Saddle Stitcher For Individual Variable Data Books

Pitney Bowes has introduced its Integrated Saddle Stitcher for high integrity, personalised, variable data booklet making.

The system, which will be highlighted at Drupa 2008 - hall 4, stand C23 - is claimed by Pitney Bowes to combine the high speed and convenience of the company's continuous roll feed and cut sheet inputs, the control and integrity of its Direct Connect software and the productivity, versatility and quality of saddle-stitching.

The addition of document tracking software to the Horizon ACF-30 accumulator-folder, SPF-30 saddle-stitcher and HTS-30 trimmer means it is now possible to provide the highest level of process control and integrity, claimed Pitney Bowes.

That allows the production of booklets containing personalised, or confidential information from continuous, or cut-sheet stock.

The company claimed that it is even possible to merge individually printed content pages with personalised covers.

Those functions can be performed by Pitney Bowes' Direct Connect Control.

Direct Connect software monitors and controls every stage of the booklet assembly process, guaranteeing the correct pages are combined to form accurate booklets, said Pitney Bowes.

The process may be expanded to drive in - line mailing of the booklets, merged with personalised letters and marketing material.

The input options are also said to be flexible, allowing the system to be configured to meet demanding applications and the system's scanning technology supports all current symbologies.

Used by some financial institutions, the PB Integrated Saddle Stitcher is providing high quality, personalised booklets for a variety of proposal and statement purposes, added Pitney Bowes.

According to the company, the full range of Pitney Bowes' inputs can be used in conjunction with the saddle stitcher.

They include the API 50C, which is claimed to provide up to 50,000 sheets per hour from a continuous roll feed and the API 36S, which is said to produce 36,000 sheets from cut sheet stock.

The systems may be used individually or together to provide a merging twin channel capability.

A range of transfer modules allow the correct page orientation to be achieved and the API dual deck accumulator ensures a continuous delivery of sheets, said the company.

With the ACF-30 sheets are accumulated by section, scored, plow-folded and delivered on to the saddle.

The number of sheets in each folded section can be varied to ensure a tight fold according to the sheet count, grain direction and paper weight.

The SPF-30 saddle stitcher features a centralised automatic set-up, which controls all of the finishing stations.

The unit can stitch collations of paper up to 5mm thick (50 sheets of 80gsm paper) to produce booklets 10mm thick, said Pitney Bowes.

The stitching wire length is automatically adjusted according to the booklet thickness and defective booklets are diverted to an integrated reject tray to ensure continuous operation.

Heavy duty Hohner stitching heads ensure accurate and reliable centre stitch, claimed the company.

A number of stitching head options allow the wire size (0.4mm - 0.6mm) to be varied and number of stitches (up to four) to be altered.

Loop stitching is also available.

The HTS-30 three-knife trimmer provides three-sided finishing in one pass.

Optional centre-cut devices allow for two-up booklet production allowing up to 11,000 booklets per hour, said Pitney Bowes.

The standard centre cutter produces a 6mm gutter up to a maximum booklet thickness of 3mm.

A centre cutter produces an 8mm gutter on booklets up to 4mm thick.

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