It was a decade ago that Watkiss Automation spotted a gap in the market for digital finishing and began development of the DigiVac collator, which was eventually launched in 2002.
"The DigiVac's target market was small to medium-sized general commercial printers, including digital printers
and copyshops," says Jo Watkiss, communications director at Watkiss.
There are two versions of the machine available: the standard DigiVac and the DigiVac+. The latter has a touchscreen user interface and more programmability. It also operates at a higher speed of up to 7,200 sets per hour (sph) compared to the DigiVac's 3,500sph. Both machines are available with eight or 12 bins per tower, including the option to upgrade an eight-bin device to 12 bins.
"There are rival suction-fed collators available, but they don't offer the unique benefit of non-stop production and loading on the run, except by having double the number of feed stations," says Watkiss.
Seamless system
The machine works by floating stacks of paper on an air-bed, where the individual sheets are fanned apart by air separation. A rotary suction feeder takes one sheet at a time and delivers it into the transport system. The collated sheets are then delivered to the front or back of the machine and into stackers or bookletmakers.
Features on the machine include continuous non-stop production, with the ability to load the bin on the run. There is also a patented flat-suction feed from the underside of the paper stack. But Watkiss believes what really sets the machine apart is its handling of digital print.
"The air separation makes the process very gentle on delicate papers, so it will not scuff the toner on digitally printed work," says Watkiss.
She adds: "The operator can see which stock should be loaded in which bin so loading errors are eliminated. With a conventional feed system, the operator is loading empty bins and so it is easy to load the wrong sheets."
Watkiss holds spare parts in the UK and orders before 3pm are despatched on the same day.
On the secondhand market, the bulk of models are sold through Watkiss directly.
"Occasionally, you will find machines at secondhand dealers or advertised - but most come through us," says Watkiss.
A new eight-bin DigiVac with offset jogging stacker will cost around £12,749, while a 12-bin DigiVac+ with offset stacking jogger will cost around £15,611. Secondhand prices depend on age and condition, but the guideline would be 50% of the new price.
Specifications
Speed
DigiVac 3,500 sets per hour
DigiVac+ 7,200 sets per hour
Sheet size
120x200mm-350x500mm
Stock range 50-300gsm
Footprint 660x1,220mm, including offset jogging stacker
Weight
8-bins 240kg
12-bins 290kg
Price
New
8-bin DigiVac with offset jogging stacker £12,749
12-bin DigiVac+ with offset stacking jogger £15,611
Used
from around £6,375
What to look for
Service history
General condition
