Post-press set to step into the unknown: Ipex Preview - IV

So what are the key technology themes that visitors to the post-press stands at the ExCeL Centre can look forward to seeing? Although some manufacturers have yet to reveal their hand in terms of the armoury of equipment they’ll be taking to the show, a handful of key themes have started to emerge.

This year, one trend that one may see is vendors bringing in kit that a little bit away from the normal – something that’s a bit different and that has got a bit of value added. So there will be new case maker, end sheet makers, head banding machines. These type of machines would be more at home in a binders, but with the changing nature of the printing industry, they are now being close scrutinised by printers face with growing amounts of shorter-run, quick-turnaround work. Coupled with that, people also want to keep the value-added in-house rather than giving it away to someone else.

Besides, one can also see mailing lines, layflat bookbinding, short-run digital die-cutting, to square back bookletmaking, book jacketing machine as well as a new paper wrapping machine and digital finishing equipment.

In the absence of some major manufacturer, this Ipex provides an opportunity for small- to medium-sized suppliers to showcase their flexibility and innovation.

Highlights

Atlas Machinery    N4 B352
Atlas Machinery will showcase Megabound hard case bookbinding equipment for the short-run and digital marketplace, encompassing casemaking, casing-in and book forming/pressing. The range is primarily designed for simple one- or two-man operations including the popular Active and Active Plus casemakers. The latest model, Pearl, apparently offers a “new level in automation”.
 
Autobond    S2 5150
Thermal and water-based film laminator manufacturer Autobond will display its digital inkjet spot UV machines, UV roller coating machines and encapsulating machines, as well as its laminating adhesives, which can be used on most makes of laminating machinery.

CP Bourg    S3 E250
At Ipex, CP Bourg will announce its Bourg booklet maker ExPress, which is aimed at the high-quality full colour booklet-making market. This inline booklet maker has been designed to operate inline with the HP Indigo 7000 series digital printer. The company, showing on the Integra stand, is also highlighting its new perfect binder, the Bourg BB3202. The BB3202 EVA/PUR configuration lets users mix or match collated content and covers from multiple offline digital or analogue printers through the Bourg BSF sheet feeder.
    

Duplo International   S4 F311  

Encore Machinery    S2 E182
Encore Machinery will be launching a one-piece mailing line, designed to meet the new requirements from Royal Mail for mailers to be sealed on three sides. The mailing line, which operates at up to 14,000 mailers an hour, comprises a high volume, double headed Pit Stop, which creases and perforates in one pass. It feeds into a MB NET52 folding unit with timed pulse perforating and online hot melt gluing system prior to folding. A tabbing machine will also be demonstrated on the exit of the folder as an alternative to gluing. Encore will also be demonstrating a range of high volume Pit Stop standalone and online creasers and perforators, which operate at up to 14,000 sheets an hour. The Pit Stop DH Speed double-headed creaser apparently creates letterpress-quality creasing and perforating on all types of digitally printed stock in one pass. It is also possible to fit a wiro punch tool and a two- or four-hole drill punch. Also on display will be the Europa fully automatic laminator for sheets up to B2 size.

Friedheim International    S3 E270
Friedheim will be demonstrating the MBO M80 folding machine, its first UK appearance. The machine is described as a whole new concept in folding technology and ideal for B1 work. It has a maximum production speed of up to 230 m/min and ‘intuitive’ M1 touch screen.
Details of other MBO folders and
of a range of solutions for conventional print, digital print, binding, converting and packaging will also be available. Being demonstrated alongside the M80 will be a Palamides Delta 703 fully automatic stacking and banding delivery system, which will be processing 16-page folded output.

Global Graphic Equipment    N5 B450
Global Graphic Equipment will be demonstrating its spot UV coating, film laminating, hot foil stamping and carton, die-cutting and enveloping machines. Global has two factory sites in Wakefield, housing one of the largest stocks of used UV coating and film laminating machinery for the print finishing industry, it says.

Grafitec   N5 B461
Grafitec specialises in used, bindery, print finishing and graphic equipment and will be introducing the latest examples of its equipment on the Ipex floor. The company also provides its own trained engineers to install, commission and train.

Ibis Integrated Bindery    N3 D275
Ibis Integrated Bindery Systems will have its own stand at Ipex. It will have a live-running saddle stitching system, with Ibis’s latest high-speed model Smart-binder SB-3 Plus HS∑ producing booklets. The Ibis Smart-binder system offers a variety of high-quality saddle-bound booklet (and perfect bound) finishing options for high-volume variable-data output. The Smart-binder operates either in-line with a continuous web digital press, or from a roll (as being exhibited at Ipex), or from an offline sheet pile feeder. The SB-3 is fitted with the unique and patented Individual Sheet Gluing cold gluing system, which replaces the need for conventional wire-stitching.

Integra    S3 E250
The Integra stand will feature machines from four post-press manufacturers. Highlights include the launch of the Sitma WM10, a patented automated book jacketing machine developed for the automatic production of plastic covers with two pockets for the protection of books, high speed tabbing/labelling machines from Profold and Mariani’s ultra high speed palletiser for newspapers (see Mariani’s entry below).

MGI Digital Graphic    N2 D211
MGI Digital Graphic Technology will be showcasing its entire line of digital printing and finishing solutions at Ipex. As one of the largest exhibitors, with a booth of more than 336sqm, MGI will be hosting over 50 of its international distributors. The main attraction, however, is to preview six new production solutions.

Morgana   S5 E390
Morgana will preview the DigiFold Pro and AutoCreaser Pro at this month’s Ipex. One of the key changes from previous DigiFold models is the introduction of a high-capacity vacuum top-feeder that can take a sheet pile of up to 500mm. Other new features include dual creasing blades, which can be set for up and down creasing profiles, or for different thickness of crease, and automatic set-up of the folding rollers. Morgana is also launching  its next generation of air-assisted feeders for its range of bookletmakers. Taking centre stage will be the new System AF2000S bookletmaking line, which will be fed by the new AF602 high capacity feeder. This dual-bin feeder can be loaded with up to 540mm of pre-collated sets from a digital print engine and can feed at up to 15,000 sheets per hour. Other bookletmaking systems on show include the System 200e being fed by the AC510 feeder and the entry-level BM60 hand-fed machine for lower volume print shops and CRDs. Morgana will also have its range of DigiBook PUR perfect binding machines on show.

Primera Technology    N4D310
Primera Technology will showcase its label printing and finishing equipment, including the FX1200e Digital Finisher. FX1200e is designed to perform all required finishing steps – laminating, digital die-cutting, waste matrix removal, slitting and rewinding – in one automated process. Primera’s solution for pre-die cut label material is its new CX1000e Color Label Printer in combination with its FX1000e Matrix Removal System.

Scodix    N4 D371
Scodix will launch for the first time in the UK the Scodix Ultra machine, which had its US launch in Chicago a few months ago. The Ultra is a faster version of the S75 digital embellishment printer. During the show Scodix will apparently be running thousands of samples daily and also offsite visits to a local user who is running the S75.

Sitma   S3 E250
Sitma will launch the Sitma WM10, a patented automated book jacketing machine developed for the automatic production of plastic covers with two pockets for the protection of books. The machine is designed to allow different sizes of covers to be produced with no adjustment. Sitma will also use Ipex to demonstrate, it says, how its WM30 wrapper is the ideal solution to wrap a wide range of documents in paper. The solution creates envelopes with dimensions from C6/5 up to C4, with a mechanical speed of up to 30,000 cycles per hour. Envelopes with or without windows can be created with straight or V-shaped edges. The system provides various chip-out capabilities to remove a fixed or variable size to accommodate a full color print bleed.

Tech-ni-Fold    S3 F271
Tech-ni-Fold, in association with its sister company CreaseStream, will be showcasing three cost-effective digital creasing and perforating solutions that can be assembled without users referring to written or DVD manuals. The CreaseStream mini range of products bridge the gap between slower push-down handle methods of creasing and high-end solutions, says the company. The mini-standard and mini-Quick-feed are both driven by a handle. The mini-Quick-feed has a special sheet feeding system. The handle is replaced by a motor on the mini-auto-feed as output can average more than 4,000 sheets per hour.

The core of the software consists of a comprehensive library of parametric designs. Finally, new high speed EOT 250 will be processing sandwich-board materials such as X-Board and Reboard up to a thickness of 22mm.