Computerised Folder Brings All Finishing In-House

An MB CAS 38 fully computerised folder from Encore Machinery has transformed print finishing at Kopyrite in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire (UK).

An MB CAS 38 fully computerised folder from Encore Machinery has transformed print finishing at Kopyrite in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire (UK).

"We were struggling with the folding and scoring, particularly in the last year since we installed a Heidelberg Speedmaster 52 press and focused on the four colour litho side of the business," said Tim Birks, who set up the Kopyrite in 1991.

Kopyrite is more than a quick printer, as Birks explained: "Some customers require a 24-hour turn round, whatever the job, so from that point of view we are definitely a quick printer but we do a lot of long run work as well.

It is not unusual for us to print and finish manuals and books of more than 100 pages.

We were using a small folder and a hand scorer but we had grown out of them.

Consequently we were putting out all the scoring and 60 per cent of the folding.

That meant we had to rely on a print finisher to get the work completed within our time scales when they were busy doing other people's work." He read about the MB folder and arranged for a demonstration, explaining that the company wanted to get away from having to set up a folder by tearing up pieces of paper.

Times had moved on and it made sense to buy the latest technology he said.

Birks continued: "The MB folder is just so easy to use.

The touch screen tells us exactly what we have to do and all the plates move automatically.

It also scores, so now we are able to do 100 per cent of our folding and scoring in-house." Kopyrite specified the MB CAS 38 with four plates, and Birks added: "We often have to fold medical booklets from either A3 or A4 down to a small size and this is where the four plates come in useful.

We can also adjust jobs on the run.

The four plates also give us the option to re-route the sheets in a different direction if we have a job with a lot of solids where there is a danger of cracking.

When Encore highlighted this feature, we didn't think we would ever use it but we have found it invaluable." The company scores jobs up to 300gsm and folds paper stock up to 280gsm on the MB, and Birks concluded: "I can't speak highly enough about the folder.

In the past it was always a big hassle if we had to fold a short run digitally printed job of, say 200-500 copies, and if we tried to fold 200gsm paper, it often cracked.

Now we can put it through the MB in no time flat.

Encore have been very supportive.

It has shown how to get the most from the machine and called in to make sure that everything is working well and given us additional training.".

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