In one form or another, the machine has been sold in the UK since the 1950s and was mainly targeted at B1 printers who were keen to cut or trim their stacks, but weren’t worried about turning the paper on the cutting table.
There have been several versions of the Polar over its life-span. In the 1980s they brought out the EM and in the 1990s it was the E and ED. The most recent models are XT, said Steve Nyland, managing director of Britain’s used machinery dealer, Nyland Graphics. In the UK, the ED and the XT are the most popular versions mainly because they’re more automated than their predecessors; the X, XT and XT Autotrim, were all launched around drupa 2004.
The newest machines are easily fitted into a complete cutting system with peripheral equipment, including stack lift, automatic jogger, buffers, gripper transport system, loading and unloading systems; all of which helps to make cutting lighter work for the operator.
Users can easily tell some of the differences between the various machines through their names. For example the more recent model, Polar 115 XT Autotrim, features an automatic trim removal, which can increase productivity by up to 30 per cent, while the 115 ECM is supplied with an ECM TV monitor. The XT also has optional optimised cutting cycle which gives greater productivity when cutting equal sizes in a sequence. All models now feature a 15in colour display and touchscreen control panel. The XT and Autotrim models feature various degrees of optional automation including programmable back gauge advance, pre-selection cut counter, TwinClamp (which compensates for height differences in the material) and automatic waste removal system options.
On the XT a range of knife tools help prevent blades from sticking to labels and reduce knife-changing times. The AntiStick Knife is for cutting gummed materials such as stick-on-labels while the AirKnife, available as an option on the XT Autotrim, prevents static-loaded material or plastic sheets from sticking to the blade.
Polar 115s have a high residule value worldwide. The whole of the range sell well added Nyland. Even the 25-year-old models we still sell overseas, he said.
One important point is FFM guarding; you need to make sure that the machine has this as a health and safety requirement. They started introducing them as standard in the mid- to late-’80s. Apart from that, check the service history, said Nyland. Also ensure the machine has a good servicing record and that all safety features are still operational. Heidelberg can supply spare parts and service supports as well as remarketed machines.
SPECIFICATIONS
Cutting width 1,150mm
Max pile height 165mm
Knife Speed X, XT, XT Autotrim 45 cycles/min
Feed depth 1,150mm
New XT circa £48,000
What to look for
• Service history
• Damage to cutting beds
• FFM Guarding
Read the original article at www.printweek.com.
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