Product category:
Print Finishing (Binding, Folding, Inserting, Stitching, etc.)
News Release from: Autobond | Subject: Compact 52 laminator
Edited by the Printingtalk Editorial
Team on 01 October 2004
Laminator Sets Trend For Digital
Printers
One of the latest Autobond Compact 52 laminators has been delivered to the Capital Group in Brixton, reflecting a growing trend for companies to laminate work printed on digital presses and printers.
One of the latest Autobond Compact 52 laminators has been delivered to the Capital Group in Brixton, reflecting a growing trend for companies to laminate work printed on digital presses and printers The Capital Group specialises in supplying the estate agent and property markets with four-colour sales brochures, as technical development manager, Dyrck Lamble, explained
This article was originally published on Printingtalk on 24 Feb 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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"We operate a B2 Komori Lithrone 426, a Xeikon DCP500D and a Xerox 2045, so all output is four-colour and split evenly between digital and conventional sheet-fed litho," he said.
"There is a comprehensive design and pre-press department, although throughput doesn't warrant CTP so films are output on a Hercules imagesetter and plates made in a traditional printing down frame.
The properties for which we print the estate agents' brochures are worth millions of pounds, so quality is paramount," added Lamble.
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Speed was critical and often the company has to print and finish a job within hours of receiving approval of the proof.
Capital laminates about 70 per cent of work, regardless of what it is printed on and until it installed the Autobond a lot of the work was sent out to the trade because the company's previous laminator didn't have the rolling power.
The large bearings and rollers incorporated into the Compact 52, combined with the 30mm thick frames, means that it is possible to obtain a very high nip pressure that enables the use of low cost film claimed Autobond.
"That has given us significant advantages.
For example, stock coming out of the Xerox 2045 has a silicon based oil on the surface and this has been difficult to laminate because the film does not adhere, whereas some of the matt film risked having a silvery appearance because of insufficient nip pressure on the laminator.
The amount of static on stock printed on the Xeikon also caused production problems on our old laminator, which required three people to get the paper through," commented Lamble.
"The Autobond Compact has been fantastic.
It is extremely robust, is easy to operate and laminates everything we throw at it at around 60 metres per minute, which equates to some 5,600 SRA2 sheets an hour.
All of this is carried out by one person and because the laminator is so reliable the operator can normally get on with something else while the job is running," he observed.
Runs tend to be less than 100, so Capital needs fast make-readies at every stage of production.
The company foresees the amount of laminating increasing and would expect other digital printers to follow the trend in order to provide a value added service to customers.
Autobond manufacturers sheet-fed laminators at its Derbyshire (UK) factory, including B3, B2 and B1 machines, capable of straight or perfecting modes.
The laminators can be used with stock from 90gsm-650gsm and are claimed to handle matt or gloss polypropylene, polyester, nylon and acetate thermal film.
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