When was the Kern 90 RoboCard launched? The Kern 90 RoboCard first appeared at Cartes, an exhibition covering all aspects of plastic card security, in Paris last November. Manufactured by Kern Sistemi in Italy, the UK launch of the card processing machine is set to be sometime this August or September. Kern UK senior sales manager Clive Martin says the long gap between the two launches is down to availability. "The K90 has been selling so well in Europe since its launch that we’ve had to be patient," he explains. "In fact, we’ve only just got hold of a demonstration machine for our UK head office in Fareham."

What markets is it aimed at? As you would expect, the K90 is targeted at large plastic card processing companies and bureaus, as well as the banks and building societies that still issue their own cards. Another important market, says Martin, is government organisations such as HM Revenue & Customs and the DVLA.

How does the machine work? Described as a "highly modular" machine, the K90 comes with the choice of a standard or multicard feeder. With the multicard feeder, cards from up to eight hoppers can be fed into the machine at any one time, which is particularly useful if the job consists of voucher cards with different monetary values. The cards then go through a reading assembly, where the information on the card is read and printed on a carrier – the paper with which the card is sent out. From there, the pick-and-place RoboCard module attaches the card is to its carrier using double-sided adhesive or hotmelt glue. A tamper-proof plastic coating can be applied to the card at this stage, if required. Finally, a camera device verifies that the card is matched to the correct carrier. If the machine detects an error, it will flag it up and reject the card.

What’s its USP? Martin believes the RoboCard module is unique in that it is able to place a card on a carrier at any angle to an accuracy of 0.005mm. "No other machine on the market has this kind of precision," he explains. "It’s very useful for marketers, who tend to want to do things differently and make cards stand out on the carrier." The RoboCard is also able to attach up to six cards to each carrier.

How fast is it? If one card is being attached per carrier, the machine can run at up to 8,000 cards per hour (cph). It is possible to use two RoboCard modules on the machine, which increases the speed to 12,000cph. The K90 can also run inline with the Kern 2500 and 2600 mailing systems, allowing completed mailers to be inserted into personalised envelopes in a single pass, which has the added benefit, says Kern, of making the process more secure.

How easy is it to use? Everything is touchscreen controlled, and Martin says a job can be set up in four steps, which typically takes around five minutes. "There’s no real mechanical changeover – everything is done through the user interface," says Martin. "Job data can be imported in a number of formats, an unlimited number of jobs can be stored, and each processing step is monitored. What’s more, all product information is available for ad hoc purposes at any time. Overall, it’s fast, user-friendly, and very flexible."

What training and level of service support can users expect? Kern UK offers project management and operator training as part of any installation. In addition Martin says the company is able to offer any type of service contract the customer wants. "We have 75 engineers throughout the UK and can offer a two-hour response time, if that’s what the customer requires," he says. "Equally, we are happy to train the customer’s engineers as well." The machine also comes with remote diagnostics, which Martin says is pretty useful should software problems occur.

How much is it? What’s the sales target and how many are installed? A K90 starts at £250,000. For those who only need to mail one card at a time with a standard placement, a smaller cheaper K90/4 model is available from £150,000. As the product is still not available in the UK, as of yet no orders have been taken. However, Martin has identified around 30 potential UK customers and believes many of these types of machines in the domestic market are coming towards the end of their life. "Because of the financial climate, nothing has been replaced for the last few years and a lot of these systems are getting very old. But with the arrival of the K90, now is a good time to invest."

SPECIFICATIONS
Speed
K90: 8,000cph (12,000cph with two RoboCard modules)
K90/4: 4,000cph
Carrier formats
A3-A6
Carrier inputs
Cut-sheet, fanfold, roll
Card thickness
0.3-1.2mm
Card reading capability
ID codes, chips, magnetic strips, barcodes, datamatrixs, OCRs
Price
K90: from £250,000
K90/4: from £150,000

ALTERNATIVES
Böwe Plastic Card System (PCS)
Like the Kern 90, Böwe’s PCS is highly modular. The machine can operate standalone, or be integrated with an inserting system and even, if so desired, an online printer. Böwe says it is also able to reconfigure the machine should customers’ needs change. Up to six cards can be placed on a single carrier, with a rotational angle of plus or minus 90°.
Speed 8,000cph
Price from £180,000
Contact Böwe-Systec 01628 581270 www.bowe-systec.co.uk

Otto Künnecke Card Attachment Secure System (CASS)
Otto Künnecke describes the CASS as the "tried and tested workhorse" of its range, and says the machine occupies 75% of the UK card processing market. The machine is designed to run in a 24/7, high capacity environment and up to four cards can be placed on a single carrier.
Speed 3,000-7,000cph
Price £181,000-£452,000 (€200k-€500k)
Contact Unique Finishing Equipment 01727 899900 www.uniquefinishing.co.uk