Introduced in 2006, the DF-1000 was Duplo's first suction-fed folder and was pitched at the digital print market. It's a folder designed primarily for in-house print rooms or copy shops and typical applications include letters, greetings cards, brochures and flyers.
"Before this, we had friction feeding, which is not so good at feeding digital prints - you get marks and scuffs," says Marc Legge, trade marketing executive at Duplo.
The suction-fed design solves the marking problem. It was inspired by Duplo's vertical collators that are designed to be top loading and incorporates air blow that can be adjusted to separate thicker or trickier coated stocks.
According to Legge, this means the printer can effectively load up to two reams of paper and leave the machine to run until the paper runs out. "With a bottom-fed machine, you can only have up to a certain height of paper," he explains.
Pre-set options
Five pre-set options are available on the machine: single-fold, z-fold, roll-fold, concertina-fold and double-parallel fold. When the fold style is selected, the fold plates move automatically into the position. Once the materials are loaded, the fold pate automatically positions itself, sensing the size of the paper and, by using the control panel, the user chooses the type of fold required.
Features on the folder include ‘instant ready' mode, which recalls all the settings from the previous job and auto-sets the machine so it is ready to run as soon as the machine is switched on. Another feature is a batch counter, which pauses the delivery of folded sheets for three seconds to give the user time to collect them.
Duplo says the machine's six rollers were squeezed into a compact footprint so that it would be suited to the small print houses it targeted. It has a footprint of 1,277x534mm and, although a table-top machine, it weighs 71kg.
It can handle 200gsm in A4 and up to 160gsm in A3, potentially delivering 14,400 sheets per hour. This works out at around 240 sheets per minute (spm) only slightly up from its predecessor the 915's speed of 230spm.
The DF-1000 soon faced strong competition from a new crop of folder-creaser combination machines. As a result, Duplo introduced the next generation of the machine at
this year's Ipex. The Intelligent Folding System introduced a creaser to the folder, which meant digitally printed stock could be folded without cracking. Pre-creasing on digital stocks helped eliminate the white fibre cracks often associated with toner-based digital print.
According to Legge, because the DF-1000 is only around four years old, Duplo still sells around 40 to 50 new machines every year in the UK.
Duplo will take back older models as part-exchange and sells secondhand models. It has 15 engineers across the country and a new model will cost £7,100.
"We tend to sell used three-year-old models for around the £4,500 mark, including a six-month manufacturer warranty from us," says Legge. "The machine is also sold nationwide through dealers who can offer various terms and prices depending on age and condition."
Duplo offers three types of service contracts based on the printer's company size and level of usage. When looking to purchase a DF-1000, Legge advises that buyers check the rollers for wear.
Specifications
Paper size 120x182mm-297x432mm
Max speed 240 A4 single-fold sheets per minute
Loading capacity 1,000 sheets
Footprint 1,277x534mm
Weight 71kg
Price
New: £7,100
Used three-year-old model: £4,500
What to look for
Fold rollers
General wear and tear
