Before you dismiss your “old” bindery equipment as inadequate, consider some of the ways in which it can outperform new automated equipment. Believe it or not, old equipment occasionally has surprising advantages over new with efficiency, capabilities, and cost.
How many things can cause paper jams on your folding machine? We can probably come up with dozens of variables. Usually it’s caused by something minor and there are many parts on the folder that need to be in just the right position to keep the folder operating smoothly. Those little things become hugely important.
Tabletop folding machines are typically used for simple folding jobs yet most of them have trimming tools available. You can use these to trim a job after it’s folded or to trim flat, unfolded sheets. If you don’t do a lot of trimming on your small folder, here are a few things to look out for to avoid problems and ensure good results.
Here at Technifold USA we’re all about coming up with ways to help you to do far more with what you already have in your bindery department. In our conversations with thousands of print finishers we often hear a recurring theme. That is, that some of their best print finishing resources are often discovered right under their noses.
One of the most useful questions we get is when someone asks us to settle a dispute about the right way to do something on a folding machine. A Bindery Success™ Blog reader recently asked us to settle a discussion in their shop about the correct way to lock a fold plate. This sounds easy to answer, but let’s take a look.
One universal truth about producing perfect bound books is that hot glue should be handled with extreme caution. Reaching temperatures of 350-400 degrees, it will burn your skin on contact. It’s messy too, which makes it challenging to change a glue pot neatly and safely.
In a recent Bindery Success Blog article we talked about the importance of folding dummies. One reader asked us if there were any generally accepted practices for marking a folding dummy properly. As with most print finishing processes, there isn’t a single, universally accepted practice. Even so, there are a few proven techniques I’ve seen in practice which will prevent trouble in the bindery.
The Baumfolder 714 in all its variations is without question one of the most popular folding machines of all time. That’s because it’s simple, reliable, and versatile. If you own one, I’m sure it does a lot of work for you.
When I first saw this question I wondered why a folding machine operator would even ask it. It goes something like, “When I load my folder, where should the guide and gripper edges go?” Or, “Does it matter which way I load paper into a folding machine?” I reminded myself there is a first time for any question, especially learning a complicated subject like bindery work.
This is one of the most frequently asked questions we get from folding machine operators. One Bindery Success™ reader told us she had been doing a regular mix of jobs without any problems for a long time. One day a bent corner (also called “dog ear”) appears. To answer the question we first need to determine which type of bent corner we’re dealing with.