A new breed of floor-model folders: Mechanical and electronic innovations streamline folder setup - Postpress
American Printer

There's good folding news and bad folding news.

First, the bad news: Paper is still unpredictable. Even famed psychic Madam Cleo couldn't tell you exactly how humidity, inks and sheet-weight variances will impact a specific substrate. Skilled folder operators also remain on the endangered species list.

Now the good news: Although floor-model folders still require some manual adjustments, postpress automation has made huge strides. Makeready times have decreased significantly while operating speeds have increased. And even the lowly folder is poised to enter the computer-integrated manufacturing era--job data entered in prepress are shared automatically with CIP4-compliant folders.

ELIMINATING PLATE REMOVAL

Prior to the introduction of zero-makeready buckle plates at Drupa in 1986. changing folding configurations was an arduous chore. The heavy plates had to be removed--a two-person job--to set the swing deflector in place. On new folders, however, the paper stop serves as a sheet deflector, eliminating the need to remove plates. Operators can open and close the buckle plate quickly when switching from single to accordion or letter folds. (See "Folder facts" on p. 32.)

Folder makereadies can be further streamlined by motorizing the paper stops, enabling operators to make adjustments digitally from a control panel. The operator simply selects the type of fold, sets the side guide, types in the sheet length and pushes a button. Data can be downloaded to a PC and sent to additional folders.