The £100,000-plus investment also included the purchase of a Duplo square-back unit for the line, with the kit due to be installed at Folio’s 2,300sqm Bristol premises in a month to six weeks’ time.
Managing director Andy Bird did not intend to purchase when attending the event last Thursday (15 June), which combined a traditional open house with music, comedy, food and drink, but he was impressed with its ease of use and offer of “a number of useful solutions as opposed to just being a bookletmaker”.
Bird said: “It was the ease of use, quick makereadies and fast turnarounds that did it. It is ideal for both long and short runs and is capable of 5,000bph [maximum speed] so transcends both the digital market and sheetfed. It complements the rest of the kit we have so well.
“We’ve got a Muller Martini Bravo, which works for both short and long runs, so this will just give us a backup to cope with the full remit when things are coming down. It gives us the option to be able to offer an additional solution and gives off additional output.”
Launched in late 2015, the flagship 600i is a fully automated stitching, folding and trimming device that uses ultrasonic technology combining the DSC-10/60i Collator Towers and the DBM-600 bookletmaker and trimmer. The machine can handle a minimum booklet size of 90x75mm up to a maximum of 350x254mm and stock weights of 50-300gsm. Folio’s machine has been configured for two-up production.
Bird added that its ease of use would allow him to rotate some of his 45 staff and “free up some skillsets”.
“This gives us the opportunity to produce booklets using semi-skilled staff; the operation is very easy to use,” he added.
Along with its Bravo and new Duplo machine, £2.5m-turnover Folio runs a wide variety of finishing equipment, for wire-binding, die-cutting and creasing. Last year, it updated its folding equipment, with the installation of two Stahlfolders.
The Duplo Summer Festival took place at the print finshing manufacturer's Addlestone, Surrey headquarters between 14 and 15 June and exhibited a wide range of kit, including its new DuSense DDC-810 Sensory Coater, which recently had its first installation.
Duplo said it had totalled sales of more than £250,000 worth of kit at the festival.
