The South African manufacturer said sticky notes had traditionally only been the domain of large industrial printers with ample floor space and a reel-to-sheet production line until, 17 years ago, Powerbind founder Wynand Boshoff conceived the idea to develop a machine that would employ flat-sheet paper.
This lead to the creation of what he said was the world’s first flat-sheet sticky note machine.
The company’s new flagship Special Adhesive Process (SAP) Mk 7 model, which is commercially available immediately, uses SRA3 flat-sheet paper and can handle variable data content.
The user can personalise SRA3 sheets using their existing printing equipment and the SAP machine then applies super thin strips of glue to the sheets, which the user then finishes with their own cutting equipment.
Boshoff said the SAP glue quality “is on par with that of 3M”, and that users can design their own templates, as the slot nozzles can easily be moved around to accommodate different sizes of notes.
He told Printweek: “The printer does the printing (personalisation) on an SRA3 sheet of paper, then [our SAP] machine does the gluing and batching. It incorporates an auto cover inserting module, and it inserts the backing sheet after each digitally counted batch of paper.”
While Boshoff said the device can produce around 50,000 little sheets (sticky notes) per hour, he added “the essence is not on speed, for the machine has to cure the glue strips on the sheets within five metres of running through a curing tunnel”.
He said the machine is versatile, has no makereadies, offers a clean operation, and that “the very first sheet is perfect”.
The SAP Mk 7, which features an auto backing sheet inserting module as standard, retails for $34,500 (£24,900), with a shipping cost of around $1,500.
Also new is the SAP Short, which Boshoff said is a shorter unit than the SAP Mk 7, and is therefore slower, and it does not have an auto cover inserter. This SRA3 model can produce between 24,000 to 30,000 sticky notes per hour and retails for $22,900.
Finally, the new A4 or SRA4 unit features the same machine parts as its bigger brothers but is a narrower unit that can produce around 16,000 sticky notes per hour. This machine is priced at $19,500.
All three models feature top loading, bottom feeding, auto suction feeding, and stream feeding. The pricing stated for all three models is subject to the launch period, which Boshoff said ends at the end of July.
The machines are sold direct, with a lead time of around six to seven weeks. Over the life of the SAP range, Powerbind has sold 98 units into 28 countries, the majority to medium to larger companies. The business also manufactures a range of other finishing machines, including perfect binders.
