Southwest Plastic Binding Co. Inc., national manufacturer and distributor of binding, laminating and presentation supplies and equipment, headquartered in Maryland Heights, Mo., has changed its name to Southwest Binding and Laminating.
In-plants are getting new business thanks to their laminating capabilities. Find out how to pick the laminator that's right for you. By W. Eric Martin You hardly need to be convinced that lamination is a good thing. After all, bringing an extra layer of professionalism to a job automatically places both you and your client in a better light. But what should you look for in lamination equipment? If you listen to the experts, you want to think big. Really big. "Due to the increase in popularity of 44˝-wide photo-like images, the majority of lamination equipment being sold is wide-format," contends Sol M.
From posters to POP displays, from fine art to menus, there are a whole host of printed materials ripe for lamination these days. By Gretchen Peck Ranging from desktop to extra-wide-format models, laminators come in all shapes and sizes. Here's a guide to some of the new and notable solutions on the market. Banner American Products (www.banam.com) touts its ENTRY 4500 Laminating/Mounting machine as an ideal entry-level laminator for organizations producing large-format print. It's can laminate output from 36˝, 42˝ and 44˝ ink-jet printers. The ENTRY 4500 applies both top and bottom heat (courtesy of the 4,600-watt heater), operates at variable
Not only does laminating protect your printed work, it gives it a professional look. Here's a glimpse of some of the latest laminators on the market. Banner American's Entry 4500 laminating/mounting machine is an entry-level laminator for large-format imaging services. Featuring top- and bottom-heated rollers and a 45˝ width capacity, the Entry 4500 is capable of mounting, laminating and encapsulating ink-jet output up to 44˝. The Entry 4500 laminates with all film gauges and has mounting capability up to 1⁄4˝. An optional take-up roller for pressure-sensitive liners is available. www.banam.com Graphic Laminating offers the heavy-duty Signmaster laminators in two sizes, 44˝ and 64˝. They
Put simply, plastic coil binding saves money. And better yet, customers love the way it looks. by Mike Llewellyn IT MAY NOT be branded "the wave of the future." It may not have industry commentators calling it a revolution. But plastic coil binding has developed a solidly loyal following over the past few years among in-plant managers. Dave Opp is one of them. Opp is manager of corporate printing and literature distribution for Storagetek, a software firm specializing in data storage and disaster recovery systems. Opp feels the bindery can play its own role in disaster recovery. "Binding is critical," says Opp, speaking
In-plants sure do a lot of binding. In fact, more in-plants have bindery equipment than offset presses or copiers. According to an IPG survey, the top three pieces of in-plant equipment are paper cutters, folders and drills/punches, with 97+ percent of in-plants saying they own this equipment. Close behind are saddle stitchers (installed in 83 percent of in-plants), collators (81 percent) and spiral wire binders (46 percent). That's because in-plants know that a job isn't finished until it's...well, finished. So maintaining an arsenal of top-notch bindery equipment is essential to providing customers with the quality they expect from an in-plant. Like all
As the cost of laminators drops, so does their size, the need for training—almost everything. Except quality, say these manufacturers. by Mike Llewellyn "Price is just about everything at an airline," reveals Bill Zieske, director of Printing Services for Alaska Airlines. So when his Seattle-based in-plant picked up a GBC 5270 laminator in 1998, a good price was the number-one priority. Zieske says his shop uses the laminator to handle a variety of tasks, from placards that end up inside the aircraft to much smaller identification tags for airline employees. Zieske's experiences parallel one general trend in laminating equipment, according to industry experts, and
If you want to keep your high-quality posters looking good, laminate them. Silicone Laminating Rollers Banner American's MightyLam 2700 laminates from .0015˝ to .010˝ gauge film and mounts materials up to 3⁄16˝ thick, easy-to-set heat controls, and a variable speed control for operating at speeds up to 10 feet per minute. It also features a safety shield, drop-down bottom idler for easy loading, silicone laminating rollers, reverse switch, adjustable slitters, forced air cooling, LCD readout, adjustable supply roll tension and variable speed control. Three Models Available CodaPro 44 laminators, from Coda, are available in three models. The CodaPro44 with double heated rollers will
Managers Honored In-plant managers received more than just knowledge from the recent International Publishing Management Association conference in Portland, Ore. Dozens of them took home awards. The In-Print awards got the most attention. All 105 plaques were on display, and first-place winners had their awards presented to them on stage during the awards banquet. Boeing claimed the Best of Show victory, its fifth in 11 years. Additionally, IPMA recognized a number of in-plants for their accomplishments: • Duke Energy, of Houston, won IPMA's annual award for In-house Promotional Excellence for holding an open house in the company's lobby that drew more than 500
