MDT installs Ashgate bookletmaker
Published: 23 September 2021 | No comments yet
The KF640 is up and running in Telford
MDT Print & Design has installed a KF640 bookletmaker/squarefold and trimmer system from Ashgate as part of a move to upgrade its finishing capabilities.
The company, based in Telford, produces digital work on Xerox technology, operating a Versant 180 digital press, which handles the majority of the company’s work, and a back-up Versant 80. MDT says that it has ‘a highly active design department’ which designs at least 50% of work the company prints. It also describes itself as ‘well known for short run, fast turnaround digital print,’ which includes T shirts and workwear.
The KF640 is marketed as the first bookletmaker of its size and price to produce a maximum booklet of 320 x 320mm as well as more common sizes like A4 landscape and 12 x 12 inch booklets. It can also handle a maximum sheet size of 640 x 320mm, meaning that SRA2 sheets do not require pre trimming of the long edge on a guillotine prior to producing an A4 landscape booklet.
Gary Steinert, head of design at MDT, commented on the installation, ‘It is ideal for our type of work, not only because of the formats it can handle but also because it finishes a range of stock. ‘The opportunity came to upgrade because the trimmer on our previous bookletmaker had broken. We first read about the KF640 bookletmaker a couple of years ago but, due to the pandemic, had put the purchase on hold.
‘We have regular orders for A5 orders of service for funerals and A6 booklets for a local school which until now we had finished by hand,’ Mr Steinert added. ‘We were half way through an order for 1000 booklets which had taken us quite a long time to finish by hand when the K640 arrived. We were able to finish the rest of them the same afternoon, which will make a huge difference to our productivity.
‘Because of the limit in formats we could finish by machine, we recommended customers to go for A4 portrait books but now they have a choice of A4 landscape as well. We also plan to offer a range of covers including laminated and foiled, which had to be finished by hand in the past.
‘The addition of the square fold in-line unit, which sits between the bookletmaker and the trimmer is an efficient way to produce a perfect bound appearance with the security of a stapled finish. We have just completed an order for books for a university and are very pleased with the result.’
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