Leading A/NZ graphic arts industry supplier Currie Group has entered an exclusive partnership for the Australian and New Zealand region with US-based folder-gluer and specialised bindery finishing equipment manufacturer, B&R Moll.
The partnership combines the expertise, passion, and commitment of the two companies and will bring a host of post-press solutions to A/NZ customers.
Currie Group finishing product category manager, Will Currie explains that the partnership came about after he attended IGAS in Tokyo while planning to modernise and replace some of the old-style machinery in use by local customers, and was researching B2 rotary die cutters in the folder-gluer market.
Witnessing a B&R Moll installation while touring a customer site inspired Currie to get in touch with the company. Dscoop Edge St. Louis then set the stage for B&R Moll director of sales Kevin Moll to meet with the Currie Group team who were attending the show, and the rest is history.
“Having seen the B&R Moll machinery and received positive feedback from our customers about their reliability, made the decision to pair up easy for us.
“The synergies between us fit well as we offer an ideal post-press solution to the short to medium sized run customers, which Currie Group was looking to find,” Moll added, with Currie agreeing that the partnership is a “match made in heaven.”
B&R Moll brings complete folder-gluer lines to the packaging and commercial print finishing industry while providing a breakthrough in rotary cutting with its digital rotary die cutters.
“About five years ago, we introduced our digital rotary die cutter into the US market, which was the only B2 die cutter in the rotary world able to die-cut offset print, or digital print, and run into one of our folder-gluers. It basically allows users to feed a sheet, die cut it, strip the matrix down to the ground, deliver the product into one of our folder-gluers, and essentially perform five processes into one,” explained Moll.
The Moll FlexCut 760 Digital Rotary Die Cutter is the company’s newest iteration, and in the coming months will be introduced to the A/NZ region as its flagship cutter, offered in various combinations as required.
“This die cutter is 100 percent nick-less so it’s perfect for cutting round corners, business cards or greeting cards with no nicks. It allows for a smooth edge on all the sides of the cards, or cartons, which we deliver flat into our shingles conveyer,” added Moll.
According to Currie, introducing the die cutter into the A/NZ market completes the company’s impressive line-up of equipment offerings and closes a gap in the market in terms of finishing.
“As quoted by Kevin, gluing may be the last to produce but it’s the first thing that a customer will see,” he said.
Currie says a standout feature of the Moll FlexCut 760 Digital Rotary Die Cutter is its make readies.
“Being able to have the ability to get dies made from the one of the various die makers around Australia or overseas and being able to, very quickly change dies and do seriously long runs in an incredibly short period of time will be a game changer in this sphere,” he said, emphasising the reliability of the machines and the fact that they are “very easy to look after” as strong selling points too.
The price point is another feature that could be of benefit to the A/NZ market.
“Our machines are priced at a point where it fits the short to medium size printer. We can handle the medium to large sized printer but where we really excel is with our quick-to-quick or quick changeover options and our easy-to-use capabilities,” Moll said.
Family owned and operated B&R Moll is based in Philadelphia where the equipment and electrical components are built from steel and aluminium raw materials, and drilled, tapped, powder coated, bent then shipped out around the world. The company also has an office in the UK.
The company has come a long way from its humble beginnings in 1977 when it was started by Dick Moll and his sons, Bruce and Rick, from the family garage. There, Dick sketched out the firsthand Fed Pocket Folder Gluer on a napkin, pioneering the first simplistic and affordable folder/gluer over 50 years ago.
Dick was involved with the company until the early 2000s until Bruce and Rick took over the company in 2002. Bruce’s sons, Kevin and Daniel joined the company five years later – with Kevin looking after marketing and Daniel vice president of operations.
Moll’s customer-based focus has allowed the company to expand into Japan, Canada, the UK and Australia and it now employs 46 staff members.
The rotary cutter set for local shores is currently being built, and will be on display in the coming months at Currie Group’s demonstration centre, followed by other impressive B&R Moll equipment line-ups, such as:
• the Moll Regal Folder/Gluer System which can handle large-format, heavier weight stocks and has quick change-over times;
• the Moll LP Record Album Folding Machine, which also. offers quick change over times and can handle sleeves up to 500 gsm; and
• the compact digi-mollPak System In-line folder/gluer, which handles material ranging from 140-500gsm stocks and offers a maximum linear speed of 130m/min.
“It’s amazing that in this day and age the industry can witness Currie Group, at 74 years old, and B&R Moll, at over 40 years old, working together in a partnership.
“This is proof that companies like ours, that have stood the test of time in an industry that’s forever condensing and playing against other bigger companies, can still provide a competitive advantage.
“It is a privilege for Currie Group to help support and increase the volume of B&R Moll’s machines in the A/NZ market,” concluded Currie.
MOLL FLEXCUT 760 DIGITAL ROTARY DIE CUTTER
The Moll FlexCut 760 Digital Rotary Die Cutter is geared towards the label, mail, printing, and packaging markets, for sheet-fed applications.
It is equipped with two magnetic cylinders for cutting and creasing and can kiss cut and cut-score products in an infinite number of shapes and sizes including substrate thicknesses up to 500 gsm paperboard. It is ideal for finishing boxes, cartons, labels, pocket folders and other types of packaging.
The die cutter features micro gap adjustment, and with its zero-deflection tolerance, stagger cuts are no longer necessary to achieve a through cut.
The device handles material ranging from 140-500gsm stocks in sizes ranging from 215 x 279 mm up to 760 x 760mm and offers a maximum linear speed of 130m/min and run speeds up to 7,000 sheets per hour with variable speed adjustment.
Other features include screen controls, suction feed w/ adjustable sucker heads with adjustable front air separation blower, servo driver pre-registration, nick-less die cutting and class 3 spherical roller bearings.
The cutter also features hot and cold glue systems, receding stacker and Versafold options.
MOLL REGAL FOLDER/GLUER SYSTEM
For nearly 20 years the Moll Regal Folder/Gluer System has been the most popular piece of folding equipment that B&R Moll has to offer. Ideal for printers, trade finishers, and binderies, its ability to handle large-format, heavier weight stocks and its quick change-over time makes it flexible enough to handle a wide variety of jobs.
The long in-feed and belt section allows forming, folding, taping, and inserting, and it can be configured to produce a range of finished pieces, including pocket folders, envelopes, CD/record sleeves, digipacks, and room key card holders.
The Regal Folder/Gluer System handles 762 mm wide formats. Designed as an all belt-driven in-line system, it features a built-in during folding, and the tipper fold plate features an anti-marking roller accommodating stocks up to 28pt plus.
MOLL LP RECORD ALBUM FOLDING MACHINE
The Moll LP Record Album Folding Machine meets the needs of the record album industry. At 762 mm by 762 mm in size, it can handle lightweight inner sleeves and heavy weight sleeves up to 500 gsm.
The machine’s quick change-over time allows for a wide variety of finished pieces, to be produced, such as CD/record sleeves, gatefold albums, digipacks, three-sided capacity LPs, and single capacity spine flat side LPs.
It boasts a stainless steel backplate and a buckle fold plate with removable ribs to eliminate static build-up and marking. In addition, the tipper fold plate with anti-marketing rollers allows for heavier stocks to be folded. All-belt drive construction can accommodate stocks up to 500 gsm.
The LP Record Album Folding Machine also features a cold glue and hot glue system for the safe and cost-effective application of adhesives to cover sheets, while the dual pump system ensures optimum power delivery.
The machine also has an option to bump-n-turn a sheet, in addition to a vacuum belt system. Moll’s new servo driven capacity forming attachment and an independent upper drive capacity system are two other impressive features in the Moll LP Record Album Folding machine.
MOLL DIGI-MOLLPAK SYSTEM IN-LINE FOLDER-GLUER
The compact Moll digi-mollPak system In-line folder-gluer is designed to give digital and commercial printers fast, flexible performance for complex packaging products at an affordable price.
It is ideally suited for producing straight-line boxes, room key holders, table tents, sleeves, CD wallets, computer software cartons and presentation folders, while an optional kit for producing auto-lock bottom boxes is available.
The friction Feeder section offers continuous feed for not just regular shaped product, but irregular as well. Its new etched rails for seamless job change overs and offers multiple feeds without sacrificing run speeds.
The device handles material ranging from 140-500gsm stocks in sizes ranging from 50x102mm up to 914x508mm, and offers a maximum linear speed of 130m/min.
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