Polestar Petty Enhances Post-Press Efficiency

Twelve Jobfeed hopper loader and stream feeders have been installed by Polestar Petty to enhance the efficiency of its post-press department.

WRH Marketing UK provided the Jobfeed systems to help Polestar Petty, which produces 12 million magazines every week from its six 64-page presses, cover press and four Ferag stitchers.

Polestar Petty said that Jobfeed can be used for a range of work, such as newspapers, catalogues, directories, books and magazines.

The units are claimed to be easy to use and maintain, whilst their construction ensures they are built to last.

Changing over between jobs can be carried out quickly.

Features of the Jobfeed systems include variable speed and synchronised tail and side joggers.

The single, continuously arched in-feed conveyor controls the product, resulting in fewer machine stops, less wastage and potential reductions in manpower, said the company.

The Jobfeed unit can handle a range of product sizes, feeding them in to virtually any pocket or hopper on the market.

The pile height of the systems adjusts automatically to ensure consistent feeding.

The CE certified unit has an optional log extension, which increases capacity.

Polestar Petty managing director, Chris Bowen, explained: "The incorporation of loose inserts in to magazines is an important value-added opportunity for our customers and has been a growing trend within the industry for several years.

Some of the titles that we produce can contain as many as six inserts and we reached a stage where we needed to improve the effectiveness of how this was handled within the production line.

He added: "We carried out an in-depth feasibility study and the Jobfeed hopper loader and stream feeder appeared to be the best option for us.

Certainly, since they were installed, the 12 Jobfeed systems have lived up to all of our expectations.

They are in operation around the clock, inserting work ranging from small four-page leaflets to 32-page brochures with great reliability and accuracy.

They have proved to be a real asset, which has enabled us to utilise our manpower within the post-press department much more efficiently.

Marcus Evans, the managing director of WRH Marketing UK, explained: "We were confident that, once Polestar Petty had trialled the Jobfeed, they would be impressed with the quality and reliability of the equipment, which makes it such exceptional value for money.

Over the past few years, based on our successful bindery installations at Polestar operations in Sheffield, Colchester, at Varnicoat and at Petty, and on our continuing service provision at the sites, we've developed an excellent working relationship with Polestar.

Thanks to the strength of that relationship, Polestar Petty was more than happy to try out the Jobfeed and, from the feedback the company has given us, the machine has since more than proved its worth.

Chris Bowen commented further: "The Jobfeed systems will obviously not handle everything and for such items as CDs, or post-it notes we utilise separate applicators, which are also supplied by WRH Marketing.

However, in busy periods the Jobfeed units come in to their own and they have allowed us to handle inserting requirements at the same throughout with which jobs are stitched.

He added that one person can keep two or three Jobfeed systems in operation and on very long runs the production line is not held up because of inserts running out.

Each Jobfeed unit has its own maintenance programme but Polestar Petty had no problems with them and their portability means that they can be moved around during the shift to different parts of the line.

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