Double Gate Fold

[Muddy]

I have a customer that I produce several hundred thousand (and growing) brochures per quarter. Up until now, I've been subcontracting the folding to another printer and I really don't like doing this. As well, the customer wants these to be bundled in 12's and my supplier doesn't want to do it and charges me far too much to do this.

What can you tell me about purchasing a gate fold attachment for my Stahlfolder? It's a B20

Besides Heidelberg can you tell me where I can buy this attachment
Will a used one work just as well?
What sort of cost am I looking at?

I looked at this about three years ago and frankly I can't remember what I found out as I was only half serious at the time.

 

[ondemandbindery]

I have a customer that I produce several hundred thousand (and growing) brochures per quarter. Up until now, I've been subcontracting the folding to another printer and I really don't like doing this. As well, the customer wants these to be bundled in 12's and my supplier doesn't want to do it and charges me far too much to do this.

What can you tell me about purchasing a gate fold attachment for my Stahlfolder? It's a B20

Besides Heidelberg can you tell me where I can buy this attachment
Will a used one work just as well?
What sort of cost am I looking at?

I looked at this about three years ago and frankly I can't remember what I found out as I was only half serious at the time.

Well, you probably have some options. Ebay, pasquirilla graphics(though I think he is overpriced) etc. Probably 7-8k new and used 3k. If you are doing this much volume and it is a steady run I would look at investing in a new unit. I would be curious as to the type of stock it is. You need a decent folder operator. Sometimes they can be a pain due to curl and static. With that being said the bundling in 12's is honestly a production nightmare. That will kill your throughput unless you either invest in automated banding equipment or you have someone who is very good at catching. I stitch a job consistently that shrinkwraps in 8's. After about the 3rd time I outsmarted that project and made a way to feed the project hands free out of the stacker into the wrapper. What type of production rates are you expecting?