Paper
Trimming
Knives

SOLUTIONS & SUPPORT LINKS

The Advantage
of the FASSCO paper knife...
FASSCO F-3000 18% tungsten inlaid high speed steel is the world's best made and longest lasting high speed paper trimming knife on the market today.

The advantages of the FASSCO F-3000 paper knife:

Confidence that only the best suited materials will be used. All F-3000 high speed steel knives are made from a T1 inlay containing 18% tungsten. Expect 3-5 times longer life than standard knives.

FASSCO F-3000 knife is the only knife that is heat treated in a thermostatically controlled vacuum furnace. This expensive method of heat treating ensures that the cutting edge has a uniform hardness. The results are cleaner, longer lasting cuts between regrind. This optimal heat treatment also makes the FASSCO F-3000 the easiest high speed steel knife to resharpen and hone.

All FASSCO F-3000 high speed steel knives are made per OEM specifications, including the angle. Most of our competitors standardize all angles at 24°. However, most European machine builders specify a 22° angle.

We guarantee our FASSCO F-3000 paper trimming knives to outperform any high speed knife on the market today.

Compare one FASSCO F-3000 knife to your present brand for:

Length of service between regrinds.

Straightness and fit.

Accuracy of bevel.

Sharpness and keen edge.

Schönenberger
tungsten carbide knives last longer!
Constantly increasing demands for improved productivity require extensive use of the most wear-resistant materials available. Schönenberger tungsten carbide is the ideal material for many applications due to its high hardness, high compressive strength, resistance to high temperatures, dramatic wear-resistance and excellent toughness. These and many other useful properties are the results of the metallurgical structure of this composite material. Cobalt binders for toughness and nickel alloy binders for corrosion resistance are the matrix for the wear-resistant grains of tungsten carbide and its alloys. By varying the binder content and size of tungsten carbide grains, we can achieve a wide range of qualities for different applications.

The benefits of tungsten carbide are many. Schönenberger tungsten carbide knives will perform 10 to 25 times longer than standard knives. The quality and accuracy of the products are greatly improved, thus reducing rejections and increasing yields. With knife changes reduced, regrinding costs are slashed.

Schönenberger Megalife tungsten carbide is a new generation of carbide designed especially for increased productivity.

Megalife carbide is a superfine micro-grain material which displays an even higher wear resistance than our regular carbide.

The advantages of Megalife carbide over regular carbide:

Lasts 3 to 4 times longer between regrinds.

Improves cutting quality while reducing dust.

Higher compressive strength of the micro grain structure reduces the tendency of cutting edge nicking.

Recommended bevels for Paper Cutting Knives
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For the European market all knives are supplied with a standard bevel of 22°. Listed below are various materials and suggested bevels to assist you in obtaining maximum benefit from your knives.

	MATERIALS
1 = 17°	rubber tubes	crude rubber	soft rubber
1 = 19°	aluminum foils lead foil copy paper felt carbon paper	cork blotting paper NCR paper absorbent silk paper plywood(max. 3mm)	textile fabric velour paper wood pulp zinc foils tin foils
1 = 22°	bible paper jointing paper normal printing paper felt paper felt board glass paper greyboard	hand board hard rubber wood board, soft index cardboard caseboard lino	postcard board PVC soft emery cloth writing paper strawboard security paper celluloid
1 = 23°	leather
1 = 24°	Astralon clear vision foil cellulose foils duplex board	duplex cardboard photo paper Manila board pergamyne	pressboard transformer pressboard transparent paper
1 = 25°	acetate foils cellulose acetate foils	hardboard polyethylene foils
1 = 26°	synthetic fiber paper	transparent sheet
2 = 22°,1 = 19° (secondary bevel)	laminate aluminum foil asbestos	veneers	PVC floor slab
2 = 24°,1 = 22° (secondary bevel)	cellophane double wax paper duplex paper label paper	rubber paper art paper leather board metal paper	parchment paper PVC hard triplex board

Troubleshooting
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Paper cutters must be viewed as complete cuttings systems with many factors contributing to the quality of the cut. Many cutter operators too quickly blame the knife or the knife grinder for poor cutter performance when the fault is elsewhere. We have listed some common problems encountered and their probable causes to assist you in troubleshooting.

WAVY CUT (A): Vertical shading across edge of lift can be seen or felt as wavy areas.

CAUSE:	CORRECTION:
Heavy print in certain areas cause large thickness differences across the sheets. This produces uneven clamp pressure in areas of dense print. The knife finds these areas harder to cut since they are packed tighter and deflect slightly.	Evenly distribute clamp pressure by applying felt or foam pad to face of clamp.
Knife burned in grinding causing soft spots that dull quickly.	Regrind knife correctly taking off at least 1/16" width to remove damaged steel.
Knife angle too sharp causing deflection in high density areas.	Increase bevel angle by 2°, i.e., 22° to 24°.
Inconsistent paper quality thickness.	Change paper.

WAVY CUT (B): Diagonal shaded areas in direction of knife travel can be seen or felt.
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CAUSE:	CORRECTION:
Knife bevel too sharp and deflects easily.	Increase bevel angle by 2°, i.e., 22° to 24°.
Knife burned in grinding causing soft spots that dull quickly.	Regrind knife correctly taking off at least 1/16" width to remove damaged steel.

OVERCUT: Overcut is when the lower sheets in the lift are longer than the upper sheets after trimming.
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CAUSE:	CORRECTION:
Dull knife.	Change knife.
Wrong bevel.	For soft paper, decrease bevel angle by 2°, i.e., from 22° to 20°. For hard paper, increase bevel angle by 2°, i.e., from 22° to 24°.
Too much clamp pressure - as knife gets further into lift of paper, the density increases causing deflection of knife.	Reduce clamp pressure.
Back gauge not set square to vertical.	Correct back gauge setting.

UNDERCUT: Undercut is when the lower sheets in the lift are shorter than the upper sheets after trimming.
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CAUSE:	CORRECTION:
Clamp pressure too low causing sheets to pull out at bottom.	Increase clamp pressure.
Wrong bevel.	For soft paper, decrease bevel angle by 2°, i.e., from 22° to 20°. For hard paper, increase bevel angle by 2°, i.e., from 22° to 24°.
Rough or uneven material being cut, such as gummed labels or embossed stock.	Adjust clamp pressure.
Back gauge not set square to vertical.	Correct back gauge setting.

HOLLOWCUT: Sheets of paper are longer at ends and shorter in the center (not cut square).
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CAUSE:	CORRECTION:
Lift is clamped only at ends of paper and not in the middle.	Check clamp edge and apply felt or foam pad to distribute clamp pressure.

ARC CUT: Sheets of paper are shorter at ends and longer in the center.
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CAUSE:	CORRECTION:
Lift is clamped only at center of paper and not at ends of sheets.	Check clamp edge and apply felt or foam pad to distribute clamp pressure.

KNIFE RUBBING: Knife face rubs clamp causing scratches on knife face and clamp.
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CAUSE:	CORRECTION:
Knife dull.	Resharpen knife more often.
Knife too thick.	Decrease knife thickness.
Wrong bevel.	Decrease bevel.
Gibs worn on cutter.	Repair machine.
Combinations of above plus lifts too high.	Reduce size of lifts being cut and look for improvement.

KNIFE NICKS BADLY:
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CAUSE:	CORRECTION:
Knife at wrong bevel.	Increase bevel angle by 2°, i.e., 22° to 24°.
Knife burned in grinding producing small heat cracks which chip out.	Regrind knife correctly taking off at least 1/16" width to remove damaged steel.
Knife set too deeply into cutting stick or stick groove has trash in it.	Rotate to fresh stick surface and set depth of cut correctly (max. 0.1mm/.004").
Poor cutting sticks.	Choose better quality stick. Use FASSCO "YELLOW" stick.
Contaminated chip board.	Try increasing bevel, do not use carbide knives.

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Most Knives In Stock... Ready For Immediate Delivery!
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MID-ATLANTIC KNIFE COMPANY
10403 South Leadbetter Road, Suite E

Ashland, VA 23005
804-550-3720 Fax 804-550-3216
Email: makco@comcast.net
1-800-524-4511