Delivering Quality on Time
- Published: April 01, 2003, By Edited by Nsenga Byrd Thompson, Staff Editor
Ohio-based converter RiverCor competes at the "cutting edge" with the installation of an SHM 1450 dual rotary precision sheeter from Körber PaperLink.
Just-in-time manufacturing is a modern reality, yet today's converters know nothing is more important than delivering a quality product. And when you can deliver that product on time and at a competitive price, that's even better.
To achieve those competing goals and set the stage for growth, RiverCor LLC, a specialist in providing boxboard and paper sheeting to the folding carton converting and small commercial printing markets, recently installed an SHM 1450 dual rotary sheeter from Körber PaperLink North America at its new plant in Barberton, OH.
Revamping a Paper Company
RiverCor was founded in July 2001 by a group of private investors through the purchase and complete revamping of a small Cleveland paper company. Early on, the new owners and management team decided to move operations out of an aging 88,000-sq-ft plant in Cleveland into a new, modern 40,000-sq-ft facility in Barberton, OH. That move was completed in July 2002.
The new building was just phase one of RiverCor's revamping process. To make good on its business promise of delivering a quality product on time that's competitively priced, RiverCor realized its existing sheeting equipment would be hard pressed to keep up with demand. While the company had five existing sheeters, the equipment was old, slow, and inefficient. Secondary trimming required an additional labor step and resulted in higher waste levels. As a result, the decision was made to invest in a precision sheeter.
After evaluating both new and used equipment alternatives, RiverCor selected an SHM 1450 dual rotary sheeter manufactured by Pemco Inc., part of the Körber PaperLink group. The sheeter can handle a wide range of materials including paper and board.
Tom Carone, RiverCor's general manager, says the company chose the 1450 because of its flexibility, throughput, and precision. At the same time, RiverCor also saw an advantage in purchasing from a North American supplier with a well-established service group. Carone says, “It was the best machine value to do all the things we wanted to accomplish.”
A Clean Cut
For RiverCor, an integral part of the new sheeter is the cross cutter made by E.C.H. Will, also part of Körber PaperLink. The main advantage of the dual rotary design, says Carone, is its ability to provide the highest possible cut quality due to a “scissors-like” cutting action.
Enhanced cut quality is especially beneficial to RiverCor's customers within the folding carton industry. “A clean cut translates into less dust, which results in fewer printing imperfections and wash-ups for our customers,” explains Carone. “The product we deliver has to be top quality because our customer's reputation often is riding on it.”
The sheeter is equipped with a dual shaftless unwind that speeds roll changes because it eliminates the need for an overhead hoist when loading rolls. The unwind's rugged design handles rolls up to 73 in. dia and weighing up to 8800 lb. According to Carone, “With the shaftless design, we can complete a roll change in less than five minutes.”
The sheeter's web conditioning system includes a load cell tension unit to maintain a sheet-length accuracy of ±0.020 in. as well as a web-steering unit and decurler station. Carone adds, “The web-steering unit allows us to slit precisely down the middle of the web without having to take an edge trim.”
Because of the nature of RiverCor's business, it was important to equip the machine with a decurler that would accommodate a wide range of materials from lightweight to heavier grades. A three-bar decurler includes three different diameter roller bars, is quickly and easily adjusted, and provides a flat sheet without cracking or “checking” the surface of the web.
With a maximum web width of 57 in. (1,450 mm), the sheeter reportedly is capable of a wide range of cut-off lengths from cut-size dimensions to folio sizes. The sheeter's delivery section includes a number of options to maximize performance and throughput. A reject gate works in conjunction with a splice detector mounted at the cutter infeed and automatically diverts sheets out of the tape section when splices are detected during a run. A vacuum overlap is said to maintain higher speeds, reducing jam-ups at the point of overlap. This item, when combined with a soft catch nip section reportedly can prevent marking of even the most sensitive coated materials.
Designed to handle both short and long runs efficiently, the 1450 combines quick setup with a compact footprint. This has complemented RiverCor's operating philosophy. “In our business, customers place an order today and they want it tomorrow,” Carone explains. “The SHM 1450 is so precise, it lets us run paper or board up to 36 point in excess of 980 feet per minute off the sheeter and out the door, without going to a guillotine. That's huge for us, because it gives us a key competitive advantage.”
A Key Component
Since it was commissioned in August 2002, the 1450 has proved just the ticket for the variety of board and paper RiverCor routinely sheets and quickly became a key component of its three-shift operation. The new machine operates alongside an existing stationary bed knife sheeter that was refurbished before being moved to the new plant.
Carone says Körber PaperLink's support capabilities through its North American operations to provide service and technical support were also key factors in the company's decision to purchase the SHM sheeter. He notes, “Körber PaperLink North America stocks a majority of spare parts here in the US available for overnight shipment. They not only provide parts for the 1450 but also for our stationary bed knife sheeter, so we know we can count on them for quick response when we need parts or service.”
RiverCor's investments in the new plant, in new procedures, and precision sheeting equipment have definitely paid off, said Carone. “In our business, taking care of the customer means delivering what they want and when they want it, and thanks to the SHM 1450 dual rotary sheeter, we deliver on that promise every day.”
CONVERTER INFO
RiverCor LLC
65 Foundation Pl.
Barberton, OH 44203
330/745-5557
SUPPLIER INFO
Körber PaperLink NA
, 414. Windsor, CT; 860/687-9911; kplna.kpl.net
