Heidelberg Cylinders stock weight

In researching our possible purchase of a KSB, we cannot seem to find a true measure of stock that can be run.

We see that like our Windmill there are cardboard capabilities. Does this mean that something like 600GSM Lettra or a similar caliper Savoy could be run?

Also, if I am missing the stock weight/caliper in the manual please let me know. I am trying to make my assumptions based upon the packing specs, but certainly we need to make “real” world based decisions vs assumptions.

Log in to reply   5 replies so far

Found a spec. Looks like 300GSM #110 Lettra equivalent is max.

Opinions?

you can exceed the 400 MICRON limit by running the press with no packing at all if the board is grossly over thickness but a mind should be kept on the packing limit for the cylinder on you press it is shown on a plate in the vicinity of the swing arm , all you have to do is bring the packing to suit the thickness that you are printing.
Swing arm being the transfer gripper system that carries the sheet from the feedboard to the cylinder itself.

It isn’t just a matter of subtracting packing to suit thickness of stock. The sheet has to make it through feed, print and delivery, and the curve of the delivery stroke is much tighter than the curve of the cylinder. I have run stock—chipboard—slightly thicker than specs on a KS, but only with grain parallel to cylinder, not possible otherwise. I would speculate a soft sheet like Lettera could get marked at transfer points, certainly by grippers, and there are feed, transfer, cylinder and delivery grippers all at work. Better have trim.

Thanks Peter and Eric.

Appreciate your wisdom. This is a pretty big step for us and we are trying to determine to “true” value this press will bring to the party. Any ability to run thick calipered paper will certainly make the press a better fit.

We have the opportunity to run our first few jobs on site at the sellers facility with their assistance. They are also local to us and appear helpful. To date, our only cylinder press is our Vandercook. We do run Windmills.

How steep is the learning curve on the KSB?

It seems that many of the functions cross over between the Windmill in terms of feed concepts and settings, and the concepts/principles of the Vandercook in terms of printing with a cylinder press in general. Am incorrect here?

P imp
not wanting to get into any petty row here but you would always consider grain direction for any job on a cylinder press and if i can get it through a vertical miehle you can get it through a cylinder . I run h cylinders as a specialist contractor for numerous companies in the south of england . I have a vert in the garage along with a 10 by 15 and a couple of 1250 Addressographs ,A john haddon swift 5x8 and a 19th cent cropperjust shy of 10x15 the stuff in the garage is my toys that help when someone has trimmed a job when it still has other workings . As for the curve of the delivery chain wheel you are right of course that it can be a problem sometimes but hey , we learn some machines will do a job and an identical one next to it wont. unfortunately you often have to take the plunge.
As for the learning its no different from your other experience of the platen . once you learn to set it up you will never forget. Advantages over a platen is speed of run and the quality depends how good the platen results are, I cut and crease a lot on cylinders that is a bit of a tough nut to get into but once mastered you will wish you bought it earliier! Ps You guys have some outlandish kit out there I have used proofers but have no idea of the make of them .I work on the principle that if you can get plain sheets through first you can get the job through it in printing regalia. unfortunately not always the case with cutting and creasing but a challenge should never be ignored, that is what gives one printer the edge over another sometimes.
I am not so old but the guys i work with on their shiny ten colour speedmasters all call me the dinosaur , I just point out that we at least are proper printers who practise a craft . they push buttons, I know how easy litho is as i used to do that too on Kord 64 and gto multilever 52 s Sadly for me my eyes are beginning to fail me so litho is now out of the question but letterpress is slow enough that i dont miss a mark on half a ton of paper before i see it ..