BINDERY matters
Western States Nabs New Cutter
BUTLER, WI—Western States Envelope & Label installed a new Polar 155 XT in its cutting department here, replacing an older model. Since installing the paper cutter a few months ago, the company has experienced less downtime and faster turnaround. These results are important to the success of this 24 hour-a-day plant, which produces more than seven million envelopes each day. Because of these results, Western States’ Ohio division decided to increase its capacity by purchasing a new Polar 155 XT, as well. The company, founded in 1908, has divisions in Wisconsin, Kentucky, Ohio and Minnesota, with more than 700 employees that serve national and international printers and mailers.
Open House Demos New Equipment
ANAHEIM, CA—Rollem will host its annual Open House and Equipment Demonstration on March 21 and 22 at the corporate headquarters here. “Our focus this year is to share with printers Rollem’s proven solutions to generating greater profits in the bindery by reducing labor costs, streamlining production, and improving the quality and scope of their finished products,” states Susan Corwin, marketing manager.
Larger printers and finishers will preview the TR Die Score system with new continuous feeder and twin strike capability. This automated system performs a one-step finishing process as a three-up brochure sheet is fed into the TR unit with uninterrupted feeding by the continuous feeder, followed by in-line edge trimming, scoring, bi-directional trim and score with in-line L perf.
Another example of in-line finishing is the new Jetstream system, a card slitting unit that takes sheets of 25 business cards, trims and slits them into finished cards—all in one pass at speeds up to 5,000 sheets or 125,000 cards per hour. It can also be used to finish various card products such as an eight-up postcard sheet yielding 40,000 cards per hour.
A premier showing of the new 28˝ Advantage perf/score/slitting model will also take place. It provides a cost-effective solution to scoring problems on larger sheets up to 28˝. Rollem will also show its new Quick Set heads—a split designed scoring head that can be added or removed without removing the shafts, saving time and labor during job changeovers.
Attendees can pre-register at www.rollemusa.com/openhouse or by calling (800) 272-4381.
On-Demand Book System Demonstrated
LUZERNE, SWITZERLAND—During the Hunkeler Innovationdays show, held here in February, Muller Martini OnDemand Solutions exhibited a partial configuration of its SigmaLine on-demand digital book manufacturing solution.
SigmaLine includes eight components that can be mixed and matched depending on individual business strategies. Paper is printed from a roll, trimmed and folded in-line, and finished on an integrated perfect binder or saddlestitcher.
Job data is taken via JDF from prepress and utilized for fully automatic adjustment of the entire system. Virtually no manual make- ready is required.
Workflow is said to be optimized with automation throughout each piece of equipment, making the production of very short runs economically feasible.
As an alternative to the complete eight-component SigmaLine solution, a partial SigmaLine can also be used for perfect binding. At Innovationdays, Muller Martini demonstrated a partial line consisting of a SigmaBinder, SigmaTower and SigmaTrimmer to produce adhesive-bound books on the show floor.
quick cuts
The in-plant facility at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville has installed a Polar 78 X high-speed programmable cutter.
Bobst Group USA has officially changed its identity to Bobst Group North America.
Earlier this month, Muller Martini and Nipson America presented an open house featuring demonstrations of a complete on-demand digital book printing and perfect binding line. The event took place at Muller Martini’s headquarters on Long Island, NY. More than 1,200 attendees throughout the industry were invited to attend.
Litho Express, St. Paul, MN, is operating a Rollem Champion 990 scoring, perforating and slitting system.
O’Neil Data Systems of Los Angeles has added two new Standard Hunkeler pre/post paper handling lines to its new Océ Variostream 7650 continuous-feed digital printers.
In Madison Heights, MI, The EGT Group has bolstered its bindery with the addition of a Stahl Stitchmaster ST 450. Also, the mailing and fulfillment division has been expanded with a second NetJet ink-jet addressing system and new automatic conveyer packing tables.
Böwe Bell + Howell was chosen to provide the new Valpak facility under construction in Largo, FL, with nine custom automated mailing systems.
FX Digital Media in Cleveland has installed a 24˝ Rollem ETR scoring, perforating and slitting system along with a 24˝ deep pile feeder for use with digitally printed materials.
Standard Printing, Canton, OH, purchased a Standard Horizon CABS4000 PUR perfect binding system from dealer Graphco.
