The Croydon-based company was won over to the Palamides Sima after checking out the kit at German security printer Fiducia.
Managing director David Laybourne said total investment for the six machines was around £500,000. The first two went in late last year and the second two in January.
“If you have manual bagging at the end of a machine it is slow and you have to have multiple people on hand. By automating the process I expect to improve output by 20%-25%.
“The machines are additional to our existing equipment: efficiency on the mailing side is very important, especially with the regulatory changes to Royal Mail due in 2017, which will see a move away from bags to trays.”
The Palamides Sima 220 can process up to 2,000 trays per hour. As the kit collects the envelopes, it separates mail by postcode areas and places individual items automatically into the trays.
One operator can run the enclosing lines at full speed, as the Sima 220 is capable of running at 24,000 pieces per hour, complementing high-speed inserters.
Production director Barry Stephens said an operator could run the enclosing line, including delivery, at a speed above 15,000 pieces per hour.
The first two Simas were installed in line to W+D BB700 machines. Real Digital will back this up by equipping its complete fleet of BB600 and 700 enclosing lines with the remaining four Sima 220s.
In addition to the six units purchased by Real Digital in the UK, Palamides has also installed 11 Sima 220s in the US and Germany. Friedheim International is the UK and Ireland agent for Palamides equipment.
