased wear on the die cutter’s anilox roll system due to constantly engaging and disengaging the printing plates as well as the possibility of over-inking, or under inking the printing plates causing the first sheet of the new stack to be darker or lighter depending on the amount of ink applied. These are among common issues that can be related to momentarily interrupting the feed cycle.
The Solution, SmartShingle™
SmartShingle(patent pending), one of Geo. M. Martin Company’s most recent innovations, offers a solution to these issues. Developed to meet converters’ desire to maximize the efficiency and productivity of their die cutter lines, Smart Shingle can reduce, or eliminate the need to interrupt the feed cycle during stacker load change.
When activated, SmartShingle automatically adjusts the board shingle on both the transfer conveyor and stacking incline conveyor by regulating belt speeds to create enough time for the stacker to load change a full stack or bundle. Most importantly, this allows the press to run continuously without a feed-interrupt or by adjusting press speed.
The Bottom Line
With a die cutter running at mid to top speed, six to seven sheets, if not more, can be lost at each load change, whether it’s a stack or bundle. At higher machine speeds, an operation running full stacks, discharges a load every 1.5 to 2 minutes. Depending on machine speed, this can add up to 180 to 420 in lost sheets per hour.
An operation running bundles with an average of two to three bundle changes per minute can lose up to 1260 sheets per hour, or in an eight-hour shift and astounding 10,080 sheets!
On any order size, SmartShingle can save valuable production time. On large orders dramatic increases in productivity are possible. What would the potential to run an extra 10,000sheets per shift mean to your bottom line?
Smart Shingle is an optional feature available on new, and can be retrofitted to existing, Geo. M. Martin LBX and SBX Scrubber stackers.
