PRESS RELEASE

Watkiss Automation at Drupa 2008

Sandy, UK. 15th February 2008.

At Drupa 2008, Watkiss Automation Ltd (stand 13 / B70) is demonstrating a range of high quality book and booklet production applications.

Watkiss Automation specialises in providing collating, booklet making and print finishing solutions for both offset litho and digital print operations in the graphic arts, inplant and general commercial printing marketplace. The company is a leading innovator in print finishing technology and will be demonstrating products designed to maximise quality, efficiency and flexibility in the finishing operation.

Watkiss PowerSquare™200

The innovative Watkiss PowerSquare™ 200 is a complete book making system that stitches, folds, forms a SquareBack spine and trims the pages to size in one pass. It is available in online and offline versions, according to customer preference. Not surprisingly then, demand for the Watkiss PowerSquare is very strong, with over 70 installations worldwide during the last six months.

At Drupa, Watkiss will be unveiling the new ‘Release 2’ PowerSquare™200 which features numerous enhancements including active individual sheet tamping, an optional Hohner stitch head, simplified operation and productivity increases of up to 35%.

By designing an all-in-one book maker that incorporates its unique SquareBack technology, Watkiss provides a faster and more convenient alternative to perfect binding. In addition to the financial payback, it also provides environmental benefits, because it creates a professionally bound finish without using the heat and glues required in the perfect binding process.

The PowerSquare™ was designed from the outset as an online machine, to operate with any high speed cut-sheet printer. At Drupa is will be demonstrated online to the Océ VarioPrint 6250 and the Kodak Digimaster EX150. The offline version of the PowerSquare™ will also be on show.

Digital print applications frequently use heavier stocks and need the flexibility to produce a wider range of finished books from a single process, with little or no operator intervention. Accordingly, the PowerSquare™ features automatic setting for different book size and pagination, including variable stitch leg length for varying book thickness. Also of significance for digital print applications, it is rarely necessary to pre-crease the covers, and so a high quality finished booklet is made quickly and easily.

In response to customer demand Watkiss are also showing an offline PowerSquare™ which has the flexibility to finish the output from multiple print sources.

Watkiss Document Finishing System

The Document Finishing System (DFS) is an online/offline booklet making system for users of high speed electronic copying, printing and publishing systems. It takes pre-collated sheets directly from the printer and automatically processes them into high quality booklets. If required, additional sheets from other print sources are inserted; including offset printed covers on glossy or laminated stocks.

The Online DFS connects to a wide range of cut-sheet digital printers, allowing printing and booklet making in one seamless operation. Switching between online and offline is extremely easy and the printer is still able to operate at full production speed.

The DFS combines the functionality of a collator, a sheet feeder and a booklet maker. It feeds individual sheets or complete sets and, with the option of up to 8 feeders, it can also be used as a standard collator/finisher to process batch printed sets from digital or offset presses. Since the DFS accepts the output of multiple printers, it maximizes the use of the investment.

Where verifiable integrity is needed, the barcode reader option provides multi-level security verification at sheet, set and document level. It also controls the insertion of covers and multiple additional sheets for customized sets.

Watkiss SpineMaster

The Watkiss SpineMaster booklet finisher fits after the trimmer unit on a booklet making system, and transforms the booklets into SquareBack™ books.

This gives the dual advantages of the security of a stitched spine, combined with the superior appearance and ease of handling of a perfect bound book. It perfectly compliments the high quality expectations of digital print.
Print buyers increasingly specify the SquareBack™ finish and Watkiss supply the SpineMaster online to most manufacturer’s booklet makers.

Watkiss DigiVAC Collating and Finishing System

The Watkiss DigiVAC is the world’s only collator that feeds sheets from the bottom of the stack – a unique concept that allows non-stop production. This means that the operator can reload the bins whilst the machine is still running, before the bins actually run out, so there is no down-time. A conventional collator may be standing idle as much as 50% of the time whilst the operator is reloading the machine, so the productivity gains of the DigiVAC are easy to see.

It also reduces the capital outlay required. Until now, the only way to obtain continual running was to purchase double the number of feed bins or towers in order to allow bin linking or grouping - with the DigiVAC this is no longer necessary.

The DigiVAC collator can be fitted with online booklet-making systems featuring heavy duty stitch heads or staple heads using pre-formed staples, according to customer requirements.

The DigiVAC is ideally suited to both offset litho and digital print applications - it is very gentle on delicate digitally printed stocks and is extremely simple to operate; needing no special paper-handling skills. Because it can be loaded on the run, there is no down-time; and so time critical jobs are finished faster.

Watkiss Automation is committed to providing a range of practical and cost effective finishing solutions for all print finishing environments. Leading technology and innovation enables printers to finish their output on-demand, on-time and on-budget.

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Press Contact
Jo Watkiss
Watkiss Automation Limited,
Watkiss House, Blaydon Road,
Sandy, Beds. SG19 1RZ England
Tel.: +44 (0)1767 685700
Fax.: +44 (0)1767 689900
Email: jowatkiss@watkiss.com

Notes for editors
Watkiss Automation Ltd. is a wholly family owned and managed company which has been designing and manufacturing innovative print finishing equipment since 1974. Design and manufacturing facilities are located in Sandy, Bedfordshire (UK). The company serves the digital and offset print market through direct sales, a world-wide distribution channel and OEM partners. The principal product ranges include the Watkiss Vario and Watkiss DigiVAC Collating and Finishing Systems, the Watkiss BookMaster, Watkiss SpineMaster, and the new Watkiss PowerSquare.