BINDERY matters

Stitcher Added to Get Competitive Edge

INDEPENDENCE, MO—Post Press Specialties recently purchased a Vijuk 321-T saddlestitcher from Vijuk Equipment. Owner Andy Humble, plant manager Jacob Bagnell and estimator Bowen Griffitt believe the new stitcher will help them become more competitive in the Kansas City market.

Equipment Makes the Cut in Reno

RENO, NV—Employees at Registered Ink gather in front of their new Polar-Mohr System 2+ automated cutting system. The medium-sized commercial printer has more than doubled in size, sales volume and capacity since owners Bill and Melissa Gillis purchased the former Herth Printing in 1999. The shop's bindery also features a new Polar PM4-ABV automatic pile turner with air and jogger, a Polar 92ED fully computerized airbed cutter and a Stahl B20 folder.

New Book Binding Process Is Patented

NASHVILLE, TN—Book manufacturer BindTech Inc. has developed a patented process called Smart Guard. This process allows BindTech to completely conceal an EM, RFI or RFID device in the board of a hard-cover book during the manufacturing process.

This will help automate checkouts, track inventory and control theft. Inserting the device during manufacturing eliminates the after-market cost of applying the tags by hand to the outside or end-leaves of the book.

By concealing these devices in the board, the possibility of the tags covering copy, falling off or being deliberately removed are also eliminated. The process is said to be extremely economical and cost-effective to manufacture during the binding process. Smart Guard can also be used in conjunction with other products using chip board, such as game boards, ring binders and slipcases.

Inserters Keep Pace At Direct Mailer

TRENTON, NJ—Direct Group (DG), a provider in the high-volume, time-sensitive segment of the direct mail industry, has purchased 30 new Challenge C-15 high-speed inserters from Service Solutions Group, Columbus, OH, to meet customer demands for increased direct mail production capacity.

Each new machine inserts as many as five items into envelopes as large as 6x12˝ at speeds up to 15,000 per hour. The new inserters also have flexible, easily configured, top-feeder-friction and rotary feeders to give customers more flexibility in what and how they insert. All feeders are also equipped with both electronic and mechanical detectors to catch improper double feeds before they get to the transport.

The company predicts that the new inserters will help Direct Group break its own annual production record of 1.3 billion pieces produced and mailed in 2004.

At its three main production facilities located throughout New Jersey, Direct Group prints, personalizes, assembles, affixes cards, inserts, commingles and mails on average more than five million pieces of mail every day. The company can produce more than nine million pieces daily.

To keep pace with the needs of its customers, Direct Group has more than doubled the size of its largest direct mail production facility, located in Swedesboro, NJ, from 167,000 square feet to 417,000 square feet, doubling the number of printing presses and restructuring the layout to speed workflow from concept through mail.

quick cuts

Nationwide Laminating, Lorton, VA, has added Wire-O binding capabilities to its finishing lineup. The move allows the postpress provider to increase mechanical binding services for the second time this year after purchasing a Kugler automatic punching machine.

Printograph Inc. of Burbank, CA, recently updated its equipment with a Polar 115 cutter. Printograph is a family owned and operated trade printer that houses 30 employees.

In Baltimore, commercial printer JW Boarman has installed a Muller Martini Bravo-T saddlestitcher. The company now has the ability to handle projects in larger size formats. The company had relied on a Minuteman stitcher for the past 18 years.

Aurora, IL-based Custom Graphics Finishing has installed a Brandtjen & Kluge OmniFold automatic folder/gluer. The company selected the following options to accommodate the production of pocket folders: 4x33˝ top belt drives, four-head hot melt glue system with additional control module and flip gate.

A 24˝ Rollem double head ETR scoring, perforating and slitting system has been installed at Rocky Mountain Printing in Oram, UT, to slit and score CD inlays.

RR Donnelley Mendota (IL) has installed a new Beiren 3840 combination folder from Graphic Innovators. The new folder will be installed on its rebuilt cover press.

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