Purchasing SM-52-2

[menuprinter]

We are in the market for a pre-owned SM-52-2 and would appreciate any feedback that would assist us in making a more intelligent purchase. What "things" should we be looking at? Are there any known "quirks" about SM52's that came out in 1999?........Can we still get good quality and production from a 9 year old piece of equipment.?

 

[rbailleu]

depends on imp count. if it 80 mil imp. and looks real dirty plan on spending some $ to make it run 300 lpi. if it has 20 mil impression and looks clean run a grid test and one of your more difficult jobs. I personnally think the sm52 is a wonderfull machine. we had a 2000 model and it was great. we moved up to a 2003 4 color same thing wonderfull

 

[Paultheprinter]

the 52 2 is a great press, lots of people tell me the press is prone to feed problems so check it out on a multitude of stocks at a good speed.I ran one for a year or so and its super productive in the right hands.

 

[rbailleu]

If you don't know what you are doing the feeder will have trouble. we have run badly curled up polypropylene label stock at 10,000iph comes out nice and flat after the drier. on long runs we will run cheap 80# enamel and 60# offset at 12,000ipm we don't let the pressman max out the speed. but I am sure it would do it. I did demo our sm52 at 15,000 on 60# when we where selling it. The guy insisted on seeing it do it. I only ran 500 peices, but it did it without a hickup. look on youtube for a sm52 running envelopes at 15,000iph. lots of good youtube videos on presses.

 

[Paultheprinter]

as above the press is great, ive ran envelpoes at full speed 15,000 per hour lots of times. The point above about if you know what your doing is quite valid, the feeder is tempremental but it does work in the right hands, in the five years ive worked alongside one the only issues were the feeder clutch and the press splitting hoses and the tank not keeping up with the air loss.

Paul