Best Booklet Maker

lkr · #1 (**permalink**) 03-24-2009, 05:09 PM

We are looking to buy a booklet maker. We're considering the Horizon VAC100 or the Duplo (Bell and Howell) DemandWorks DBM 120.

Does anyone have experience with either of these? Or can you recommend an alternative?

Thanks!

Craig · #2 (**permalink**) 03-24-2009, 07:39 PM

The best booklet maker... the one that works for you! Really depends on what your needs are.

lkr · #3 (**permalink**) 03-24-2009, 07:52 PM

OK, I'll be more specific.

We need a booklet maker that will collate up to 20 sheets, able to bind booklets from 4x6 up to 8.5x11 finished size, with face trimming. We need it to be able to handle digital and offset origin sheets. We need it to be able to handle up to 100lb. cover stock for the covers (scoring, preferably with a square back option). Our booklet orders range between 100 and 5000, but the average is probably 500 to 1000.

Is that enough information?

lfelton · #4 (**permalink**) 03-26-2009, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lkr

OK, I'll be more specific.

We need a booklet maker that will collate up to 20 sheets, able to bind booklets from 4x6 up to 8.5x11 finished size, with face trimming. We need it to be able to handle digital and offset origin sheets. We need it to be able to handle up to 100lb. cover stock for the covers (scoring, preferably with a square back option). Our booklet orders range between 100 and 5000, but the average is probably 500 to 1000.

Is that enough information?

We use the high end Duplo vacuum collators in a system 5000 configuration and they are extremely good. Expensive, but good. The DBM-120 is the entry level Duplo bookletmaker and you can connect that on line to a face trimmer. I've never used a Horizon system, but they have a good reputation. Watkiss also make various collator / bookletmaker combinations. They're a bit cheaper and more compact if space is an issue. We liked Duplo & Horizon better when we are evaluating options, but Watkiss have been around for a long time, so must be making customers happy. Nagel also make booklet makers that can be integrated with collators (Uchida??) and you can also get a face trimmer I think. Nagel are very much "entry level" machines, but good quality IMO (we keep one for odds and ends and it just keeps on ticking). There's a couple of other manufacturers, but those are the main ones I think. Duplo and Horizon are the only ones with options for 3-knife trimmers, but not at the level of machine you are looking at.

Hope that helps.

Also (I keep on thinking of more!) Bourg make booklet makers, but they seem about as popular as having teeth pulled. Don't know why, maybe just a country specific thing. Final one; Plockmatic make entry level booklet makers as do a company called KAS (I've no experience of either).

rlarmor · #5 (**permalink**) 04-01-2009, 09:58 AM

You might look at the CP Bourg MBE it stitches, folds, face trims and has a book press built into flaten out the book for packaging more books to a carton. I've seen the unit in action and it is good for either digital or traditional offset.

cosmo · #6 (**permalink**) 04-03-2009, 10:52 AM

we have a horizon spf20, with 2 vac 100 towers, its a good setup, stay away from the bourg & duplo stitchers they are cheap and nasty.

lfelton · #7 (**permalink**) 04-03-2009, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmo

we have a horizon spf20, with 2 vac 100 towers, its a good setup, stay away from the bourg & duplo stitchers they are cheap and nasty.

I have no experience of Bourg machines, but you are talking total rubbish about the Duplos. We have had various systems over the last 5 years and currently have a System 5000 (plus other Duplo machines). We put a lot of digital and litho jobs through them every single day of the week with a very high level of reliability. I can hear the SFT line humming along at 5,000 brochures an hour from where I'm sitting in my office right now. That's a pretty new machine, we've had it for about 4 months and it only has about half a million up on it. But I can tell you how many break downs we've had on it. None, zip, nada.

Sorry to rant, but "drive by" bulls**t postings annoy me.

Craig · #8 (**permalink**) 04-03-2009, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lfelton

Sorry to rant, but "drive by" bulls**t postings annoy me.

LOL

Thanks for the smile you put on my face!

cosmo · #9 (**permalink**) 04-26-2009, 11:41 PM

lfelton: We had a duplo booklet maker, it was an older model, probably around 1998-2000 and i can tell you it was cheap and nasty, duplo must have picked up there game which is good.

Maybe you should keep your personal attacks to yourself.

"Sorry to rant, but "drive by" bulls**t postings annoy me. "

dont get too upset ya big girl.

fire11 · #10 (**permalink**) 06-03-2009, 09:26 PM

I'm in a very similar position and am stuck comparing two very capable machines. Can anyone give me any particular things to look at, check out or compare? We do some traditional short-run work from our color copiers, medium runs from copiers and presses and have several orders in-house right now for 20-50M and even have one order in-house right now for 100M, although those are not as common for us. Anyone have feedback for me, please? We'll be making our decision in the next two weeks and will be buying one of these for sure so I'd love to hear any thoughts!