A light box on wheels is also a good plan for caring for waste of this kind. In some places where there is a great deal of trimming, a chute in the floor next to the machine provides a convenient method of disposing of waste from a number of machines. This chute leads into a large bin or baling machine below, from which the material is carted away.
The worth of a paper-cutter operator can be measured by an examination of the waste cuttings. A careless operator can waste a large sum of money in a year. Many persons make a good living from the waste paper of large printing and binding plants by buying it at a nominal price and selling it again at a considerable advance.
There is unavoidable waste, of course, but there is often a great deal of unnecessary trimming. When the necessary trimming runs up into hundreds and thousands of pounds, as it does in all large plants, it is worthy of notice, especially when it is realized that this waste has been paid for at the same rate per pound as the stock that is actually used. Some printers and binders sort and bale their waste and dispose of it so as to make a considerable saving, but few understand how a little care and system can be made to return a good profit.
There is another waste, sometimes far greater in amount, caused by the careless cutting of stock. A thoughtless operator will often try to save ten minutes by hasty calculation and then waste stock through inaccurate cutting that costs several dollars.
In some binderies the operator is instructed to sort his trimmings according to the kind of stock; that is, clean white edge trimmings kept by themselves are worth more than when mixed with miscellaneous colored trimmings. By having two or more bins at hand into which these different kinds can be thrown as they come from the knife the sorting can be done without extra handling.
An intelligent inspection, segregation and saving of the waste cuttings will well repay the effort. The larger pieces of waste can be kept for pads or other use. White stock should be kept separate from colored and where the quantity will warrant the cost, all waste should be baled in a baling press.
Depreciation of a Paper-Cutting Machine
Deterioration takes place in a paper-cutting machine chiefly in the knife, friction clutch, driving-shaft bearings, knife-bar guide ways, and knife pull-down connection. Depreciation in the entire machine occurs rapidly when it is not kept oiled, adjusted, and clean. Neglected bearings which run dry are ruined in a short time. The times for the daily oilings and weekly cleaning and polishing should be fixed and faithfully attended to.
On modern machines the worn knife and the friction-clutch bearings may be easily replaced or repaired. Knife-bar guide ways and the guide slot for the back gage are made with adjustments for taking up wear, for which the maker will give correct instructions on request. The knife-bar pull-down connections are not so easily corrected for wear, and the simpler and more direct these connections are, and the fewer slots and rolls, pins, etc., the better. The general design of the machine also affects its value, especially if it is not adapted for the addition of improvements or attachments for increasing its production.