What does the machine do?
The Kasfold Sprint 3000 bookletmaker produces A4, A5 and A6 finished booklets at up to 1,500 per hour. It produces a high-quality booklet without marking the cover. Each collated set is fed into the bookletmaker by hand. The machine takes over and the set is jogged from both sides, centre-stapled, folded and front-edge trimmed.
Why did you make the purchase?
Since we moved into our new premises in Muswell Hill, we won a project requiring us to print and finish multiple booklets, all of which are different and range in run lengths from 25-50 copies on stock up to 300gsm. We have two Xerox digital printers, which produce booklets online, but they are unable to trim. Our old Kasfold bookletmaker can handle this type of work, but it didn’t have an online trimmer and was nearing the end of its working life. It meant booklets had to be guillotined as a separate process, which, on very short runs, is time consuming.
Why did you choose this particular machine?
For the past 20 years we have bought equipment from Ashgate Automation, who have provided us with a very good service. The previous Kasfold bookletmaker had served us well and so it made commercial sense to buy another.
Did you look at other machines?
Yes, but we thought that the KAS equipment offered the best performance for the money. Ashgate offered the bookletmaker with the KAS Creasematic semi-automated creaser. These machines work well together. We have a lot of jobs, beside the bookletmaking, that need to be creased and this semi-automated model replaced a slow hand-operated machine.
What features do you particularly like?
It’s fast and simple to set-up, which makes it ideal for short-run, quick turnaround jobs.
How fast is it?
It can be operated at up to 1,500 booklets per hour but, with such very short runs, speed is not a big issue.
How reliable is it?
It is very reliable.
How easy is it to use?
It is exceptionally easy to use.
How much time and money has it saved?
It’s saved us both because we were outsourcing a lot of the bookletmaking and now we can do all the short-run work
in-house, under our full control and in the knowledge that we are delivering a perfect job.
Would you say it offers value for money?
Definitely. It’s a very robust piece of equipment, which should last us a long time.
What about the pre- and after-sales service?
This was one of the reasons for going back to Ashgate because we could rely on them to give us a first-class service. We needed very little training on the equipment.
Has it won you any new work?
We had already won the project for which we primarily bought it, but it would have been difficult to do without it.
Who do you think the machine is right for?
Any printer who has short-to-medium runs.
Under what circumstances would you buy another?
We still have plenty of capacity at the moment
Conclusion
User’s verdict
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Supplier’s response
John Price, managing director of Ashgate Automation, says: The Kasfold Sprint 3000 booklet maker with on-line trimmer is ideal for short-run, quick turnaround booklets where there is a requirement for quick and easy set-up.
Price £3,895 for Bookletmaker and £4,595 for Trimmer, total £8,490
Contact Ashgate Automation 01865 891904
