What does the machine do?
The Morgana DocuFold Pro’s high level of automation and touchscreen technology is designed to enable an operator with minimum training to perform a variety of folds on products from both digital and litho presses and on a wide range of stocks, including coated stock. Perforating and scoring technology is included as standard and is similarly designed to allow the operator to quickly and easily set up the perfing and scoring unit, with repeat jobs stored in this screen and quickly retrievable.

When did it launch and who is it aimed at?
The DocuFold Pro was launched for sale in July with the first batch going out mostly to international dealers at the end of the month. Two have so far been installed in the UK, at GP Print in Peterborough and Printergraph in Aberdeen, but the majority have been sold to Europe and the US. The folder is primarily aimed at the digital market where it is perfectly-suited, according to Morgana, to low set-up wastage. "With litho printers the bulk of the cost is making the plates so they typically have 50/60 run-ons, but obviously in the digital world every sheet is a click and costs them money," says Morgana UK sales manager Ray Hillhouse. "They want a machine that they can set up with one sheet of paper and that’s what you get with the Pro." It is not just smaller companies that are attracted by the DocuFold Pro’s compact size, Hillhouse adds. He says that quite often, larger printers who have much larger, more complex folding machines, also have a DocuFold alongside it for smaller, shorter-run jobs.

How does it work?
The operator enters the sheet size and fold type on the DocuFold’s SmartScreen touchscreen and the machine automatically adjusts the fold plates and delivery rollers electronically. The fold rollers also rarely need adjustment, according to Morgana, as they automatically compensate for most types of fold or paper weight. A pressure suction chamber gently pulls each sheet down as it is fed into these rollers. There is also a bypass facility that enables heavier stocks to be processed without passing through all of the fold rollers.

How does it differ from previous models?
The Pro is an upgraded version of the DocuFold model Morgana has sold since the mid-1990s. The key additions are more automation and touchscreen controls. Morgana has also updated the machine’s electronic package so that the new model runs much faster. "The old DocuFold model only ran at a max speed of 12,000 sheets per hour and we’ve upgraded that to 27,000 sheets per hour," says Hillhouse. "So it has sped things up in terms of the set-up side of things and the actual running speed has been doubled as well."

What is the machine’s USP?
The key appeal of the DocuFold Pro, says Morgana, is its value for money. "It’s a highly automated machine for the money that we charge for it," says Hillhouse. "Comparable machines tend to be quite expensive, but they all do a similar thing at the end of the day – they’re fairly simple machines. But the key selling point of the DocuFold now is its automation and easy-to-use touchscreen control."

What training and support is available?
The standard training for this model is one day for up to four staff members, but Hillhouse says that, in practice, trainees typically only require a couple of hours instruction to get them up to speed as the Pro is much easier to use than its predecessors. The machine is supplied with the Morgana Five Star Service contract for the first year and after that ends the customer can choose a service level of either one, three or five stars, ranging from basic safety checks to a fully inclusive service.

What is the sales target?
Morgana says it will not up machine production to full capacity until it has properly gauged demand from international dealers. The company is currently building 25 Pros per month, but adds that interest from the US is strong and that they will have a better  chance to assess this at the upcoming Graph Expo, where the DocuFold Pro will be given its US launch.

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SPECIFICATIONS
Speed
27,500 A4 sheets/hr
Max sheet size
674x365mm
Min sheet size
160x140mm
Stock range
56-240gsm
Max folds per sheet
Two
Price
£8,290
Contact
Morgana 0198 608 888 www.morgana.co.uk

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ALTERNATIVES
Eurofold 235 SM
The Eurofold 235 SM is a modular folder and so is available in both automatic and manual configurations depending on the customer’s needs. Its modular design also means it can be upgraded over time with additional modules, such as four plates, cross-fold and deep-pile feeder and stacker. Although it doesn’t have a touchscreen control panel, Duplo says it is a similarly user-friendly machine.
Speed 30,000 sheets/hr
Max sheet size 350x650mm (A3), 450x650mm (A2)
Min sheet size 90x120mm
Stock range 40-240gsm
Max folds per sheet four (four-plate), two (two-plate)
Price £12,950
Contact Duplo International 0137 246 8131 www.duplointernational.com

New Horizon PF-40L
The New Horizon PF-40L features a user-friendly operator console which can pre-set counting and memorise jobs. According to UK distributor IFS, it also features a high-capacity feed table allowing 1,300 sheets of 64gsm to be loaded, minimizing sheet loading during longer production runs.
Speed up to 390 sheet per min – single fold
Max sheet size 320x630mm
Min sheet size 125x128mm
Stock range 52.3-157gsm
Price from around £8,200
Contact Intelligent Finishing Systems 020 8997 8053 www.ifsl.uk.com