In a previous Bindery Success Blog article we talked about using jigs with bindery equipment. Today we’re going to show you how easy it is to dramatically reduce setup times on nearly any folding machine by using jigs, or templates. Even if you have a brand new, fully automated folder, stick around. This technique can help you nearly as much as it does those who run older machines.
You might not think a poorly executed phone call from a sales person could lead to a discussion on business skills and the meaning of life, but it happens here at Technifold USA. Strange behavior from one caller had us asking why some sales people are afraid to admit they’re sales people.
I hope so! Some things are timeless, especially when we talk about work habits; they don’t really have an expiration date. As long as guillotine cutter technology is around it seems that its venerable work habits should tag along. Even in this era of evolving bindery automation, guillotine cutters are still at the heart of most print finishing and bindery operations.
One baffling problem encountered by many folding machine operators was recently brought to our attention by a Bindery Success™ reader. Here’s the scenario. First, you set the fold rollers pressure (roller gap) for the job you’re running, just as you’ve successfully done a thousand times before. At some point during the run, the fold starts to vary, or perhaps the trim or perforation starts to move around. You double check the fold roller pressures only to find one or more of them too loose, as if the folder were changing fold roller pressure on its own.
There are some advantages to learning to operate folding machines on an obsolete model. Yes, I know youngsters in print finishing would be horrified at the thought of an education on anything less than a fully automated machine. But the experience gave me bindery troubleshooting skills and machine knowledge by forcing me to learn how everything worked.
I’m fortunate to run across bindery equipment problems that occasionally leave me mystified. I say ‘fortunate’ because there is almost always an opportunity to learn something when we encounter a problem, even if it seems unsolvable. The examples here illustrate four things I’ve learned about bindery equipment troubleshooting in particular and perhaps a little about life itself in general!
Some time ago a Bindery Success™ reader asked us to referee a disagreement about the correct usage of the term “aggressive perforation.” He believed a more aggressive perf would tear more easily. His colleague thought 'more aggressive' meant it would be harder to tear. Who was right?
It seems that outside of family, we only have a handful of people we truly consider important. Just a few friends, mentors or colleagues stand out when we look back on our lives. Paul Barrett, the National Sales Technician for Tech-ni-fold Ltd in the UK is, for me, one of those people.
“I’ve been doing it this way for thirty years.” That old-timer phrase, or some variation of it, always provokes a strong reaction in me. I heard it again recently while involved in a bindery equipment troubleshooting call. My immediate thought is almost always, “OK, brace yourself.” (I don’t think I ever said it aloud!) But as I age, or maybe I should say “as I add to my own 35 years of experience in the printing business,” I found there is often much to be learned by reflecting on why such a statement might be bothering me.
It may sound like a crazy idea, but to veteran saddle stitcher operators it’s nothing new. They already know their saddle stitcher cover feeder is a good alternative to the folding machine for certain types of jobs. Here are three ways you might not have thought about, especially if you’re still learning your way around saddle stitching equipment.