finishing

Saddle Up

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By Lisa Guerriero

High-speed finishing solutions offer customization and automation to streamline high-volume digital print operations served by inkjet. Saddle stitching systems are designed to handle these volumes, enabling applications including financial and healthcare documents, direct mail, and brochures, as well as testing booklets and other educational materials.

“Inkjet print providers need a saddle stitching solution that can take a pile of cutsheet product or a pre-printed roll from the press and automatically process it into a sellable, finished product with much less labor requirements and at much higher throughput rates,” says Andy Fetherman, director of digital solutions, Muller Martini Corp.

Inline and nearline stitching solutions produce between 4,500 and 14,000 booklets per hour. Robust construction and automation enable this productivity, even in 24/7 pressrooms.

Saddle stitching solutions expedite finishing for variable data workflows, providing controls like tracking and validation. Additionally, these systems are available for a variety of print operations, including hybrid environments comprised of digital and offset capabilities.

Accountability and Accuracy
Many saddle stitching systems incorporate validation and integrity solutions well suited to the variable nature of inkjet production. Barcodes, cameras, and other tracking functions provide accuracy.

“Many print providers are looking to produce products on inkjet with as few as four pages, or up to 200 pages or more—with or without a cover from a separate print stream. Tracking every page and every book is a feature that is requested due to personalization,” notes Neal Swanson, director, marketing communications, Standard Finishing Systems.

Tracking and validation capabilities allow print providers to ensure customized data is stored correctly and assigned to the right book. They enable books with varying page counts, check that pages are in the right sequence, and provide automated rejection or ejection of incomplete books.

“When dealing with variable data or jobs that require ultra-high integrity, a printer should be sure that the saddle stitcher can track book progress and accuracy,” suggests Ryan Manieri, marketing coordinator, MBO America.

For many booklet and small-book applications, the accountability of saddle stitchers is essential to delivering information securely. It’s not only a question of best practices, but of meeting legal requirements.

“Healthcare and examination booklets must only contain data specific to the recipient. In healthcare, there are severe penalties for mixing one person’s medical information with another in a booklet,” explain Don Piontek, digital finishing specialist, and John Cracknell, managing director, IBIS Bindery Systems, Ltd.

Focused Finishing
Saddle stitching is a cost-effective method of book binding, offering fast output for materials with a relatively short shelf life. However, these stitching systems must also be capable of applications where longevity and quality are important.

Flat, light books are in demand—whether a travel catalogue personalized for one individual or a periodical with a run size of several thousand.

“The advantage of saddle stitching is the method used to fold and stitch booklets. By scoring and plough folding, a saddle stitcher can produce much flatter booklets,” notes Anthony Gandara, product manager, Duplo USA.

Saddle stitchers’ narrow focus allows them to produce small books effectively, but limits print providers to one binding method for most devices. This precludes the square-bound books and booklets that some customers want.

Although saddle stitchers are capable of higher page counts than in the past—up to 200 pages—this method is still restricted to smaller books. The layflat quality sought by buyers is lost if the page count is too high or the paper stock too thin.

“If you can imagine a Bible or textbook being held together by staples along the spine, you’ll understand why saddle stitching really doesn’t make sense for a book of that size,” observes Manieri.

Thinner substrates are ideal for many small book applications. Companies looking to minimize mailing costs use lighter media, which is usually better suited to saddle stitching systems.

The drying systems often used in inkjet printing tend to leave paper susceptible to cracking and flaking, especially with heavier stock. Digital saddle stitching systems feature specialized scoring and creasing processes designed to limit cracking. Lighter media can also help mitigate the risk of cracking during finishing. Drying also causes static, which some stitchers address by including an anti-static component.

Stitching Solutions
Solutions are available to suit a variety of inkjet printing environments.

Duplo’s iSaddle system produces up to 4,500 booklets per hour and 400,000 per month. By adding two options—the DKT-200 Two Knife Trimmer and the Gutter Cut Module—productivity increases up to 9,000 booklets per hour for some two-up applications. It produces books up to 120 pages and features a loading capacity of 2.56 inches. The suction-based collating system features four towers that can be connected to maximize productivity.

The device and its folding and stitching method target high-speed inkjet production environments. “The iSaddle System neatly and accurately jogs each set prior to scoring and plough folding to ensure consistent and accurate folding,” says Gandara.

The system’s PC Controller software saves an unlimited number of jobs, which can be recalled to perform job changeovers in seconds with little or no operator intervention. The software controls air flow and vacuum for each bin to ensure consistent, reliable feeding. It also comes standard with the Intelligent Multi Bin Feed feature. It allows the operator to select which bins to feed from, set or change how many sheets feed from each bin, and in what sequence. The feature enables custom feeding, including pre-collated digitally printed documents.

The IBIS Smart-binder, models SB-2 and SB-3, create up to 7,000 books per hour, or 14,000 in two-up mode. Monthly volume is about one million. The system creates books of up to 200 pages on 70 gsm stock.

The solution folds each sheet individually for better layflat characteristics, rather than as a set, and varies the number of pages in each book automatically. It uses barcode or Datamatrix codes printed on each sheet for sheet and booklet tracking. “The IBIS Smart-binder includes a sophisticated embedded data tracking and logging system on the sheet level, which ensures 100 percent booklet integrity. If a booklet is rejected, data is provided upstream to allow it to be reprinted,” note Piontek and Cracknell.

The Smart-binder offers a built-in alternative, the ISG cold-gluing system. It replaces stitching wire with micro-dots of cold glue, giving end customers a staple-free option. It offers the same productivity as the stitching process on uncoated stock. Optional features for the Smart-binder include a sheet buffer module for inline use with IJ printers, offline sheet feeding, insert feeding, cover feeding, sheet perforation, and booklet stacking.

MBO’s offerings include Muller Martini’s Presto II Digital—which it recommends for commercial, digital, and hybrid workflows—and IBIS’ Smart-binder, for digital, variable data, and highly sensitive data. Both integrate with MBO’s digital finishing modules.

The company also advises using an upstream camera inspection system for jobs with sensitive information. “Systems like the Xcam from Baumer HHS can be integrated with nearly all MBO finishing solutions and can detect blank sheets, match patterns for accuracy, or read codes,” suggests Manieri.

Muller Martini’s Presto II Digital produces up to 9,000 copies per hour (cph) with pages up to .375 inches thick, while the Primera Digital produces 14,000 cph, with pages up to .5 inches thick.

A hybrid configuration is available for both models. It allows for handling variable content products from either a pile or a roll, while also processing traditional offset signatures with standard feeders on the same line. The solutions ensure the cover and content match for variable data production.

A barcode printed on every signature and cover contains a product ID that defines the job, a copy ID that ensures the correct sequence of the signatures, and a bundle ID for stacking. “These systems deliver customized products, which are optimally sorted by the various mailing routes on pallets to customers at very high production speeds,” explains Fetherman.

Standard’s Horizon StitchLiner6000 creates books up to 200 pages. It produces up to 6,000 per hour for books up to 24 pages. Integrated with the company’s Hunkeler UW6 unwinder and CS6 rotary cutter, the solution functions inline with continuous-feed inkjet and digital presses or offline when the application calls for feeding pre-cut sheets or stacks from another nearby print engine.

Based on the StitchLiner technology platform, the system offers inline cover feeding and non-stop booklet production on a range of paper stocks at up to 600 feet per minute. It produces variable sheet-count booklets using barcode scanning or mark reading.

The StitchLiner6000 features an icon-based color touch screen control and a fully automated setup, including folder roller gap settings. It is designed for ease of use, allowing the same operators who run the printer to easily manage post-press functions. Precise stepper motors drive the solution’s systems—including end stops, side guides, and stitching heads—to the exact location for the sheet size and finish style selected.

VITS International offers a single- or double-web system that integrates with saddle stitchers from any manufacturer. The Sprint Variable Data Saddle Finishing System (VDSFS) increases throughput by running multiple webs into the stitcher. It allows printers to take one or two preprinted rolls, slit and merge ribbons, cut and deliver, and collate directly onto the saddle.

Depending on the width and number of webs, each cut of the cutting cylinder can deliver a four-, eight-, 12-, or 16-page signature to the stitcher. The system increases the rate of book production, allowing for maximum utilization of the stitching device.

“The Sprint VDSFS is a VITS exclusive, as no other finishing manufacturer delivers multiple webs in register direct to the saddle stitcher. This technology offers printers the ability to increase productivity and open new markets for saddle stitched products,” says Nick Gerovac, director of sales and marketing, VITS International.

Binding for Efficiency
Saddle stitching systems feature speed, automation, and variability to complement the growing high-speed production inkjet market. “Inkjet technologies have breathed new life into a well-established form of finishing. Inkjet web allows for the personalization and variability that marketers covet, and integrating this with a proven format can be powerful,” observes Gerovac. dps

Functioning Flexibility

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By Melissa Donovan

Print providers rely on versatile finishing equipment to complete jobs. Automation streamlines the process. Multifunction finishing devices that perforate, slit, and score are the focus of this article.

When choosing between the number of options available in the mid- to high-volume segment of the market, products range from inline and near line to offline. When and what to use depends on productivity, price, and applications. Applications range significantly, from traditional mailers to promotional materials. Each dictate which features are needed on a finishing device.

Ultimately, flexibility is essential. Instead of using five individual devices to complete five finishing tasks, print providers want a solution that can do it all, or at least have the option to down the road to enable more offerings and enhanced products.

Open to Many Options
When considering mid- to high-volume perforating, slitting, and scoring equipment there are many options to choose from. Output volume and price aids in the decision-making process in addition to whether the unit is offline, inline, or near line.

“There are both offline and inline systems available for medium- to high-volume needs. Traditional offline units that normally perform all three functions are most commonly used despite the fact that speed and productivity are often lacking. These systems range in price from $10 to $100K,” outlines Neal Swanson, director, marketing communications, Standard Finishing Systems.

According to Barry Kallman, VP sales, Rollem International, when looking specifically at folders, inline and rotary systems are common options for the mid- to high-volume market. “Folders offer scoring and include some automation, but the downside to folders are that slitting and perforating lacks in the accuracy category,” he explains.

Rotary-based tabletop models are available with perforating, slitting, and scoring functions, but are typically not high on accuracy or speed, continues Kallman. He says production-level rotary models offer complete automation and accuracy and are available in near line and inline configurations.

“Newer rotary die cutters are also becoming an option for printers looking to perforate, crease, and slit with quicker set up and higher production,” agrees Swanson.

Chris Van Pelt, president, Therm-O-Type Corporation, divides the options into cutter, slitter, and creaser equipment and right angle slitters. “Cutter, slitter, and creaser equipment are lower in throughput speed compared to right angle slitters, however, they offer more in product size and format flexibility. In addition, there are more secondary inline finishing operations on certain cutter, slitter, and creaser models than what is found on right angle slitters.”

Applications are Among Us
Primary applications that perforating, slitting, and scoring equipment are used for range from traditional mailers to promotional materials. Promotional materials include brochures, product literature, flyers, presentation folders, greeting cards, photo products, postcards, and business cards.

“Perforating, slitting, and scoring are used for just about every kind of finishing there is—signature work, heavy stock, lightweight stock, web finishing, and cut sheet finishing,” states Lance Martin, sales director, MBO America.

Payment forms, tear-off coupons, mailings, and security applications that include TransPromo and variable data are also finished on this equipment. “High-speed continuous feed applications such as these require perfing, punching, slitting, and/or scoring. With the increase in variable data and personalization, these systems are often required to vary the finishing pattern per 8.5×11-inch form,” shares Swanson.

Perforating, slitting, and scoring each enhance the variety of applications finished on these types of devices.

Coupon booklets, tear-off workbook pages, and signature perforations are now possible with advancements in perforating capabilities. Fold lines, folding carton work, and folder gluers are additional options thanks to timing mechanisms for special patterns involved with perforating, slitting, and scoring. These will only apply a cut to a specific section as the paper passes through the machine, adds Martin.

Dean Askin, regional manager, EMT International, Inc., suggests that his company’s customers regularly use slitting specifically for “for trim and gutter slitting to remove print marks or bleeds. Our slitting units are also commonly utilized for converting larger width rolls to narrow width rolls for finishing near line.”

Scoring plays an important role in digital imaging. “It helps reduce or eliminate cracking on a folded spine. In addition, perforating, scoring, and slitting of heavy weight stocks eliminates a curl in the sheet, which generally happens when traditionally perforated on a folding machine because it tries to conform to the radius of the folding roller,” explains Mark Pellman, new business development manager, Baumfolder Corporation.

Focus on Flexible Features
In the mid- to high-volume range, specific feature sets are important in the digital market. Flexibility between jobs is one of the biggest concerns.

“The days of having five different machines with five operators to complete each step is over. Now those steps must be integrated into one touch. The digital market is changing so quickly that it does not make sense to purchase finishing solutions that are only capable of one fixed function,” shares Martin.

To keep pace, finishers must offer all of the bells and whistles. “Additional features incorporated into one process or machine rather than having to run a job multiple times or send out for further finishing is an important component,” say Chris Harrington, director of sales, North America, and Shack Fisher, sales manager, Western region, Graphic Whizard.

Van Pelt agrees, citing how some cutter, slitter, and creaser models on the market today can perform additional inline secondary finishing operations such as die cutting, hole punching, strike perforating, bindery hole punching, blind embossing, and up and/or down creasing.

“Applications across a range of paper weights and textures also need to be considered and finished quickly and professionally. In addition, dynamic perforation and punching patterns can vary from sheet to sheet to provide additional flexibility for direct mail, TransPromo, and transactional applications,” concurs Swanson.

Tools that enable a wider range of heavier weight stocks include buckle folders, like that found on the Baum CF20 Creaser Folder. “It enables heavier weight stocks produced in the digital market to have multiple panels folded as compared to traditional knife folders that limit the production to just one fold,” adds Pellman.

Besides flexibility, some other hot button items that are a must for all digital printers include “a simple, user-friendly operating interface, a good feed system, and image shift compensation for digital color applications,” lists Kevin Chen, product manager, Duplo USA.

“EMT finds that our customers value accuracy and tight print-to-perf or print-to-slit tolerances. Since many of our finishing unit designs come from our background in the tight web, offset market, we utilize tight web principles, which create optimal conditions for web processing/finishing, providing the tightest tolerances for placing perforations or slitting,” shares Askin.

Perf/Slit/Score and More
Vendors who provided input for this article were also asked to share information on their newest product lines and/or standout portfolios, specifically targeting the mid- to high-volume digital print market.

B&R Moll Inc.’s Insignia 7 In-Line Rotary Die Cutter die cuts, strips, and then stacks a sheet. It runs with the company’s Versafold folder/gluer, allowing the entire process to be conducted in one step. The system is ideal for the creation of mailers with fugitive glue, post cards, cartons, coffee cup sleeves, pillow packs, presentation folders, and gift card holders. “The Insignia 7 is designed for your shortest to largest run,” quotes Kevin Moll, sales director, B&R Moll. He says that the changeover of die plates only takes five minutes, positioning the device for the “I need it yesterday” digital print customer.

Baumfolder’s most recent introduction includes the Baum 20 VFM Versatile Finishing Modules, which perforate, micro-perforate, timed or ‘skip’ perforate, score, edge slit, center slit, gutter slit, and time slit. This is slated for mid- to high-volume applications. The solutions are available as offline or inline depending on whether they are first, second, or third station units. The first station is provided with a pile feeder. Second and third station mobile units are available with lift kits to adapt to inline applications.

Count Machinery Company offers the Perfmaster series of perforating and scoring machines. Perfmaster Air V3 features a self-fanning automatic bottom air/suction feed, which allows for continuous feeding without stopping. Users can feed single sheets, coated stock, or multi-part forms, open or glued edges. The Perfmaster Sprint is a friction feed device that can perforate, score, and slit at an 18-inch wide feed capacity.

Duplo’s all-in-one DC-616 PRO Slitter/Cutter/Creaser is designed for short- to mid-range runs, and slits, cuts, creases, and perforates in a single pass. For mid- to high-volume runs, Duplo offers the DC-646 and DC-745 Slitter/Cutter/Creasers. These models also offer a rotary tool, cross perforating, strike perforating, and folding.

EMT offers a dynamic cross perforating unit, with the primary function of placing a perf at a designated spot via a 2D barcode recipe, consolidate register mark, or top of form mark. Cross perforations can also be placed on a fixed repeat distance for fan fold perforating. In total, EMT offers cross web dynamic perforating, static cross web perforating, linear dynamic perforating, and continuous linear perforating for 20-, 30-, and 42-inch web widths.

Graphic Whizard offers the CreaseMaster series, whose main function is creasing but also offers partial, cross, and T perforation while creasing in a single pass. It also includes rotary perf and slit capabilities. The PT series of creasers, introduced two years ago, are an economical line of primarily creasers but they also can perf and partial perf. Specifically, Graphic Whizard shares the PT SCC, an automatic modular slitter/cutter/creaser capable of edge trimming, slitting, gutter trimming, cutting creasing, and perforating all in one unit. Optional accessories include rotary perf, cross, and partial perf.

MBO provides perforating, slitting, and scoring equipment as modules in large inline systems or as added options within MBO folding systems. The standalone models are Herzog+Heymann versatile cutting units that can be equipped with multiple perforating, slitting, and scoring functions. Mobile units, they can easily be integrated into digital or conventional finishing lines. As an option or add on to MBO folders, pre-slitter shafts allow the user to perf, slit, and score prior to the first fold in order to hit the entire sheet as a single sheet thickness, creating a much higher quality perf, slit, and score downstream. All MBO folders are equipped with a rear slitter shaft, which perf, slit, and score an already folded product.

One of the leading models in Morgana Systems Ltd.’s finishing portfolio is the AutoCreaser Pro 33. It employs a unique creasing rule and matrix as illustrated overleaf, which eliminates tearing and cracking on the substrate. Perforating is available as a standard feature.

Rollem provides three models in the mid- to high-volume space. Advantage is a shallow pile air feeding unit for low- to mid-volume environments. In the mid range, the ETR Deep Pile System can handle up to 30 inches of stock from its deep pile feeder. The company’s highest production level machine is the Jetstream bi-directional slit, score, and perf unit. It includes a mill skid feeder and runs as a standalone unit or inline. A unique feature on Rollem’s equipment are bi-directional and strike slitting, scoring, and perforating capabilities.

Standard Finishing Systems’ newest device is the Hunkeler DP8 Dynamic Punch and Perforation module. It runs inline with any continuous-feed digital press and at processing speeds of up to 720 feet per minute. A standout for the device is its ability to combine perforation in vertical and cross directions along with punching. Dynamic perforation and punching patterns can vary from sheet to sheet.

For offline operation, Standard offers the Horizon CRF-362 Creaser/Folder and CRA-36 Auto-Creaser. The CRF-362 allows for creasing, folding, and perforating to occur in one operation. Up and down creasing can be performed in a single pass. Dual delivery is provided for folded and flat processed pieces. The CRA-36 offers high-quality creasing with automated feeding. Perforating can be added with a unit replacement. Lastly, the Standard Horizon RD-4055 Rotary Die Cutter is the newest offering that provides die cutting, creasing, perforating, slitting, hole punching, and round corning.

Therm-O-Type’s Zip-TS2L Mark IV is an advanced programmable finishing machine that cross cuts, creases, perforates, slits, die cuts—including round corners, hole punches, blind embosses, kiss cuts, and strike perforates. It features a high-capacity offset press style feeder, full length alignment table with micro side-to-side and skew adjustment, full color touch screen control, waste eject gate, and delivery conveyor.

Have it All
Today’s print provider needs to be ready to handle any customer request. Automated finishing solutions that perform functions such as perforating, slitting, and scoring equipment can do just that, especially when they integrate with additional features including creasing, die cutting, folding, and hole punching. The various directions—vertical and cross—a piece of marketing collateral can be finished opens up opportunities even further. Variability between pieces in the same run are also addressed with dynamic tooling, resulting in finishing solutions that are up to the task of a multi-application world.

When choosing between the number of options available in the mid- to high-volume segment of the market, products range from inline and near line to offline. When and what to use depends on productivity, price, and applications. Applications range significantly, from traditional mailers to promotional materials. Each dictate which features are needed on a finishing device.

Ultimately, flexibility is essential. Instead of using five individual devices to complete five finishing tasks, print providers want a solution that can do it all, or at least have the option to down the road to enable more offerings and enhanced products. dps

Oct2015, DPS Magazine

High-Volume Stakes

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By Melissa Donovan

Pre- and post-press needs, specifically feeding, folding, and inserting for digitally printed mailing applications—both transactional and direct mail—are evolving. As digital production devices improve in speed and quality, finishing solutions complement these speeds and provide a great opportunity for mailing applications.

Features found in feeders, folders, and inserters have advanced considerably over the past few years. Improvements in both the tools found on the machines to where they are located in the print process—inline versus near line—are two influential components currently changing the mail finishing landscape.

Today’s mail is more than just a tri-fold piece of paper. Postcards of various sizes and shapes to unique configurations on new paper types are found in every mailbox. Specific features on feeders, folders, and inserters are included in response to these evolving mediums such as special cutting tools and media handling capabilities. To keep up with variable printing, devices also include monitoring features to minimize error.

Laden with Opportunity
As with many segments of digital print, mailing applications present a great opportunity. Despite a prominent use of Web-based communications, print mail’s presence continues to grow. According to Grant Miller, VP, global strategic product management, Pitney Bowes Document Messaging Technologies, businesses mailed nearly 24 billion statements to customers last year and those documents were opened 97 percent of the time.

“When we consider how many unsolicited emails we receive daily as compared to a hard copy, colorful, personalized direct mail piece, the direct mail piece is showing to get better results,” recommends Mark Pellman, new business development manager, Baumfolder Corporation.

Inkjet’s advanced capabilities play a large role. “As in other digital print markets, the opportunity is moving toward digital color inkjet print. Color inkjet printers allow the production of high-impact, high-value color output from white paper input, without pre-printed color shells,” says Scott Peterson, product marketing manager, Tecnau.

William Longua, senior director, digital print group, Neopost USA, agrees, citing a large opportunity in full-color, on demand envelope printing. “Two forces have driven this opportunity—technology developments and automation mail requirements. In the last few years, advancements in both inkjet and toner-based printing have made it possible to print short to medium job runs in color faster and at a reasonable cost.”

“Variable data printing (VDP) is probably the greatest area of growth. The ability to customize mail pieces with personal, geographical, and financial information for targeted mailings is key. One example is high-volume finishing of direct mail postcards. Static and VDP postcard marketing has greatly increased over the past few years. Most homeowners receive a minimum of three advertising postcards daily,” explains Susan Corwin, marketing manager, Rollem International.

Paper handling expands opportunity and allows for different types of collateral to engage recipients. Inkjet opens up the door for new substrates to be printed to and coincidentally, finishing devices must accept these materials and finish them well. “This can include the ability to process glossy and other heavier stocks, different shapes—including die cuts and perforations, and special coatings to enhance the look and feel of the mail piece,” suggests Johan Laurent, business manager, Hunkeler, Standard Finishing Systems.

Feature Development
High-volume mailing equipment meets demand by matching the speeds and feeds of its print counterparts. In the last five years, devices such as feeders, folders, and inserters have evolved in their multi-material handling skills thanks to new tools. In addition, their position within the print process, whether inline, near line, or offline, is a large consideration.

Device capabilities are changing. For example, the tooling order on a machine is adapting to new toner configurations. “Creasing the piece prior to folding and insertion ensures that toner cracking is virtually eliminated, ensuring a professional finish,” say Larry Stewart, director of sales, print partners & Canadian dealers, and Shack Fisher, director of sales, Western region, Graphic Whizard.

“The biggest change has been the development of high-speed letter-processing equipment with the additional capability to also process flats. Previously, you could only get a high-speed letters-only inserter or a separate flats inserter, but now you can get both in one machine,” shares Peter M. Jones, director, business development, Bell and Howell.

Changes in vacuum belts and the introduction of special transport rollers also affect the finishing landscape. With new substrates printed on daily, this enables them to be efficiently processed on the finishing side. “This allows for printed material to be picked up and transported to avoid image scuffing, which leads to a better quality finished product,” explains Laurent.

Greater automation means that more processes are performed inline, with fewer manual touch points, he continues. This aligns with the need to operate an inline or near line workflow.

“We have seen an increased interest in being able to produce the mailers, content, and envelope, all inline from the same web. Essentially, delivering a stuffed, addressed, and finished envelope—all directly from the pre-printed roll. With the introduction of multiple webs, the amount of content can be expanded,” shares Nick Gerovac, director of sales and marketing, VITS International, Inc.

Ralph Mezzoni, director, mailroom solutions, Neopost, says inline and “single stations” are attractive. “Customers are looking for convenience. Vendors and service providers must adapt to match their customers’ evolution by offering solutions that meet those customers’ individual requirements,” he adds.

The above advancements help print organizations reduce cost and increase return. “Innovations in high-volume production print and mail equipment have reduced the cost and improved the quality of digitally printed mail pieces, whether they are customer bills and statements or direct mail pieces. These innovations enable businesses to produce more colorful and personalized communications with fewer errors,” expounds Miller.

Ideal for High Volume
Digital production devices print on a range of paper products, so finishing systems must also be compatible. Features that are ideal for high-volume mailing today include special substrate feeders and registration systems, cutting/gluing tools, and monitoring capabilities.

Peter Beal, director, product marketing, document systems, Neopost, shares that electronic job changeover is an ideal feature for high-volume mail. “Historically, one of the most challenging aspects of a production folding and inserting system was the number of mechanical settings requiring adjustment when a new or different project was ready for processing.” He says that changing jobs on modern equipment is a one-button process and admits that it may take longer to load new substrates in the system than it does to adjust the inserter.

Multiple web/ribbon registration systems for inline or near line finishing systems allow for the production of self-mailers inline, points out Gerovac.

While it may be easier to change jobs on the fly, there are still nuances to address. “There are feeding applications with particular die cutting, ink jetting, and other digital imaging applications that require precise timing of the sheet being fed with the device accepting the sheet,” admits Pellman.

On the tools front, rotary cutters allow for finishing thicker paper, thus expanding the range of stocks that can be digitally finished, according to Gerovac.

Corwin describes features for a specific application, the self-remittance mail piece. Inline trimming, folding, perforating, and gluing are all features ideal in its creation. “A single sheet of paper is converted and glued closed to expose the mailing address panel; the perforated edge is torn off and the content is unfolded. The sheet contains a tear-off remittance slip, which is inserted into the return envelope and sealed close,” she continues.

With the number of pieces now able to fly through a device, monitoring requires more than a pair—or two—of human eyes. A monitoring feature is required for a number of reasons.

“Quality monitoring systems perform multiple quality tests per page, from simple print quality tests like streak and void detection, to data integrity tests such as account number matches to ensure that each page of a customer statement is heading to the right customer, or a check summation test to compare printed check amounts to the intended total value of a check run,” shares Peterson.

Monitoring also includes ensuring regulatory compliance is met, especially when it comes to medical and financial service industries where parties are held to stringent privacy standards. “Modern operating systems use a series of sensors to track each mail piece through each step of the folding/inserting process. When combined with the appropriately powerful and technologically advanced software application, this integrated integrity provides the ability to track each mail piece in the mailing, aggregate the data for the entire mailing, and confirm that every piece was successfully completed,” explains Beal.

New Products for Mail
The newest products available for high-volume finishing of both direct and transactional mail range from traditional feeders, folders, and inserters to out-of-the-box innovations like a paper wrapping system.

Among Baumfolder’s most recent products are the BAUM 20 VFM Versatile Finishing Modules. These units perforate, microperforate, score/crease, and slit at high speeds using BAUM 20 pile and continuous feeders for offline versions. The BAUM 20 VFM second and third station units can be placed inline. In addition to the aforementioned features, the BAUM 20 VFM can perform perforating for reply cards, coupons, and other special promotions.

Bell and Howell offers its Inveloper paper wrapping system and the new Producer inserter series. The Inveloper creates up to 30,000 pieces per hour. The Producer offers more traditional envelope inserting and the flexibility to perform flats insertion. It can achieve throughput speeds of up to 25,000 folded pieces per hour, with the additional capability of creating flats up to 12,000 pieces per hour.

Graphic Whizard offers the PT370 IKF+, which utilizes two folding knives to perform a variety of folds on sheets up to 350 gsm. The PT370 IKF+ can be hand fed or placed inline with many creasing machines—such as the CreaseMaster or PT series—to process on demand work efficiently. Integrated automatic sheet length measurement further simplifies job setup. It handles sheet sizes of up to 14.5×33 inches and is fully programmable from the touch screen interface.

Neopost’s newest folder inserter technology is the DS-160. Its modular design supports a range of mailing applications—from direct mail campaigns to highly sensitive mailings such as medical billing, payroll, and financial statements. The document assembly system uses Neopost’s proprietary and robust IMOS operating system and as a result has the features and technology to meet the demands of business with ease. Processing speeds are as fast as 4,500 documents per hour. Document handling includes 5.5×5.5 to 9×16 inches and envelopes 3.5×6 to 6.48×10.37 inches.

Pitney Bowes’ Epic Inserting System is based on its Mailstream Productivity Series. The solution is designed to help high-volume transactional print and mail service providers in financial, insurance, healthcare, and telecommunications move from job to job from letters to flats in a single work cell. The Mailstream Direct High Speed Inserter debuts at Graph Expo. Similar to Pitney Bowes’ other inserters, it is specifically designed to provide speed and flexibility to process complex, high-volume direct mail jobs.

Rollem offers the Mailstream II, which includes nine processes on one machine—trim, slit, score, perforate, pattern perforation, glue, fold, top on, and glue closure. The Jetstream is another popular product in the portfolio. Ideal for financial statements, invoices, and transpromotional documents, this device accepts sheets from digital or inkjet presses and applies either static, dynamic, or smart perforations on the specific page of the document. It scores, creases, and stacks all in one, delivering high-volume slitting and trimming of postcard products.

Standard Finishing offers the Hunkeler DP8 Dynamic Punching and Perforating Module, which dynamically perforates and punches payment forms, tear-off coupons, mailings, and security applications. The DP8 can be equipped with up to three cross perforation cylinders and up to eight longitudinal perforations, as well as form and file hole punching tools. The system features customizable, independent processing of two web lanes in two-up production for highly variable jobs.

Tecnau’s TC 1550 family not only allows users to add perforations and hole punches, but it also features the ability to dynamically perforate or only punch the pages within a print run that require those features.

VITS’ newest product is the Closed End Mailer System. It allows the production of finished envelopes with letters inside from one or two webs at speeds up to 1,000 feet per minute. The expectation for this device is to run 24/7 for years, provided regularly scheduled maintenance is performed.

Movement in the Finish
Feeders, folders, and inserters for high-volume transactional and direct mail applications are advancing to meet the speeds of their printer counterparts, as well as changing the way they handle materials so they can work with the many substrates that digital printers can now print to. These advancements provide new opportunities across the board. dps

Sep2015, DPS Magazine