Compact Bindery Solutions for In-plants

PRINTING United Expo 2024 in Las Vegas was absolutely buzzing. Hundreds of in-plant printers from all over the country were there seeking out new equipment for their shops, and the booths on the show floor were always packed.

But while the wide-format printers and production presses got much of the attention, many in-plants were at the show seeking bindery equipment — particularly compact machines that can fit into tight spaces.
To help, IPI visited a number of bindery vendors at the Expo exhibiting compact solutions just right for in-plants. Here’s a sampling of what we saw.

CardMac Pro

This fully automated compact business card slitter from Akiles comes at a relatively low price point, making it a great entry-level slitter for in-plants. It can cut and slit 10 full bleed cards from an 8.5x11" sheet, producing 50-plus cards per minute. The hardened steel blades, which can cut up to 130-lb. cardstock, are graded for 1 million cuts, ensuring they will last a long time.

CHAMP 185 Pro Paper Cutter

If you’re doing more than an hour of cutting a day, using hydraulic equipment may be worth the investment. Challenge Machinery’s paper cutter comes with both a hydraulic knife and clamp, ensuring consistent power and offering 2,350 lbs. of pressure. It cuts anywhere from three-quarters of an inch to 19". Even with more than an hour’s worth of use a day, it can last 20 years.

DFL-500 Dry Coat/Foil/Laminator

This machine from Duplo USA was popular at last year’s Expo, with two in-plants adding it to their lineups after seeing it there. The three-in-one solution can handle up to 13"-wide sheets and paper weights up to 400gsm, and includes a knife to cut the paper after it has been laminated. The DFL-500’s automatic air suction feed enables operators to run it unattended.

Foton 30 Laminator

The Foton 30 laminator from GBC and Seal allows you to “set and forget” a job. It can cut and laminate up to 30 sheets of paper at a time. While you can set the machine to auto-feed and auto-trim, you can also manually feed paper, either with manual or auto-trim. Setting the trim and feed manually enables you to laminate odd shapes such as stars and circles.

PT 33LSC Laminator/Slitter/Cutter

Graphic Whizard’s PT 33LSC offers double- and single-sided lamination. For single-sided, the machine features an anti-curl device that eliminates the need for release film. You can add a foil attachment to produce embellished pieces. The PT 33LSC is also RFID-protected.

AeroCut X

This digital finishing system from MBM Corp. is designed to finish a range of applications, from business cards and postcards, to leaflets and greeting cards. It features two single rotary slitters, two double rotary slitters, and a cutting unit to ensure a clean and accurate finish. The tri-suction feeding mechanism reduces the risk of double feeds and mis-feeds, preventing jams.

DS-77iQ Folder/Inserter

This folder/inserter from Quadient is designed for non-experts. You can place paper directly in the feed without having to shingle the sheets. The patented foam rollers minimize jamming and slippage, and don’t need to be cleaned. It is easy to open the machine for maintenance, and there is plenty of room to get inside and fix any issues.

Coil Binding System 3000

Rhin-O-Tuff’s electric coil binding machine is great for entry-level users. It features electric punching, coil insertion, and crimping within a small desktop footprint. It can handle up to 20 sheets of 20-lb. paper. The small volume makes it a good fit for in-plants.

Sterling Digipunch

This machine from Spiel Associates is easy to maintain and user-friendly, thanks to a touchscreen that offers complete automatic setup and changeovers. It can punch up to 72,000 sheets per hour, and you can set the punch to an odd or even number of holes. The punch machine can also accommodate custom dies and sizes.

Standard Horizon PF-40L Folder

The compact Standard Horizon PF-40L folder features suction rotor feeding to meet high-speed production up to 390 sheets per minute. Crisp, tight fold quality is ensured with a combination of soft polyurethan foam rubber and steel rollers. Up to 20 jobs can be stored in memory, and programming such as pre-set counting can be done on the user-friendly operator console.