Schneider Senator users a 15-inch, high resolution display

Digital Printer’s Finishing Special continues with a series detailing the latest product developments across different post-press technology areas. 

 

IFS

There is a new machine launching at Print Efficiently: the Horizon RD-4055 Rotary Die Cutter, which can die-cut, crease, perforate, slit, hole punch and round corner in one process for digital and offset printed sheets, running at up to 6000 cycles per hour, with a maximum sheet size of 400 x 550 mm. It uses a flexible magnetic die which is lower cost than a mechanical die. The servo motor has a controlled ‘Repeat Register’ feature that allows multiple-up applications from single-up die to minimize die cost.

Jason Seaber of IFS said: ‘The Horizon solution really brings a good level of automation and reduced cost of die but more importantly enables the customer to do a fairly quick make ready. This will help digital printers be able to cost effectively do what we call converted print: shaped products and innovative designs.’

Another recent product is the Horizon TBC-200L, which automatically trims the head and foot of magazines and catalogues, running at up to 4000 books per hour. It is connectable with the Horizon SPF-20/20A, 200A/200L bookletmaking systems, and eliminates the need for separate cutting and moving of work.

Then there is Horizon Smart Stacker and the Lasermax PageReady. Both were developed to use with HP Indigo presses – the B2 HP Indigo 10000 for the former, and the HP Indigo 7000 for the latter. Used inline or near line, they will cut printed sheets down to page size, then collate, merge and stack the pages into piles for binding or bookletmaking. Smart Stacker can only be used with HP Indigo at the moment but will be released for near line use with any digital printer; PageReady can only be used in line with the HP Indigo, but off line it can handle any form of digital print.

 

Caslon

Caslon sells card cutting machines from A4 up to SRA3 size, but for something a bit different, how about the Therm-o-type Zip TS2L digital finisher, a very versatile device that can round corners, die cut, emboss, up and down crease, tab cut, window cut, hole punch, perforate, slit, score, and do scalloped edges, all in one pass. No-one in the UK is using this US-manufactured machine yet, although Caslon has sold two in Germany. Up to 39 steps can be programmed for a single sheet.

 

Heidelberg

In the Polar range of guillotines from Heidelberg, the Polar 56 and Polar 66 programmable cutters are best matched to the small format digital printer, both with a Net format that can integrate into the digital workflow. Options include a barcode reader for automatic programme generation; Compucut for job preparation and information gathering; and a step by step ‘visualization’ guide to help the operator work through a job with minimal error risk. These small models are often sold with Heidelberg’s Linoprint presses. 

For the digital book binder, Polar also now offers a single knife trimmer with precise cutting accuracy, fast set up and network compatibility, which Heidelberg says bridges the gap between the three-knife trimmer and the high-speed cutter.

 

 

Friedheim International

The latest in cutting available from Friedheim International is the new Power Cutting Control (PCC) for the Schneider Senator guillotines, and Bograma’s BSR 550 servo rotary die cutter.

PCC gives Schneider Senator users a 15-inch, high resolution display with complete control over the guillotine. It includes SafeLOGIC intelligent electronics for the highest operating safety, replacing the traditional safety wire connection. Ethernet and USB interfaces enable simple data exchange, connection into a network, and remote maintenance, while the open system architecture supports integration with digital workflow.

The Bograma BSR 550 die cutter can manufacture products such as mailings, booklets, labels, folders, greeting cards and folded boxes one-up or multiple-up. It can punch, kiss cut, perforate, groove and de-boss, with automatic discharge of the section grids. It can run upstream from digital printers and folding machines, and downstream from mailing systems and folding box machines.

 

Watkiss Automation

Watkiss is the latest company to partner with Guillo-Crease, the Glasgow based developer of a unique guillotine creasing system which already fits onto guillotines from manufacturers such as Polar, Schneider Senator and Perfecta. To change over from cutting to creasing, users must attach a false clamp plate onto the guillotine clamp, then remove the cutting stick from the guillotine bed and replace it with a Guillo-Crease creasing stick. Watkiss showed this at Ipex on the Mohr guillotines it sells, gaining a lot of interest, it said.