Watkiss Vario User manual

Operating Instructions
Document Finishing System

CONTENTS
Welcome .............................................1
Running the Job ................................5
Control Panel .....................................9
Friction Bins ....................................27
SlimVAC Bins ..................................33
Gathering Base Module ..................41
Maintenance .....................................45
Problem Solving ..............................49
Appendices
Normal Collating ................................... 59
Advanced Functions ............................. 61
Specifications ....................................... 63
Declaration of Conformity ..................... 65
Index..................................................67
Issue 3 - Nov 2002 - PartNo. 960-561 - SerialNo. B0800010 onwards
Issue 2-Jul 2001 -Part No. 960-541 -Serial No. B0400110 onwards

1
Welcome
Congratulations, and thank you for choosing the Watkiss
Vario Document Finishing System.
The Watkiss Vario Document Finishing System (DFS)
automatically gathers sets from a sequentially printed
stack of paper. The sheets are held in a gathering station
until the set is complete, it is then released for online
finishing. The DFS can be used with Watkiss Vario and
Watkiss BookMaster bookletmakers. Separate operating
manuals are provided for these units.
The Document Finishing System features integral static
elimination equipment that neutralises any charge
present in feed stock.
The system may also be used as a standard collator if
required (See “Normal Collating” on page 59).
ABOUT YOUR
MANUAL The manual has a chapter called ’Running the Job’ to get you up and running quickly. It is then followed by more
detail on each of the modules that make up your machine,
and by problem solving charts and additional notes.
Remote Control
(optional)
Outfeed
Conveyor
(Optional)
Drive Unit
Feed Bins
Stitch-Fold
(Hidden)
Trimmer
(Optional)
Gathering
Base
Module
GUI
Document Finishing System Showing
BookMaster Pro, TrimMaster Pro and
Outfeed Conveyor
Sample Configuration Showing Stitch-Fold & Trim Units

2
Details of operating the SlimVAC and Friction feed bins
are included. Note that High Pile Suction bins can be fitted
to the Document Finishing System if required, and addi-
tional operating instructions covering this option are
available.
SAFETY FIRST Your DocumentFinishing System has been designed with
safety as a key feature. However, as with all electrical
equipment, when removing any covers or changing fuses
always first disconnect the machine from the
mains electricity supply by switching off and un-
plugging the machine.
Rear Guard
The rear guard must be fitted for the machine to run. A
safety switch prevents machine operation when the guard
is removed. When fitting the guard, ensure that the bar
on the top bracket locates correctly on the hooks under
the drive unit. Also ensure the guard’s bottom bracket
locates on the rear panel.
Emergency Stop
The emergency stop button should only be used when
an immediate stop of the machine is required. Under
normal circumstances the machine should be stopped
by touching the stop button on the control panel. If the
emergency stop button is used, the system will not restart
until the button has been released by turning clockwise.
Mains ON/OFF Switch
Emergency Stop

3
INSTALLATION The installation of your Document Finishing System re-
quires specialist knowledge and should therefore only be
carried out by a Watkiss approved engineer.
MAINS INPUT The Mains input for the Document Finishing System is on
the rear of the drive unit. Two fuses are fitted next to the
Mains input. If either of the fuses fails the system will not
power up (see p.53 for details about changing fuses).
The online finishing systems have independent mains
inputs.
MAINS ON/OFF
SWITCH The mains On/Off switch should be used to turn the system on and off when required. When the system is
switched off it retains the control panel settings in mem-
ory. The online finishing systems have independent mains
On/Off switches.
Important
This machine must only be plugged into an electrical
supply line of the correct voltage and with a proven
earth. Any damage caused by failure to do so will not
be covered by the warranty. The required machine
voltage is shown on the label on the rear of the Drive
Unit (see photo below).
Mains Input and Fuses
Serial Number and Mains
Input Voltage Label
Important
To maintain the efficiency and prolong the service life
of the static elimination equipment, it is important to
switch off the Document Finishing System when it is
not being used for a period of hours e.g. overnight.

4
GETTING HELP We are confident that your Document Finishing System
will give many years of trouble-free production. If you have
any queries or problems, in the first instance please refer
to the problem solving section in this book. Should you
require further assistance, the Watkiss Service Depart-
ment (UK) or your local Watkiss supplier will be happy to
help.

5
1Running the Job
Plug the system into a mains supply of the correct voltage
and switch on the mains ON/OFF switches (see note on
page 3).
OPERATING THE
TOUCH SCREEN In normal use, the touch-screen can be operated by finger-tip. It is not necessary to touch the screen with any
other implement. However, the screen can be operated
with any blunt instrument, such as a palm top ‘wand’ or
the blunt end of a pen.
Do not use excessive force: a light touch is all that is
needed.
The Vario is controlled by touching buttons on the control
panel. Buttons that perform related functions are grouped
together in ’windows’. Each window is selected by touch-
ing the relevant tab at the bottom of the control panel.
There are also six ‘control’ buttons along the top of the
screen. To display help text about any of the machine’s
functions,touchHELP andthentouchtherequiredbutton.
LOADING SEQUENCE If the job is to be stitched and folded, load the sheets so
that the centre spread of the book is face up. Remember
to replace any sheets used for setting up the DFS back
into the stack in the correct order.
Note: The system may also be used as a standard
collator if required (See “Normal Collating” on page
59).
Caution
Operating the touch screen with a sharp object, or with
excessive force, will damage the screen.

6
If you wish to insert a separate cover it should be loaded
into the lowermost bin with the outside face down. The
other sheets are then loaded in the bin(s) directly above.
LOADING THE BINS
WITH PAPER Remove any unwanted paper from the bins and touch
INCH to check that there is no paper left in the conveyor
from the previous job.
Friction Bins
Take a stack of paper and slide it into the bin between
the sliding sidelays. Push in the sidelays to centralise the
paper in the bin, they should hold the paper securely.
SlimVAC Bins
Take a stack of paper and slide it into the bin between
the sliding sidelays. Push in the sidelays to centralise the
paper in the bin, they should hold the paper securely.
Position the rubber endlay on the tray at the end of the
paper stack. The endlay should be underneath and just
clear of the edge of the paper (by about 1mm, 1/16").
Bin Linking
If the job will not fit into a single bin, load from the top of
the stack and then reload the bin each time it runs out.
Alternatively, it is possible to split it between two or more
feed bins. Load from the top of the stack into the top bin,
progressing downwards using as many bins as are re-
quired or available. Then, starting with the top bin, link
the bins by pressing the grey button to link it with the bin
Centre Spread
Face Up
Outside Face
Down
Finishing Sequentially Printed Sheets

7
below. This will be indicated by the small green light.
Press the red button of the uppermost bin to make this
bin feed first.
Note: Bin linking can only be enabled when the bins are
unlocked i.e. when TEST SET is highlighted on the display.
Setting the Number of Sheets
Touch NUMBER OF SETS in the BATCH window and input
the number of sheets required in each book.
Inserting a Cover
From the BATCH window, touch INSERTSand set BOTTOM
to ON (the NUMBER OF SETS in the BATCH window must
be set to 1 or greater).
ADJUSTING THE
MACHINE For a detailed description of individual bin adjustments please refer to the relevant chapters.
Friction Bins
• Initially set the separation pressure lever (left) to its mid-
position.
• Set the tray pressure to minimum by pushing down on
the lever (right) and releasing it to its innermost position.
If loading large sheets it should be one notch out.
SlimVAC Bins
• Initially set the tray height lever to its mid position
• Angle the suction feeder down
• Set the corrugation adjustment (on the feeder) to the
mid-position.
•
All Bins
Check that all required bins are switched on. The bins will
switch on automatically when they are loaded, or they can
be switched on and off manually using the bin controls.
Adjust the Gathering Base Module for size (see p.41).
Tip
If necessary, you can reset the machine settings by loading the default template.
Touch LOAD & SAVE, select the default template from the job list and touch LOAD.

8
Adjust the online finishing units for size (see relevant
operating manual).
In the BASIC window, select PRENUMBER (see p.15), and
set the SETS PER HOUR to AUTO (see p.14).
STARTING THE JOB Test Set
A test set must be run at the start of each job. Touch
to run a test set. If PRENUMBER is selected, the test set
is counted and the sheet should be left in the gathering
station.
If a cover is being inserted, it is not fed during the test
set. The calibration reading for the cover is automatically
taken when the job is started.
Touch to run the job.
Once the machine is running, adjustments may be nec-
essary depending upon the stock in use. Full details for
each type of feed bin are found in the appropriate chapter.
The machine can be stopped at any time by touching .
Note: If PRENUMBER is not selected, the test set is not
counted, and the sheet should be removed from the
gathering station and replaced in the feed bin.
Note: To avoid wasting sheets during the test set, the
sheets can be diverted out of the front of the gathering
station using the manual bypass gate (see p.42)

9
2Control Panel
Your Document Finishing System will be fitted with a GUI
(Graphical User Interface) control panel. The control
panel has an 8.2" colour touch-screen, which offers a
user-friendly interface for operators.
There are start and stop buttons mounted on the control
panel’s frame, these buttons are also repeated on the
touch-screen.
The touch-screen has a ’power save’ function: if it is not
used for a period of time, it automatically dims. After an
extended period, it switches off. In either case, touch the
screen to return it to normal.
THE WINDOW
SYSTEM The Document Finishing System is controlled by touching buttons on the control panel. The buttons are divided into
groups that perform related functions. Each group of
buttons has its own ’window’ which is selected by touch-
ing the relevant tab:
• Load & Save
•Basic
• Advanced
• Feed
•Batch
•Finishing
Stop ButtonStart Button
Touch-screen
GUI Control Panel
Tip
The touch-screen takes two or three minutes to reach full brightness when it is
switched on.

10
Functions related to modules that are not installed on your
DFS will not be displayed on-screen.
‘CONTROL’ BUTTONS There are six main ’control’ buttons listed across the top
of the screen:
START/STOP The button is used to start the machine. When the
machine is running, this button changes to which stops
the machine. These are duplicated by the start/stop
buttons above the touch screen.
INCH Touch and hold INCH to turn the conveyor. The conveyor
will stop when INCH is released. This is used for clearing
any sets remaining in the conveyor after a jam, etc.
Load & Save
Advanced
Basic
Feed
Batch
Finishing
Main Window Tabs on the Control Panel
Start/Stop
End Job
Inch/Pause
Test Set
Help
Menu
Control Buttons
Touch the relevant tab to
display each window
Each window contains a
group of related buttons

11
When the machine is running, this button changes to
PAUSE. Touch PAUSE topausethefeedforapproximately
5 seconds, the conveyor continues to run. The pause time
can be altered on the Machine Options page.
END JOB Touch END JOB when you want to set the machine up for
a new job, or alter an existing job. When a job is loaded,
some of the machine settings cannot be changed, to
prevent accidental changes. END JOB releases these
settings.
This only affects settings that change the integrity of the
job, e.g. the number of sheets in a set, or the number of
sets in a batch.
TEST SET When the test set icon is highlighted , the collator is ready
to run a test set. The collator uses the test set to calibrate
the system according to the stock in each bin. The test
set is not counted by the counter (except when in pre-
number mode). Once the test set is completed and is
accepted by starting the machine, the bins and certain
functions cannot be changed,to prevent errors and acci-
dental button pushes.
To run a test set:
• Load the collator.
• Touch the button.
• The collator will feed a single sheet from each bin that
is switched on and loaded.
• If an error occurred during the test set, or the bin
loading is changed at this stage, touch to run another
test set.
• When the test set icon is grey, the machine is ready to
run. Touch .
If either the TEST SET or END JOB button is touched,
another test set will need to be run before the job can be
restarted: the test set icon will be highlighted.
If you are having trouble running a job and false errors
are being reported, it may help to run another test set.
This can be done at any time to recalibrate the detector
system.

12
HELP Touch HELP and then touch any area of the screen to
display the help text. Use the ’up’ and ’down’ arrows next
to the text to scroll up or down the screen.
Some sections of help text have a ’right’ arrow next to
them. This indicates that there is more text available,
explaining a related function in more detail. Touch the
’right’ arrow to view this text. A ’left’ arrow will then also
appear: touch this to return to the previous text.
When you are viewing text, you can find out about any of
the other tabs that remain on display by touching them.
To exit the help text, touch HELP or OK.
MENU MENU gives access to settings that do not need to be
changed on a day-to-day basis. These settings include:
• Change the display language
• Toggle between metric and imperial measurements
• Adjust the screen contrast
• Adjust the pause duration
• Advanced machine settings which can only be ac-
cessed by someone who has an appropriate access
code.
MIMIC DIAGRAM The mimic diagram of the system shown on screen is
automatically created, based on how many bins are fitted
and what finishing equipment is connected. Various areas
on the outline will be highlighted in different colours,
according to the system's operational status. The feed
bin colours mimic the bin indicator lights:
• Steady green: This bin is selected, and is loaded with
paper.
• White: This bin is not selected.
• Broken line between bins: These bins are linked.
• Flashing green: This bin is selected, but it has run out
of paper.
• Flashing red: This bin has had a double feed, which
has caused the collator to stop. The error will be
explained in a pop-up box.
• Flashing yellow: This bin has had a miss, which has
caused the collator to stop. The error will be explained
in a pop-up box.
Errors in other modules are indicated in red.

13
CTouching Cresets the set counter to 0.
SPH SPH shows the actual production speed of the system, in
sets per hour. The production speed is affected by paper
size, online finishing equipment and the job setup.
Mimic Diagram

14
THE ‘BASIC’ WINDOW The BASIC window contains settings that regularly need
to be altered when setting up a new job.
SETS PER HOUR SETS PER HOUR allows the production rate of the system
to be set. This is automatically limited according to the
machine configuration.
AUTO: Selecting AUTO allows the system to run at its
maximum production speed according to paper size,
online finishing equipment and the job setup.
Note: AUTO is the recommended setting for the DFS.
SINGLE SET: Normally there will be more than one set in
the conveyor at any one time. Touch SINGLE SET to allow
only one set in the conveyor at a time. This minimises the
correction required should an error occur. The sets per
hour will automatically adjust to achieve this.
AIR BLOW AIR BLOW alters the amount of air available for sheet
separation in the feed bins. As a general rule, the heavier
and larger the sheet, the more air you need. The default
factory setting depends on the type of feed bins (25% for
friction, 40% for SlimVAC).
‘BASIC’ Window.

15
If you are running mixed stocks on friction bins, individual
air taps on each bin allow the air to be independently
controlled.
PRESET PRESET is used if an exact number of sets are required.
Touch PRESET and enter the number of sets required on
the number pad. The counter in the main area of the
screen will turn white. When the machine is started the
counter will automatically count down to zero and the
collator will then stop.
Touch to restart the machine. The counter will revert
to black and will count up to show how many ’overs’ are
produced.
The Preset function is ideal for producing a one-off batch.
If you wish to produce several identical batches, it is
easier to use the Batch function.
PRENUMBER PRENUMBER is intended for use when collating pre-
numbered carbonless sets. Touching PRENUMBER se-
lects Single Set mode, disables the Divert function and
causes the test set to be counted by the counter. It also
prevents the operator from switching linked bins before
one bin has emptied.
It is possible to switch off Single Set mode once Prenum-
ber is selected. This allows the machine to run faster when
using stock that feeds easily.
Note: PRENUMBER ON is the recommended setting for
the DFS.

16
THE ‘ADVANCED’
WINDOW The ADVANCED window allows advanced machine set-
tings to be altered. These settings may be altered to
optimise the quality and productivity of a job.
DRIVE SPEED DRIVE SPEED alters the drive speed of the conveyor
rollers and therefore the speed at which the sheets exit
the collator. Certain stocks will stack better if the drive
speed is adjusted to suit. This setting is independent from
the SETS PER HOUR setting. The default factory setting
is 80%.
SHEET OFFSET (Only applicable when using the DFS for normal collating.)
SHEET OFFSET shales the sheets as they exit. This can
assist the neat stacking of thick sheets or large sets. The
range of offset is +/- 20mm between each sheet and
affects all bins. The default sheet offset is 0: this causes
the sheets in a set to exit the collator with their leading
edges level.
If an offset is required, it is usual for the bottom sheet of
the set to lead: Select a negative offset when feeding to
the rear of the collator and a positive offset when feeding
to the front of the collator.
‘ADVANCED’ Window.