Over the years, the decision to make digital finishing the core of what Duplo does has proved to be a shrewd move. With digital ever-changing and with an increasing number of print firms making investments, Duplo’s range has been picked up by companies recognising the need to finish short-run products in-house. One of the most innovative products in its arsenal is the DC-645 – a slitter-creaser-cutter.
“The DC-645 has been around for a few years, but the good thing about it is that it has been evolving,” says Jimmy Nguyen, national product manager for local Duplo distributor GBC Australia.
The machine made its first worldwide appearance at Ipex 2006 and was one of Duplo’s big draws at the event.
The latest incarnation of the machine, the DC-645 with option to include Duplo’s new integrated folding system (IFS) made its debut at GBC product showcase event in February.
“We have gained a lot of interest on the new folding and stacking option,” says Nguyen. “It gives printers an opportunity to improve their production workflow. We currently have a few strong prospects for the unit and looking forward to some installs in next few weeks.”
He adds that GBC is currently aiming at commercial printer and “the medium- to large-size print room”.
The main selling point of the machine is its versatility. Duplo always knew
that the machine was well suited to short-run business cards, greetings
cards, brochures and menus. But as time has gone on, there have been a host of new applications that have helped Duplo to push the DC-645 with IFS option into a wider market.
In order to demonstrate the range of applications, GBC has put together a glossy pack of pocket guides containing examples of work. The company believes this is the best way to demonstrate to potential customers just what the machine can do and how it goes beyond the kind of work that might be taken on by a jobbing printer.
Examples range from conventional business cards, flyers or mini-calendars, to wine labels, food packaging, direct mail and clothing tags.
“Hopefully, the DC-645 will enable printers to say yes to every job,” says Nguyen. “Food packaging is one area, for example, that we haven’t fully attacked yet, but, the machine is capable of finishing card sleeves to go around sandwich packaging.”
Range of options
Despite the wide range of applications, Nguyen says that around 90% of customers will use the DC-645 for business cards. It’s a simple machine to operate and can finish up to 26 A4 sheets per minute on stock ranging from 110-350gsm.
The machine can store 80 jobs in its memory, although it’s more likely that users will need only 10-15 programs for regular jobs and another 10 for ad-hoc work.
Set-up is relatively straightforward. In fully automatic mode, a register mark and a barcode at the top of the sheet can be scanned, which enables the machine to automatically adjust the slitting devices and the two knives for cutting, plus the creaser. Once fed through, up to six functions can be operated in one pass. Also, a finishing module can be fitted for perforation and rotary scoring.
“Modular equipment is very well suited to the digital market,” explains Nguyen.
“Digital machines change around every two years and if our customers are not evolving, then their lifespan is very short,” he adds.
With digital runs increasing and demand on the up, Duplo’s optional addition, IFS, fits an obvious market need. The product can be bolted onto the end of the DC-645, as well as its sister machine, the DC-445 and DC-615.
The five IFS modules are folder, straight conveyor, cross conveyor, short stacker and long stacker. “It is modular so that it can fit the customer’s exact requirements,” says Nguyen.
It’s this option that allows the DC-645 to be even more versatile. According to Duplo, the core module of the range is a folder that includes two folding knives allowing seven common fold patterns
for heavyweight sheets. This is done without toner cracking, which can be a problem for buckle-type sheet folders that finish digital jobs. Crucially, all this is done in one pass.
The twin-knife folding module can finish a range of formats, although Duplo says that this isn’t essential to the system. The customer has the option of using the IFS simply as a high-capacity stacker allowing for longer uninterrupted runs.
It can also be configured to merge sequentially printed items into one sack, reducing additional handling by the operator. Of course, taking the IFS option does bump up the price.
Drawing comparisons
Trying to compare the DC-645 to other machines in the market is tricky. Nguyen says it’s almost unfair to compare, but machines that might move into its area are the Morgana Card Xtra, the Morgana Autocreaser or even Duplo’s very own DC-445; this product has the added functionality of adding two slits or perforations. The Card Xtra can cut and has fixed slits, but Nguyen adds that the machine can’t crease, perforate or fold.
The advantage for Duplo is having a machine that can pretty much do the lot, which fits in with the manufacturer’s strategy of making finishing an integral part of the digital print process.
“We are making our products fit with digital production,” says Nguyen. “We are making it easy for them to finish applications and create an end-to-end solution for the printer.”
With many digital print companies now taking finishing in-house, the DC-645 could be viewed as a machine that has come along at the right time for the industry. While it’s likely to be churning out business cards and leaflets, it’s also versatile enough to accommodate a whole host of new applications that digital printers are developing all the time. Duplo hopes that with the IFS enhancement, the DC-645 can continue to push the high-tech reputation the manufacturer is developing.
Nguyen says: “The relationship between GBC Australia and Duplo is getting stronger every day.
“Duplo products are robust and reliable hence we are confidence in selling them to our customer, which we believe would satisfy their needs. Duplo have the confidence in us as we have actively promote its product into the Australian market,” he adds.
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