The Heidelberg Speedbander: speeds up finishing
Heidelberg is using GraphExpo in Chicago to unveil its new Speedbander pack delivery, which outputs counted and sleeve-wrapped packs. Functions such as the counting, pressing, jogging and sleeve-wrapping of folded sheets are fully automated and are rationalizing the workflows downstream of the folder and gang-stitcher. The Speedbander is a high-productivity and flexible solution for bookbinders and full-service commercial printers. It will be available in series production from January 2004 onward.
The Speedbander accepts folded sheets and stitched products in max. 3-up or 4-up, stacks them into packs, sleeve-wraps and delivers them at an ergonomic working height. It processes 600 packs per "up" every hour and can therefore output almost twice as many packs as other well-known systems. The pack height can be varied between 20 and 120 mm. By way of example, a gang-stitcher can attain 15,000 cycles per hour for a pack with 25 stitched products. The high speed of the entire system allows finishing specialists to save on makeready time and personnel costs.
The pack delivery is ergonomically designed and can be operated from three sides using a central, swivel-type control panel with touchscreen. A fast and user-friendly setup procedure allows menu-driven operation. Manual settings are easy and fast.
Quality is an important factor. The paper is transported particularly carefully ensuring sensitive sheets are delivered blemish free. The paper path is monitored by sensors, while the sheets are automatically measured and imperfect sheets filtered out.
The integrated compressing stations and automatic jogging from three sides ensure clean pile stacking. Products can be perfectly compressed thanks to an infinitely adjustable compressing force function. The pile height compensation feature integrated as standard ensures that brochures and folded products, whose spines vary greatly in thickness, can be processed efficiently. Innovative ultrasonic sealing technology sleeve-wraps packs quickly, reliably and in consistently high quality.
The Speedbander can be easily added to folders or gang-stitchers. Connection to third-party products is also possible on demand. Diverse products with thicknesses of up to 6 mm and formats of 100 x 75 to 940 x 235 mm (3.93 x 2.95 in to 37.0 x 9.25 in) can be processed without any problems. This offers finishing specialists a great deal of flexibility. Sleeve-wrapping materials and colors can be chosen by the customer and easily exchanged. Lateral output of the packs is offered as an option. This variation was designed for customers with space restrictions, with the packs being returned directly to the operator.
For more information please contact rudi.kolbach@heidelberg.com
The Speedbander accepts folded sheets and stitched products in max. 3-up or 4-up, stacks them into packs, sleeve-wraps and delivers them at an ergonomic working height. It processes 600 packs per "up" every hour and can therefore output almost twice as many packs as other well-known systems. The pack height can be varied between 20 and 120 mm. By way of example, a gang-stitcher can attain 15,000 cycles per hour for a pack with 25 stitched products. The high speed of the entire system allows finishing specialists to save on makeready time and personnel costs.