Duplo UltraBind 2000
Distributed in Australia by Neopost, the Duplo UltraBind 2000 is primarily suited to digital printers, in-plants, copy shops, design agencies and small commercial printers.
The PFi2000 is a single clamp, closed tank PUR perfect binder. With the closed tank system, printers can produce one book or 25,000 books per month with minimum wastage. Cleaning time is less than five minutes compared with 30 to 45 minutes on an open tank system. The PFi2000 will enable printers to save costs and time and increase productivity by doing it in-house with confidence.
PUR binding in-house will save costs on freight, on printed material due to re-print from errors when outsourcing, and on PUR glue due to the closed tank system.
After installing the machine, Neopost’s specialists will provide complete operator training. The company has trained technicians on this machine in every state.
Neopost offers finance for this equipment at around $A1,459 + GST per month over 60 months. The price includes installation and training and the machine’s full maintenance for 60 months.
Ferag EasySert
According to Ferag, the personalisation of advertising brochures can be identified as a clear trend. To satisfy the demands of advertisers and consumers, advertising brochures in the advertising and direct mail markets will be targeted more directly towards individuals.
In future, it will be possible to aim advertising at individual households. For example, based on data derived from customer loyalty cards, a department store can send its customers individual advertising that ties in precisely with their shopping habits.
Industrialised, personalised inserting with bundles sorted according to delivery route sequences requires the right technology and software. Ferag has refined its EasySert technology, along with the Navigator control system, to operate at a speed of 30,000 copies per hour.
Heidelberg Stahl CH56 KT Auto folder
The new CH56 KT Auto folder was produced for existing Heidelberg customers who demand high quality and fast turnaround times, and for printers who produce short run and commercial digital printing work with small to medium run lengths and frequent job changes.
The folder has a high level of smart automation, offering auto buckle plates, auto roller settings and automation in the cross fold, followed by an automated side buckle plate KT. The large colour touchscreen offers two different types of makeready options — one for quick set-up, and the other for more difficult folds and the operator wants to use a lot more variables. Jobs can be stored and ready for fast repeat work at the push of a button.
Once the new CH56 KT Auto is set, the fold quality is held throughout the job. Continuous sheet separation and feeding is done with the TREMAT feeder head for perfect sheet alignment over a long register table with the prism side-lay.
The CH56 KT Auto offers flexibility for printers to build a machine to suit their business. The folder comes standard with the flat pile feeder but is also available with a round continuous feeder for long run jobs. The flat pile feeder can also be equipped with a wheel-in trolley feeder. Jobs that have to be cut prior to folding can be loaded directly onto the trolley used in the CH56 feeder and loaded straight in, minimising manual loading. A mobile knife can be added for more fold formats and flexibility. If gluing is required for 8pp or 12pp products, the same controller can be used for gluing and dropping in a gate fold buckle plate.
The folder has been designed to suit both digital and commercial printers. All Heidelberg folders are provided with a high level of training done by qualified postpress demonstrators. Extra service provisions (preventative service agreements) can be supplied for all products as an option.
Heidelberg also offers print finance on all Heidelberg products and this also can be discussed when putting a deal together to suit each individual customer.
Hohner HSB DIGI-FS 8
Not completely new, but still a real chameleon, this latest version of the HSB DIGI-FS 8 was relaunched in 2015. No longer a conventional saddle-stitcher, the DIGI-Finisher elements are now fully integrated in a complex finishing system.
With the HSB DIGI-FS 8 both litho and digital printers can benefit from the latest version with a remote control, Data Matrix, barcode readers and many other options, as well as the capability to feed a 1,250mm sheet length.
The line also provides the possibility of processing single sheets directly from the printing machine, or cut sheets straight from the unwinding stand of the print roll.
From either source, the line is able to fold sheets to a complete brochure (consisting of signatures and cover of the same paper weight). The already collated and folded brochure can be stitched directly in the stitching unit, and from there straight to the trimmer and shingle delivery.
Hohner has eliminated the presence of single sheets, signature feeder and cover feeder systems which often cause the typical interface issues of a collating machine.
The HSB DIGI-FS 8 can fulfil simple folding jobs, which previously required a separate machine, as well as offer three functions in one line: DIGI-Finishing, fold stitching and saddle binding.
Signatures can be fed in from the print roll or a horizontal feeder. There is an optional folding unit with four pockets (expandable to six), and its compact design requires minimal floor space.
The system can be expanded at a later date in the completely modular system to suit printers’ needs as their requirements grow.
Options include manual feed stations, up to eight automatic vertical single feeders, an automatic cover feeder, fourth and fifth knives, a 2:1 switching mechanism, staple control, a compensating stacker and a waste extraction system.
Hohner is distributed in Australia by Cyber.
Horizon SmartSlitter
The Horizon SmartSlitter offers sheet cutting, creasing and perforating in one pass for digitally printed sheets.
The creasing, perforating and sheet cutting can be performed for various applications such as business cards, shop cards, invitation cards, greeting cards, laminated sheets, and covers for perfect binding.
The SMSL-PR optional perforation cassette enables skip perforation for various applications such as coupons, tickets and checks.
The SmartSlitter uses a new high resolution colour touchscreen display for easy and intuitive operation. Changeovers including sheet size, imposition, cutting position and processing type (creasing or perforating) can be done on the touchscreen, and up to 200 jobs can be stored in memory for easy recall.
The system can be enhanced with JDF workflow from upstream to postpress using the Horizon pXnet Bindery Control System.
The feed section uses a uniquely designed suction belt for stable feeding even with
heavier sheets. An ultrasonic sensor ensures detection of misses or doubles regardless of the print image or thickness of sheets.
The sheets are aligned via the vacuum registration system during transport. The optional camera device detects the print registration by reading the barcode or mark printed on the sheet. The position of the slitter, creaser and cutting position are adjusted according to image shift.
Up to 20 creasing lines can be made with the standard equipped creasing unit, with positive and negative creasing lines made in one pass. The creasing depth can be adjusted according to the sheet thickness, and the creasing interval can be adjusted by 0.1mm.
Six rotary slitters accommodate bleed trim or gutter-cuts for three-up output. These cassettes are easy to maintain.
The cutting knives cut each sheet across the feed direction. Single cut or bleed/ gutter cut is possible.
The SMSL-ST optional stacker is suitable for receiving small products such as business cards and greeting cards. The stacker tray height descends automatically, and can stack up to 90mm.
The SMSL-CV optional conveyor delivers products ready for packaging, and batch and pausing can be performed by the pre-set number programmed at the touch screen.
KAS Mailwrap
Trimatt has added mailroom equipment supplier KAS Paper Systems to its range of value adding machinery solutions.
The KAS Mailwrap is a compact, automatic film wrapping system for magazines, newspapers, catalogues and direct mail, with many of the features of high-end production machinery.
The British built KAS Mailwrap can wrap sizes from A6 to oversized A4 with up to 22mm thickness, at speeds of up to 6,000 completed packs per hour. The system is modular and can be fitted with up to 12 insert stations. It can also be field upgraded, offering a clear upgrade path for users.
Operator control is through an intuitive touchscreen, which makes it easy to operate. The touchscreen controls insert station selection, speed and heat settings, error location and further run information. Heat settings are preset for a given throughput, and allow operator adjustment to suit the desired thickness of film.
The insert stations can handle a wide variety of documentation including single sheets, cards, reply envelopes, pre-folded items, magnets and books. Inline inkjet addressing is also available.
It is possible to pre-select the number of items fed from an insert station on each cycle and have the feed switch automatically from one station to another when it runs low.
Each feeder can handle thicknesses from a single sheet to books up to 12mm thick. There is also a hand feed position for non-machinable items.
Each insert station has a miss, double and jammed detector and there are further sensors throughout to check the path of the document through the machine. Any error automatically stops the KAS Mailwrap, and the location is displayed on the control screen for easy recovery.
A choice of reading technology is available: OMR, 1D or 2D barcode or OCR can be used to match multiple documents fed from a single feeder or documents fed from different feeders.
The KAS Mailwrap can help printers automate postpress mailroom fulfilment opportunities and increase profits through this low-cost, effective direct mailing solution. Finance packages start at $600.00 per week.
Trimatt Systems is the exclusive Australia and New Zealand distributor for KAS Paper Systems with locally trained technicians and parts housed in its Melbourne office.
Kolbus KM200 Bookbinder
Kolbus has released a digital book line which can automatically change size and thickness without operator intervention.
PMP owned Griffin Press, based in South Australia, is the latest company to invest in this capability.
The Kolbus Zero Make Ready KM200 perfect binder can be joined directly to an upstream digital continuous web print device and process books with automatic size changes on the fly. This streamlined production of books is joined by the WF100 web folder, which produces folded book signatures directly from the digital printer or from pre-printed rolls. This allows for complete variability in book production.
The KM200 can also be equipped with a flat sheet feeder to integrate alternate content or substrate to the book blocks. The book blocks can then be finished as soft cover books or pass directly into a Kolbus hard case line to produce hardcover copies.
Kolbus also manufactures a range of traditional postpress bookbinding lines to accommodate high quality books and magazines. Kolbus is available in Australia and New Zealand exclusively through Ferrostaal Australia.
manroland FoldLine
manroland web systems has developed digital print finishing modules such as the pin folder FoldLine for the production of books, booklets, but especially newspapers with regionalised and individualised content.
The fully automatic, multi-variable pin-type folder FoldLine is the optimal finishing tool for newspaper production in digital production environments. It produces broadsheet and tabloid newspapers in long-grain and short-grain format with different structures, and ensures maximum utilisation of the advantages of digital printing for newspaper and commercial printing.
The FoldLine can produce up to 12 newspaper sections or up to 96 pages, so the digitally printed newspaper has the same look and feel as offset issues for readers and advertisers.
Besides newspapers, the FoldLine can produce commercial and direct mailings. The system can also be used to produce cylinder-stitched booklets and book signatures.
To ensure perfect production, manroland web systems also provides software and workflow solutions. MasterQ provides automatic job sorting for digital printing of ultra-small print runs. manroland web systems has developed MasterQ for the synchronisation of MIS systems, prepress or web2print applications with the printing system and finishing processes. The optimal production sequence is determined for incoming orders, eg. via the printing company website, even for several different production modules.
WorkflowBridge software offers industrial automation for digital finishing. The module automatically adjusts all folding components, and required job information is delivered via an open interface by JDF/JMF file. WorkflowBridge verifies the validity of each job before it is processed.
Imposer is designed for mixed production environments. It enables job-specific and fully automatic imposition of job data for digital and offset printing. The unique technique also allows for dynamic changes between production types. Imposer creates the imposed print data fully automatically for offset or digital production. The software analyses product data and generates and implements process instructions tailored to the print job. Corresponding to the printing process, the content is placed correctly, while the necessary marks are set precisely.
MBO K8RS
MBO has matched sheetfed print turnaround times with faster makeready, higher speeds and intelligent monitoring and drying systems with its folding machines.
MBO has a complete range of equipment to handle any speed up to 275 metres/minute in the K8RS model, for an output of up to 18,000 A1 sheets per hour.
The K8 Perfection incorporates numerous MBO features including M1 Control for safe transportation of sheets and easy handling, the VACUKNIFE folding knife for the smallest possible sheet gaps, the patented slitter shaft cassette MWK for short set-up times. The optional SUPER-KTZ configuration, which enables a wider range of various folding styles, adds more flexibility.
Further extensions to enhance performance include the mobile Z2 knife folding unit for fourfold tasks. Due to the pneumatic drive the cross-fold knife VACUKNIFE allows a frequency of 40,000 cycles/hour. The open cross and threefold section and the waste paper ejector make the K8 Perfection ideal for standard production as well as for the production of complex products.
Apart from standard products the K8 Perfection is also able to produce complicated products and folding layouts with the integration of numerous MBO specific features for short set-up times.
The MBO range includes delivery systems to suit the output speeds of the folding machines. Printers can choose from standard belt delivery through presser stackers, and also MBO’s most recent development, the Log Stacker, which automatically collects, stacks, presses and straps book signatures allowing the operator to concentrate on the speed and quality of the output products.
MBO is available in Australia and New Zealand exclusively through Ferrostaal Australia.
Minibond 520 Digital Celloglazer
The Minibond 520 Digital Celloglazer is unlike any desktop laminator on the market.
Following the success of the Minibond 380, with over 400 sold around Australia in the past six years, the Minibond 520 has been designed for celloglazing digital print in a landscape direction, which increases productivity and eliminates many post processing problems by laminating with the paper grain.
It will laminate both single and double sided in one pass, and has a large diameter chrome heating roller (similar to large commercial machines) to ensure maximum adhesion for 320 X 450mm digital print.
Many desktop units on the market have silicon rollers which not only create a rough finish, they are unable to reach high enough temperatures to create an adequate bond on digital output. Most digital toners and inks require large amounts of heat and pressure to ensure maximum adhesion, which is achieved with the chrome roller.
Many printers have small desktop units yet still outsource the majority of their laminating because the finish isn’t professional enough, the adhesion not good enough and it is too slow feeding on the short edge of the sheet.
With a speed of up to five metres per minute feeding landscape, the Minibond 520 also has a built in decurl unit and rewind drum for laminating lightweight sheets, and the perforator wheel offers separation of sheets without a knife after laminating.
As with the smaller 380 model, the Minibond 520 is available either directly through Lamination System or through distributors including Fuji Xerox Australia.
The Minibond 520 is priced at under $5,000.
Morgana DigiBook
Morgana has taken a well established method of PUR binding and manufactured a range of equipment that allows printers to produce PUR books economically in much shorter run lengths.
The technology within the binding is not unique, but PUR binding commands a higher price per book than other styles such as saddle binding or standard hot melt (EVA) perfect binding, with many print buyers now specifying PUR binding as their preferred method.
Morgana’s nozzle application system is quick to start, and requires five minutes to shut down with minimal waste — only around a tablespoon of glue at the end of each production run. The strength of binding is equal across all DigiBook machines, so the focus needs to be the number of books required. It is possible to turn on a Morgana DigiBook PUR binding machine then start binding in less than half an hour. Printers can bind books and leave the machine on standby for the next job or completely clean and shut down in less than five minutes.
The Morgana DigiBook range is available in four models that are suited to demand and budget. The DigiBook 150 entry level machine can produce about 100 books per hour; the top of the range model 450 is capable of producing up to 450 books per hour.
With a price range to suit most productivity levels and budgets, Morgana DigiBook equipment brings PUR binding service in-house.
Ferrostaal Australia is the distributor of Morgana products in Australia, with a team of factory trained technicians and instructors.
Muller Martini Vareo
The Muller Martini Vareo is an ideal perfect binder for print finishing specialists and printing plants that use conventional or digital printing.
The Vareo is a three-clamp perfect binder with a mechanical performance of up to 1,350 cycles per hour, and can be used for medium or short runs, right down to runs of one copy.
The Vareo is capable of diverse applications. Photo books, personalised catalogues and high quality brochures can be produced cost-effectively with short set-up and production times, which are indispensable for ultra-short and one-copy runs. That makes it possible to produce high-quality books within a short time, with the very first book being sellable.
The Vareo has a modular design so the machine can be extended and adapted to meet future production requirements.
Advantages of the Vareo include individual drives for optimal motion, the use of hotmelt and PUR, and a modular design with numerous extension options.
It includes an integrated station to measure size and book thickness, automatic book block feeding, barcode matching of content and cover, glue application monitoring for the PUR nozzle, and a crash station.
Planatol Planamelt
Planatol has developed a new adhesive with the benefits of PUR but few of its drawbacks, according to the company.
Polyurethane reactive adhesive (PUR) has been used during the industry’s transition to digital print. Conventional EVA hot melt glues had problems with digitally printed papers, glossy papers and with finishing oils used in the process, but PUR performed more effectively.
However, PUR is relatively expensive, unused glue has to be discarded, application equipment is expensive, and PUR bound books need to be cured before further finishing.
Planatol has developed a much more powerful hot melt adhesive, Planamelt, which tackles the problems that PUR avoids and avoids the problems that PUR creates.
The glue was first announced last year and has been accepted in western European countries. Trials indicate that the glue is easy to use, the resulting bind is strong and at this stage there are no drawbacks.
The company claims a bind strength of 13N/cm, a figure at which it would be easier to tear the paper than remove the page from the spine.
According to Nuno Campos, export sales manager for Planatol, there is no need to invest in systems needed with PUR.
Planamelt is benign, and can be heated to its operating temperature of 160ºC and cooled and reheated with no problems. EVA will burn and discolour over time, but Planamelt does not seem to do this.
Polar Digicut
The Polar Digicut was designed for cutting, creasing, perforating and engraving single sheets using a laser.
The Digicut is capable of precise cutting of very delicate contours in a wide variety of materials, engraving without leaving marks on the flip side, economic production of print runs from one up to a few hundred copies, no tooling costs as processing is done by the laser, and Polar safety standards enabling GS-certification.
The Digicut is manually loaded via the transparent cover on the top. The cover is lifted up and the material to be processed is manually placed at the gauge and aligned. The cutting program is selected on a four-line display and processing starts. All necessary settings for processing, such as the intensity and speed of the laser, are defined in advance through colour specific colour settings in the printer driver. When the Digicut has completed the job, a ring is heard and the operator can take the material out manually by lifting the upper top cover.
Some products which can be produced on the Digicut include greeting cards, invitations, envelopes, folders, letterheads, samples, business cards, table cards, lanterns, puzzles, bookmarks and more.
The Polar Digicut is provided with training and 12 months’ warranty. This can also be followed by a preventative service agreement, if purchased at the time of sale, or can be arranged after the warranty period.
Heidelberg can also offer print finance on the Polar Digicut, and this can also be discussed during the negotiation process.
Renz Q Topic 380 Laminator
A recent addition to the Australian market by Renz Australia is the multi-functional, fully automatic Q Topic 380 Auto laminator, which was launched this year at drupa.
Based on the design and technology of the QTopic 380 semi-automatic laminator this new, fully automatic version is specifically targeted at the print on demand environment for reliability, ease of operation and labour saving automation.
It has a small footprint and offers auto feeding, automatic sheet overlay at the feed gate and automatic sheet separation after lamination. The roller pressure is controlled pneumatically for better quality results and adhesion, and it comes complete with its own silent compressor.
Printers can add value with specialised embellishments such as gold and silver foiling as well as spot UV matt and gloss highlights, Micronex UV inhibiting coatings. Holographic security coatings can be produced on this model.
These value-add options create new revenue streams. After all costs are accounted for printers can make a profit using this machine when laminating as few as 300 SRA A3 sheets per week.
Floor space and labour, two of the most significant costs for printers, are addressed by the small footprint and the automation provided by this model.
The new QTopic-380 Auto automatically feeds, overlays and separates the finished celloglazed sheets at speeds of up to 10 metres per minute for single sided work.
The machine is easily installed and full training plus ongoing support is supplied by Renz, which has a national service footprint.
The GMP Q Topic – 380 Auto can be financed for as little as $158.00 per week ex-GST.
Scodix Foil
An additional module that runs inline with the Scodix Ultra Pro Digital Press, Scodix Foil digitally creates a brilliant foil effect simply, in-house with no waste or mess.
PSPs and folding-carton converters can easily produce short to medium runs profitably.
Scodix Foil produces a luxury effect for a wide variety of applications such as marketing literature, stationery, book covers, boxes and premium packages, greeting cards, photo albums and more.
A large variety of hot and cold industry standard foil films are available with the Scodix Foil application, as well as a large variety of substrates such as plastics, laminated, non-laminated, coated and uncoated substrates.
Scodix Foil is ideal for commercial printers coping with short to medium runs, who outsource the foil application or use a makeready process including moulds and dies, as well as for converters doing high-end short up to medium runs.
Scodix Foil is an additional station that runs inline with the Scodix Ultra Pro platform and benefits from three main technological advantages:
· RSP (Rotate Scale Position) technology, based on four CCD cameras and sophisticated algorithms for optimal registration;
· PAS(Pin Activate Secure) process, a patented foil process using the PolySENSE 500 polymer that enables extra fine details and large surfaces with a large variety of foils on a wide selection of substrates;
· Transfer process with the cooperation of Compact Foilers, a market leader in foil transfer units. The synergy between the companies enables flawless, robust, high yield production with three types of foil saving.
Replacing the conventional analogue method and eliminating the need for dies, plates, moulds and other expensive makeready costs, the result is a break-even point of around 9,000 sheets and a huge cost saving for short to medium runs.
Using Scodix patented technologies, the PAS, RSP and transfer process provide foil enhancement prints with extra fine details, high gloss and surface coverage with perfect registration.
The digital process provides variable data print enhancements in a green process that is highly responsive to clients’ needs.
Having the foil enhancement application in-house results in a faster time to market, independent of any third party supplier, and ensures confidentiality by eliminating exposure of jobs to other printers.
The Scodix Ultra Pro and Scodix Foil station’s design has been implemented to work seamlessly in high production environments.
Scodix digital enhancement solutions can expand printers’ portfolio of products by introducing the tactile effects of Scodix SENSE for embossing, Scodix Spot for silkscreen, Scodix VDP/VDE, Scodix Braille and Scodix Foil effects. All these applications can be produced on Scodix digital enhancement presses.
Watkiss PowerSquare 224
Distributed and serviced by Australian Graphic Servicing, Watkiss provides a full range of booklet makers including its lead products the PowerSquare 224 and the soon to be released PowerSquare 160. These are unique complete book making systems for digital and offset print applications.
To suit different workflows, they are available in three configurations: online, nearline and offline.
The PowerSquare 224 combines the four processes of stitching, folding, spine forming and trimming to produce squareback books up to 224 pages thick. It features fully automatic settings for different book size and pagination, including variable stitch-leg length for varying book thickness.
The maximum book thickness of 10.4mm (208 pages 80gsm, 224 pages 70gsm), is double that of alternative conventional booklet making machines, so it is ideally suited to higher paginations or to thicker stocks. This makes the Watkiss PowerSquare 224 a fast and cost effective alternative to perfect binding or tape binding. ‘
Digital print applications frequently use heavier stocks and need the flexibility to produce a wider range of finished books from a single process, with little or no operator intervention – the Watkiss PowerSquare is suited to this.
The PowerSquare is a single solution for books from four to 224 pages. It requires less capital outlay since one machine will finish virtually all production. It has the added advantage that printed sheets do not need any manual handling between different finishing devices.
The finished SquareBack books have the superior square-spined appearance of a perfect bound book, but with the security of a stitched spine. They lie flat and are easy to pack, stack and handle. There is no risk of loose pages and they can be printed on the spine.
The PowerSquare 224 has a single stitch head which inserts one to six stitches in the spine of the book. The stitch head and clincher are static — the sheets move to the stitch, not vice versa. This means the stitch head and clincher never have to be moved, so alignment and stitch quality is consistently good.
The PowerSquare 224 has a very small floor space requirement, significantly less than alternative book finishing methods. When operating online to a printer, the finished books are delivered close to the normal operator position, not several metres ‘down the line’.
The PowerSquare 224 is easy to use. Simply enter the job parameters (paper size, book thickness and number of stitches) into the touchscreen and press start. The PowerSquare automatically sets the stitch position, the wire draw length (the stitch leg length), the amount of spine form required and the trim dimension. To make repeat jobs easier still the settings can be saved, each with a unique name, for instant recall when required.
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