Morgana DocuFold Pro

What does the machine do?

The Morgana DocuFold Pro’s high level of automation and touchscreen technology is designed to enable an operator with minimum training to perform a variety of folds on products from both digital and litho presses and on a wide range of stocks, including coated stock. Perforating and scoring technology is included as standard and is similarly designed to allow the operator to quickly and easily set up the perfing and scoring unit, with repeat jobs stored in this screen and quickly retrievable.

When did it launch and who is it aimed at?

The DocuFold Pro was launched for sale in July with the first batch going out mostly to international dealers at the end of the month.

The device has only just launched in Australia and distributor Ferrostaal is yet to lock up any local customers, though it can expect to see an uplift after it opens new showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne in the coming months. A number of machines have already been sold in the UK, Europe and the US. The folder is primarily aimed at the digital market where it is perfectly suited to low set-up wastage, said the vendor.

Andy Cooper, general manager of digital finishing at Ferrostaal Australia, says: “With litho printers, the bulk of the cost is making the plates so they typically have 50 or 60 run-ons, but in the digital world every sheet is a click and costs them money. They want a machine that they can set up with one sheet of paper and that’s what you get with the Pro.”

It is not just smaller companies that are attracted by the DocuFold Pro’s compact size, adds Cooper. He says that quite often, larger printers who have much larger, more complex folding machines, also have a DocuFold alongside it for smaller, shorter-run jobs.

How does it work?

The operator enters the sheet size and fold type on the DocuFold’s SmartScreen touchscreen and the machine automat­ically adjusts the fold plates and delivery rollers electronically. Morgana says the fold rollers also rarely need adjustment as they automatically compensate for most types of fold or paper weight. A pressure suction chamber gently pulls each sheet down as it is fed into these rollers. There is also a bypass facility that enables heavier stocks to be processed without passing through all of the fold rollers.

How does it differ from previous models?

The Pro is an upgraded version of the DocuFold model that Morgana has sold since the mid-1990s. The key additions are more automation and touchscreen controls. Morgana has also updated the machine’s electronic package so that the new model runs much faster.

“The old DocuFold model only ran at a maximum speed of 12,000 sheets per hour and we’ve upgraded that to 27,000 sheets per hour,” says Cooper. “So it has sped things up in terms of the set-up side of things and the actual running speed has been doubled as well.”

What is the machine’s USP?

The key appeal of the DocuFold Pro is its value for money, according to Morgana. “It’s a highly automated machine for the money that we charge for it,” says Cooper. “Comparable machines tend to be quite expensive, but they all do a similar thing at the end of the day – they’re fairly simple machines. But the key selling point of the DocuFold now is its automation and easy-to-use touchscreen control.”

What training and support is available?

The standard training for this model is one day for up to four staff members, but Cooper says that, in practice, trainees typically only require a couple of hours instruction to get them up to speed as the Pro is much easier to use than its predecessors. The machine is supplied with the Morgana Five Star Service contract for the first year and after that ends the customer can choose a service level of either one, three or five stars, ranging from basic safety checks to a fully inclusive service.


Specs

 

Speed 27,500 A4 sheets/hr

Max sheet size 674x365mm

Min sheet size 160x140mm

Stock range 56-240gsm

Max folds per sheet Two

Price $21,890 ex GST

Contact

 andy.cooper@ferrostaal.com.au 

(02) 9338 3900

 


The Alternative

 

Eurofold 235 SM

The Eurofold 235 SM is a modular folder and so is available in both automatic and manual configurations depending on the customer’s needs. Its modular design also means it can be upgraded over time with additional modules, such as four plates, cross-fold and deep-pile feeder and stacker. Although it doesn’t have a touchscreen control panel, local reseller GBC says it is a similarly user-friendly machine.

Speed 30,000 sheets/hr

Max sheet size 350x650mm (A3), 450x650mm (A2)

Min sheet size 90x120mm

Stock range 40-240gsm

Max folds per sheet four (four-plate), two (two-plate)

Price $14,800 + GST

Contact 

GBC 1800 422 349 

www.gbcaustralia.com.au

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