Suffolk based commercial printer Mircopress have upgraded their Duplo hand fed booklet maker to a fully automatic Duplo DBM-350 Digital Booklet system along with a Multigraf CF-375 creaser folder. Installed in June 2022 the upgrade comes during a period of targeted growth, ahead of plans to extend their production facility.
“When Duplo visited Micropress, they looked at our current working patterns, and the volumes of work we produced. Our booklet production was done on an older 350 model but using the hand fed mode. We went to their showroom and tested a range of jobs, which 100% suited the work we produce which now gives us more capacity in our digital department,” said Anna Jordan-Smith, Digital Production Manager of Micropress. “Duplo were fantastic in the support that they gave us throughout the entire process. Once we had figured out the correct configuration, the machine was ordered, and the installation went as planned. The simplicity of the machine and its set up means that minimal training was required, especially as our staff were already used to running a similar machine. Duplo’s willingness to take the time to see what we required, test our regular work, adapt to our work patterns and requirements when it came to installation has been fantastic. They have also been quick to respond to any small teething issues we have incurred and taken the time to come out and check on how we are going since installation.”
The DBM-350 Digital Booklet System is a commercial level booklet production unit specifically designed for digital runs. The configuration includes the DSF-2200 digital feeder with two paper feed trays allowing the combination of main content pages with covers that have been offset printed, printed on a separate digital press, UV coated or laminated. Anna continues with “We no longer need to collate covers into text by hand or handfeed into the machine. We can load it and work on other projects while the machine is working away. In the three months since installation, we have significantly increased the number of booklets produced each month in the department.” To support the wide range of media and digital press types now available, the feed trays feature front and side air separation, ultrasonic double feed detection, and an anti-static device as standard to tackle the common effects of heat, curl, and static electricity.
The booklet system is PC controlled making set-up and make readies incredibly easy and fast. “Our operators love it! The 350 Digital System is so simple to use and easy to adjust when required. The ability to save a job is great when it comes to our regular customers. The program is saved and ready to go. Within seconds you are in production.” Anna said, “A stand out feature of the system is actually the simplicity of the setup, touch screen and the ability to leave the machine to run has been amazing.”
Founded in 1974, Micropress is a sheet fed commercial printer, producing magazines, books, leaflets, flyers, business cards, posters and direct mailers, all from their purpose built factory, working on 70,000square feet of production space. “The Duplo Booklet maker and Multigraf creaser folder joins a selection of finishing machines which include a Polar guillotine, Morgana and Horizon Binders, Autobond Laminator, Renz Wirobinder, a Morgana Creaser, a brace of MBO folders with robot loaders and a Dulpo Multi finisher. We currently run a Xerox iGen150, a Heidelberg Versafire and a Xerox Nuvera, with plans to build on our digital fire power.”
Anna concludes, “We have already achieved what we wanted with the purchase of the DBM-350 Digital System – we have shown that with the correct machinery we are able to produce at much higher volume of booklets taking on much larger quantities, produce them quicker and therefore able to offer much more for competitive costing. It has given us to tools to produce stitched work faster and more competitively, increase productivity significantly. Running thousands of stitched books a day is now a reality rather than a headache. We plan to continue to grow the department with a desire to increase production and profits significantly in the years to come. Digital is a fast developing market with the demand for short run work increasing all the time. We at Micropress Digital are thrilled with the machines and what they have brought to the production of work within our department. They’ve already had a massive impact in our production. The machine is a dream!”
