The very latest addition to the Morgana Systems range of post-press equipment is a unique new die-cutting product – the AeroDieCut from Uchida. Best described as traditional meets digital, this product uses regular cutting and creasing forms, combined with a patented system of “moving press rollers” that provide the pressure necessary to cut through and score the substrate, all housed in a really compact unit.
The product represents the platen-style die-cutter re-designed for the 21st Century. The AeroDieCut is ideal for short-to-medium-run work, and can process complex cuts, creases, embossing or debossing, and perforations on printed materials in a single pass.
Using traditional die-cutting formes means plenty of external suppliers are available to create the cutting element itself – and, as this a mature technology, a competitive price can be almost guaranteed. Add to this the AeroDieCut’s ability produce step-and-repeat work, where just one cutting forme can be employed to step across a printed sheet up to five times, and the economies become swiftly apparent. AeroDieCut is also a much safer machine to use than the traditional platen style of product – a good number of which are still hand fed devices.
Another key feature offered with the AeroDieCut is the ability to produce both embossing and debossing work. These features allow the printer to offer customers something slightly different and classy to embellish their printed work, and something that definitely stands out from the everyday, run-of-the-mill printing.
The embossing capability means the unit is also suitable for the production of Braille work – a legal requirement for pharmaceutical packaging, but also a solution for blind and partially sighted people that is being employed on an ever-increasing range of printed product.
AeroDieCut was designed to be used by anyone, and its compact design is ideal for the smaller print room of today. The AeroDieCut can turn your printed materials into a variety of finished product, including invitations, cards, boxes, swing tags, and shelf talkers.
It’s patented “Tri-suction Feeder” ensures consistent paper feeding. The feeding unit is equipped with an ultra-sonic sensor for double feed detection, and a cut-mark sensor to compensate for any image shift. Feeding is carefully controlled when the step-and-repeat mode is employed.
The 4-inch coloured touch-screen makes job settings and operation easy, with 100 job memories stored in the machine for regular work and often repeated job settings.
For the longer run there is an optional separator unit for deflecting cut waste into a bin as the die-cut stock is delivered. The optional conveyor delivery table also makes the collecting process more efficient.
Commenting on the introduction, Ray Hillhouse, vice-president offline business at Morgana, said: “This unique new product offers print shops an ideal entry-point to the highly lucrative die-cutting process. Work that was previously sent to a third-party supplier can now be produced in-house cost-effectively. However, the AeroDieCut offers more to users than just straightforward cutting and creasing. Adding such capabilities as embossing can help a printer to offer something that little bit extra – making an invitation, or even a business card, really stand out and get noticed. The price advantage provided by using a one-up forme in a step-and-repeat mode gives the printer additional margin that could otherwise be lost to the die maker.”
The AeroDieCut can accommodate cutting formes of up to 350 x 550mm, with a die board thickness of up to 18mm, and a cutting rule height of 23.3-23.8mm. Power consumption is 400-watt single phase. The unit can accommodate paper sizes up to 365 x 515mm with a maximum finished size of 310 x 485mm. All of this in a unit measuring just 270cm [w] x 107cm [h] x 110cm [d] and weighing in at 410kg. Running speed is a maximum of 1,000 sheets per hour.
