Editor’s note: Newspapers & Technology, in conjunction with the Post Press Federation and Perfect Pallets Inc., regularly publishes a question-and-answer column aimed at postproduction issues. Topics and associated responses originate from the Federation’s free online forum. Membership information and other details about the Federation, sponsored and managed by Perfect Pallets, can be found at www.perfectpalletspostpress.com.
 

Topic: Copy paper through an inserter

We have an older inserting machine and we are not having a good experience trying to get copy paper through. Any feedback on how you run this type of insert would be appreciated.

Reply: You are not the only one having problems. Twenty-pound bond paper doesn’t run that well. I have told the ad department that if they accept an insert on 20-pound paper I can’t provide any guarantees of how many inserts will wind up in the paper. It’s the best we can do with what we get.

 

Follow-up: We also have difficulty running light “copy paper” single sheets. I’m not saying we would ever turn away revenue but we do make sure that all of our ad sales reps have copies of our preprint specs. They are supposed to share these specs with advertisers and printers. Our specs call for 70-pound stock on a single sheet. We also state that we cannot be held responsible for shortages due to poorly printed or packaged materials or those that do not meet our preprint specs.

 

Topic: Pocket/paddle modifications for narrower webs

I’m interested in hearing any feedback from those who have modified a (Goss International) 1372 for 44-inch or 46-inch web sizes. Did you find it necessary to change to the longer centering paddles and deep-cut pockets?  Did the modifications work as advertised?

Reply: We changed our moveable walls and inside paddles when we went to a 48-inch web. The paddles we bought can also accommodate a 46-inch web.

Follow-up: We didn’t change anything as far as the pockets, but we rebuilt some of our hoppers using a shaft that we built. We added about 2.5 inches and moved the hopper out so the opener would be in the right place for the opener station. We’re going to redo the other hoppers just as a matter of routine maintenance.

Topic: Tracking bundles

We use DCs and recently had an incident where one of our paper delivery persons said that we had not sent out his bundles. We checked our machines and the zone had been run, and we checked with the driver that takes bundles from our plant to the field. He distinctly remembered delivering the skid to the DC.

What procedures do you use for tracking your products and what do you believe the cutoff point should be as far as being responsible for products after they leave the dock?

Reply: We use distribution centers and it has been agreed that packaging responsibility ends at the door of packaging. We do provide the drivers with a manifest for each DC so he knows how many pallets or carts he should be loading and a copy to each distribution center so they know how many they should be getting. On our two unstaffed satellite centers, we have the pallet operator sign off on the count and turn in the sheet at the end of the run.

Follow-up: At the plant, drivers verify the load count before leaving. At the drop-off area, circulation managers verify the routes are correct. After that, it’s up to the bundle haulers to leave the correct number of bundles for carriers.

Topic: SLS 3000 migration

I am in talks with a couple of papers that are using Muller Martini Mailroom Systems Inc. SLS 3000 machines. I have never run one. I would like to hear from sites that have changed over from (Goss/Heidelberg) type equipment to the 3000. What was the learning curve like?

Reply: The learning curve is huge. Running a 3000 is night and day different than a Goss machine and takes much more computer savvy than older machines.

Follow-up: We have two SLS 3000 insert machines. I worked on and operated 1372s for the better part of 20 years and there is no comparison between the machines and their functionality. Yes, there is a learning curve and it is not a small one. You will need to interface with downstream equipment and train your existing staff to allow them to take custody and ownership of the SLS 3000.

Follow-up: Some specific details regarding the differences between operating inserters based on the traditional hopper (i.e. the 1372, 2299, 630, SLS 1000 family) and the SLS 3000:

•The SLS 3000 runs better at high speeds and not as well at low speeds. If this machine is run at cycle speeds typical of a 1372 or SLS 1000, it may be a struggle.

•The hoppers (feeders) are more sensitive to stack height than the traditional hopper. The people feeding the inserts must get out of the habit of running 12- to 14-inch stack heights.

•Work to minimize stoppages. While this is true of all production equipment, it is more critical with the SLS 3000. When it’s restarted all types of misfeeds can occur. Make certain that the cause of the stoppage is addressed before restarting. It is better to take an extra minute to get a clean restart as opposed to getting into a 5- or 10-minute cycle of start/stop/start/stop/start.

•At least one person in your organization needs to learn the details of the electronics on the equipment. Small problems can occur that can be quickly resolved by someone that has a thorough understanding of the equipment.

Topic: Speeding 1372

We have a (Goss) 1372 at our downtown location to insert smaller packages when needed. It runs normal, and then speeds up to a very high rate of speed. It’s become so bad that the machine immediately ramps up to the high speed upon start-up. Any help would be appreciated.

Reply: Feedback loss to the drive (by drive I mean the electronic controller that supplies variable voltage to the drive motor) is the most likely cause of this problem. The speed control potentiometer defines to the drive the speed that the motor should run. The feedback loop defines to the drive the speed the motor is actually running. If the drive receives feedback that the motor is stopped because of an intermittent problem with the feedback device, then the drive runs the motor to maximum speed to compensate.

If the system has an encoder or tach generator driven by the main drive motor, I would carefully inspect the mechanical and electrical connections on this device.  If the drive is a DC drive and uses armature feedback (i.e. no external feedback device), check the condition of the brushes on the DC motor. If it’s OK it’s probably the drive.

Follow-up: We have a 1372 here and the tach or encoder that feeds back to the DC drive most likely causes the speed issue. An outright failure of the tach should bring up an encoder fault on your control podium. I would check the DC power supply for the tach located in the control card enclosure in the center of the machine. In addition, check the mechanical assembly driving the tach. A loose screw on one of the belt pulleys could easily cause the problem you are experiencing.

Topic: Sunday distribution

We are in the process of building a distribution center with Cannon tables for our carriers. Currently, we pass out as two parts (classified with key bundles and mains off the press) to home delivery Monday through Saturday and go live with single copy daily. On Sundays, we sometimes have three parts. My question is, when do you distribute your Sunday packages? We run our final Sunday pack on Friday night and think that putting them in the distribution center would be a time and space saver for us.

Reply: The sooner you get them out to the DCs the better. This gives them time to break them down to whatever level they need to and if there is a problem or shortage you still have time to react to it.

Follow-up: We go out in two parts for daily: an advance with preprints and an empty main. Our daily packs go out each evening early enough to get the trucks back for the main run.

We usually go out in three parts for Sunday: two insert packs and an empty main. Our first Sunday pack goes out to the distribution centers on Friday dayside as we run it and our second pack goes out on Saturday dayside as we run it. We usually run a Sunday prepack earlier in the week. If the Sunday is huge, the prepack become an additional package for the carriers and would go out Wednesday or Thursday. On very heavy weeks (three insert packs and a main) we have been asked to hold the earliest insert package in the packaging center due to limited real estate at one of our DCs. In my humble opinion, it is always better to get the packs out of the packaging center as they run, but the DCs have to have the space available to deal with the daily packages that are coming for that day’s distribution and have the space for the advance Sunday stuff.