Kolbus was quick to spot the commercial opportunities of such a machine. According to Robert Flather, Kolbus UK managing director, the firm wanted to offer a machine with faster makereadies because a growing number of its customers were producing more, shorter-run jobs.
Kolbus came up with a completely new format at Ipex 2002: the DA 270, a machine that boasted a makeready time of under 10 minutes. Compared with the earlier DA 240’s typical makeready of 15-20 minutes, this represented a significant advance. The increase in running speed, and decrease in makeready time, was achieved by going right back to the drawing board and starting from scratch, explains Flather.
Targeted at medium-sized book printers, the DA 270 also incorporated the best engineering features from other Kolbus equipment, such as a high-speed cloth feeder from a Kolbus gatherer.
How it works
In operation, the minder places a batch of cover boards on the pre-stack belt for automatic transport into the board magazine. If the optional board cutter is fitted, the bottom boards from each stack are fed to the cutter, trimmed to size then positioned on the glued cloth. The centre strip is then positioned between them.
Separated cloths are positioned in the cloth feeder and are automatically aligned. The twin-roll gluing system lays a very thin uniform layer of adhesive to ensure wrinkle-free cloths. The gluing unit can use any kind of glue, including hot melt without the need for a cooling system.
The transport system then delivers the set of cover boards and centre strip to the roll-on system simultaneously with a cloth. They are glued and pass on to the turn-in units. The head and tail are then turned in using a suction system before the turn-in bars press the edges down. Even pressure ensures optimum adhesion. The corners are folded over, then the covers move on to the side turn-in rails. Finally there is a rub down station where the boards and centre strip are again pressed firmly and evenly onto the cloth.
Other than the board cutter, optional extras include a quarter binding and the ability to make asymmetrical cases.
Kolbus will not take back an old machine as part exchange, but it will put printers in touch with dealers specialising in used Kolbus machinery. The manufacturer offers a 12-month service contract, but bespoke contracts are also available. For example, bigger companies who have their own engineers may only be interested in the supply of spare parts.
Printing & Graphic Machinery deals in used DA 270 casemakers, and managing director, Guy Churchill, confirms: The 270 is a very popular machine that attracts high interest in the used machinery market. These units are still relatively new and therefore quite rare to find secondhand.
When buying used, potential purchasers should check the condition of the cams, glue rollers and glue tanks, and look out for general wear and tear on the machine.
SPECIFICATIONS
Min size 205x140mm
Max size 670x390mm
Speed 65 cycles/min
Max stacking height counter stacker 100mm
Cloth feeder 160mm
What to look for
• Condition of cams, glue rollers and glue tanks
• General wear and tear
Read the original article at www.printweek.com.
Comment below to have your say on this story.
If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.
Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter