‘Unimaster’ Dust Extractor used by Monotype Corporation

Made:: 1981 in Leicester

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‘Unimaster’ UMA 152G5 dust extractor, made by Dust Control Equipment Limited, Leicester, England, 1981. Plant No. 5078. Part of the equipment used in the production system for Monotype matrices.

This machine is one of many used in the process to make a 0.2-inch (0.51cm) or 0.4-inch (1.02cm) matrix. Some of the machines were designed at the Monotype factory in Salfords, Surrey, and other machines were purchased and adapted by Monotype.

There were 82 separate processes needed to transform a designer’s drawing of a letter, figure, punctuation or symbol into a piece of Monotype metal type for printing. A pantograph was used to trace and cut the letter from a copper pattern into a piece of steel called a punch. After being hardened, the punch was driven into a piece of bronze using a crank press to produce a matrix. The finished matrix was ready to go to the Monotype Composition Caster where molten metal was pumped through a mould against the matrix to produce a piece of type.

Details

Category:: Printing & Writing

Collection:: Monotype Corporation Collection

Object Number:: 1995-1551

Materials:: steel (metal), aluminium alloy, carborundum and leather

Measurements:: overall: 2500 mm x 1000 mm x 780 mm,

type:: extractor

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Parts

‘Unimaster’ Dust Extractor used by Monotype Corporation

‘Unimaster’ dust extractor, made by Dust Control Equipment Limited, Leicester, England, 1975-1984. Part of the equipment used in the production system for Monotype matrices.

There are 82 separate processes needed to transform a designer’s drawing (of a letter, figure, punctuation, or symbol) into a piece of Monotype metal type for printing. A pantograph is used to trace and cut the letter from a copper pattern into a piece of steel called a punch. After being hardened, the punch is driven into a piece of bronze using a crank press to produce a matrix. The finished matrix is ready to go to the Monotype Composition Caster where molten metal is pumped through a mould against the matrix to produce a piece of type.

This machine is one of many machines used in the process to make a 0.2 inch or 0.4 inch matrix.

The Type Archive has a functioning Monotype matrix workshop containing around 70 machines and pieces of equipment. It is the only one of its kind in the world and matrices are still produced for customers.

Measurements:: overall: 2500 mm x 1000 mm x 780 mm,

Materials:: steel (metal) , aluminium alloy , carborundum and leather

Object Number:: 1995-1551/1

type:: extractor

Top of ‘Unimaster’ Dust Extractor used by Monotype Corporation

Top of ‘Unimaster’ dust extractor, made by Dust Control Equipment Limited, Leicester, England, 1975-1984. Part of the equipment used in the production system for Monotype matrices.

This machine is one of many machines used in the process to make a 0.2 inch or 0.4 inch matrix.