The University of Wolverhampton has installed a KASfold 640T 640mm sheet length bookletmaker, with trimmer and squarefold unit, from Ashgate Automation. The manually operated machine produces a maximum booklet size of 320 x 320mm and handles a maximum sheet size of 640 x 320mm.
The Digital Print Services department, which employs eight people, also has two digital presses, a Ricoh 7110 and a 7100. The department uses its equipment to provide graphic design, printing and finishing for the University’s staff and students as well as for external customers.
‘Appearance is very important across our wide range of print, from teaching material to student dissertations, marketing brochures and leaflets,’ said Gae Forbes, head of digital print services. ‘The Ricoh digital presses gave us the print quality but we needed new finishing equipment that was suitable for digital work, to ensure a quality finish too. This has become all the more important because we want to improve our internal productivity, as well as expanding our external print service.
‘One of our recent jobs was a 20 page marketing brochure for the University’s Springfield Campus. Printed on one of the Ricoh presses, it has a 350gsm silk cover and 150gsm silk inner. We would have had difficulty producing a quality finish without the KASfold. For other jobs we also use the squarefold unit which sits between the bookletmaker and the trimmer, to stop the booklets bowing and to give us the professional finish of a perfect-bound book, with the security of a stapled finish. All in all we are very pleased the Kasfold, it should definitely help us to bring in new commercial work .’
