With the EasySert, Ferag has produced an inserter aimed at several markets: from the smaller regional newspaper mailroom though to magazine printers and direct mail houses. All of these very different sectors share the need for a robust machine that can guarantee inserting integrity, while running at a decent speed.
The EasySert is a 25,000 copies per hour (cph) offline inserter that can be operated as a standalone machine, as
well as a component within a more complicated mailroom operation, according to WRH Marketing's UK sales director Colin Marlow.
"The machine is aimed at smaller newspapers with their own presses serving local markets," he says. "The sweet spot is for titles with a run of 50,000 to 150,000 copies."
It was launched last autumn at Ifra and the first UK installation was to North Wales Newspapers earlier this year. The unique features, according to Marlow, are that there is no conveyor transfer in the inserter and that the machine can automatically check and compensate for missing inserts. The EasySert is based around Ferag's UTR conveyor system. "Because the copy never leaves the gripper chain, which has been impossible up until now, it means there are fewer transfers, which means the machine is less complex," says Marlow.
Damage prevention
This also means that there is less chance of marking the products. In the inserter, the products are transported around the chain counter-clockwise and at the three o'clock position they are opened to receive the insert. Opening can be via a lap of 10-12mm or, for lapless configuration, a vacuum device can open the product. A patented braking device rapidly opens and closes the product as the inserts go in.
This acts to slow down the inserts to prevent them from bouncing back out off the spine of the jacket and also ensures they sit firmly inside on the spine.
The biggest size of product and insert that can be handled is 450x310mm, with the smallest insert down to 90x90mm. Maximum total pagination is 400 pages tabloid or 200 pages broadsheet. This can be for eight to 128 tabloid or four to 64 pages for the main product or jacket, plus four to 128 tabloid or four to 64 broadsheet pages for the insert. The system can also handle single sheets thicker than 120gsm and products including postcards and CDs or DVDs.
Reliable operation
The EasySert system comprises several components around the central EasySert module. The main product or ‘jacket', which holds the inserts, is fed into the system via a main product hopper. Inserts are fed into JetFeeders. The JetFeeders are attached to the FlyStream that, rather than a conventional conveyer, uses pockets to assemble each set of inserts. The use of these pockets, which grip the inserts, is claimed to make for a more robust and reliable operation.
From the FlyStream the collated inserts pass into the EasySert for insertion. After the EasySert, the UTR conveyor transfers the copies to the MultiStack stacker.
A function called Intelligent Repair Control (IRC) checks the integrity of each set of inserts before it enters the inserter - if a set is found to have any missing it can send them around the FlyStream again to be fed from the appropriate JetFeeder before inserting. The machine can be programmed to stop if a certain number of consecutive inserts are missing to enable the problem to be identified.
There are a number of feeding options both for the main product and for the inserts. The main product hopper can be fed manually or by logs.
The system is available in two different sizes - one handling products up to just bigger than A4 and the other handling products up to tabloid size, although there is some overlap in the formats handled by both versions.
The JetFeeders can be manually fed or automated. A halfway house, the JobFeed, is manually loaded, but has an extended feed so a bigger buffer can be built up, therefore requiring less frequent operator attention.
"For high-pagination inserts, for example 96pp tabloid, keeping the JetFeeder full can be arduous," says Marlow. For higher-volume applications, Ferag's automatic MultiDisk reel feeders can be used. The number of JetFeeders, which determines the number of inserts per product, can be between two and 40. JetFeeders can be attached either side of the FlyStream conveyer.
Achievable speeds
The MultiStack stacker can operate at a maximum speed of around 40 bundles per minute, with the option of a compensating stacker.
It is possible to fit multiple MultiStackers if needed - for example, for installations with zoning below 100 copies, although Marlow adds that a different system could be more appropriate for these micro-zoning applications.
The rated throughput of the machine is 25,000 copies per hour. Marlow describes that speed as "achievable", adding that even for the most demanding insertion it can still rattle along at 20,000 copies per hour. Ferag has a tool to show how speed is affected by the type of products inserted for potential customers.
Pricing starts at £350,000 for a basic system with two JetFeeders and a simple delivery. A compensating stacker costs an additional £60,000-£70,000, while a pair of JetFeeders and the necessary FlyStream module for them to attach to costs £70,000 per pair.
In-house options
Due to the nature of the UK newspaper market, Marlow expects most UK sales to come from the commercial and mailing markets, and has so far identified at least 10 sites that he believes would benefit from the EasySert.
Of the "five or so" installations Ferag has achieved worldwide so far, the applications include a German customer that uses the machine for commercial print, producing runs in the region of 2m, as well as a Canadian company that runs a pair of 10-station machines for both advertising and direct mail production.
For magazine and commercial printers, Marlow reckons companies that currently outsource inserting and deal with runs in the 100,000s are prime targets. For direct mail applications, he says: "We believe there is a need, and for products going out in the post we can incorporate it with a polybagging line to seal and address it."
Alternatives to the EasySert are thin on the ground with Muller Martini the only manufacturer offering a direct rival with its AlphaLiner-S, which was updated at the last Ifra to get a faster maximum running speed of 18,000cph.
SPECIFICATIONS
Speed 25,000cph
Feeding offline, manually or from logs
Main max product format 450x310mm
Pre-print max format 450x310mm
Pre-print min format 90x90mm
Finished product 400 tabloid pages, 200 broadsheet pages
Product opening overlap 10-10mm (lap free option)
Main product pagination tabloid 8-128pp broadsheet 4-64pp
Pre-print pagination tabloid 4-128pp broadsheet 4-64pp
Single sheets yes
Price
£350,000, stacker £70,000, additional inserters £70,000 per pair
Contact WRH Marketing 01279 635 657 www.wrh-marketing-uk.com
Muller Martini AlphaLiner-S
The AlphaLiner-S has a slower headline speed than the EasySert and handles a lower maximum pagination for both the main product and the inserts. The maximum number of feeders is 30. Feeder modules are supplied in units of two or four.
Speed 18,000cph
Feeding manual, log or manual by stream feeder or FlexiRoll
Main product format from 240x175mm to 430x310mm
Pre-print format from 85x75mm (including CDs) to 430x310mm
Finished product up to 25mm thick
Product opening overlap normally 12mm (other on request)
Main product pagination 4-96pp tabloid (4-64pp broadsheet) or up to 6mm thick
Pre-print pagination 4-96pp (4-64pp broadsheet) or up to 6mm thick
Single sheets yes, 120gsm or over
Price from £275,000, including delivery gripper and CN-25 stacker
Contact
Muller Martini 0845 345 3588 www.mullermartini.co.uk
