LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. — Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses (MLP U.S.A., Inc.) has announced the introduction of an inline roll sheeter engineered for nonstop operation of Mitsubishi's Diamond series presses. Mitsubishi and Mabeg, a manufacturer of roll-to-sheet feeders based in Germany, recently demonstrated the Mabeg Model RS 104 during an open house at the Mitsubishi headquarters in Lincolnshire, Ill. The roll sheeter was connected to an eight-color (four-over-four) Diamond 3000TP Tandem Perfector. The RS 104 can process sheet rolls weighing up to 4,000 pounds. The sheeter is standard-equipped to cut loads as thin as 0.0016 inches up to 18-point thickness with accuracies of ±0.012 inch. Available in trim widths up to 41 inches, the standard configuration allows for a 17.7-inch to 29-inch cutoff length with tolerances of ±0.0039 inch. The design employs a high-speed scissor cutting system capable of running 18,000 sheets per hour. The tension of the paper web is automatically regulated as it runs from the reelstand to the cutting mechanism. Inline conversion from roll to sheet can save printers a substantial amount of money while increasing overall productivity, according to Mitsubishi. "With paper accounting for a large percentage of the cost of a job, using reel stock rather than individual sheets can yield as much as a 30-percent savings," explained Ken Kodama, vice president of sheetfed sales. "Utilizing the RS 104 can improve the competitiveness of printing companies that use the same grade paper, such as publication printers." Printers that employ long perfectors are good candidates for the RS 104 as well, because of the added gains of producing multicolor projects in a single pass. Likewise, the roll sheeter is an especially effective solution for printing in the labels and packaging segment. Cutoff lengths exactly match the size of the product, virtually eliminating trim waste of substrates. Other advantages of the RS 104 include less paper waste, easier storage of paper rolls and unattended press operation. The stock feed also is extremely reliable. The RS 104 ensures constant, trouble-free running with standard or even difficult substrates, such as metallized paper, foil or synthetic materials. Corona charging equipment is available to improve ink bonding when printing on foils, plastics and metallic-coated papers. Stoppages in production are minimized as a result. Once the cutting process is finished, the sheets are guided at the leading edge into the shingling station. The near edge of the sheet is pulled by vacuum against a suction box. The underlapped sheet stream moves over a transport table and onto the press feedboard. Changing over from reel printing to sheets takes only 10 minutes. The RS 104 is mounted on recessed rails in the floor. A motor quickly moves the RS 104 to its park position. The feeder then can be loaded with sheets manually or from a pallet. Optional equipment for the RS 104 includes an antistatic unit and web-moistening unit. Different parking and loading positions for the reelstand are also optionally available. Mitsubishi Diamond series sheetfed presses are available in a range of sizes, from the 28-inch Diamond 1000 series to the 56-inch Diamond 6000 series, and configurations up to 12 printing units. Fast job makeready, ease of operation and high throughput are hallmarks of the Diamond series. Mitsubishi is at the forefront of the implementation of the Job Definition Format specification, and is working with other vendors toward full integration of Mitsubishi presses into a JDF-enabled workflow.