Tech Watch: Duplo USA Corporation's 600i Booklet System

by Lara Copeland, assistant editor, PostPress

The 600i Booklet System from Duplo USA Corporation, Santa Ana, California, is a high-end collating and bookletmaking solution that integrates the fully automatic DBM-600 Bookletmaker with high-speed DSC-10/60i Suction Collators.

Duplo USA Corporation, a provider of digital print finishing equipment in Santa Ana, California, has unveiled the new 600i Booklet System, a high-end collating and bookletmaking solution that integrates the fully automatic DBM-600 Bookletmaker with high-speed DSC-10/60i Suction Collators. The customizable system features automated simplicity and intelligent bin feeding, and it is ideal for letter landscape applications.

According to Duplo USA Production Manager Anthony Gandara, “The DBM-600 Bookletmaker is an example of Duplo’s efforts to improve its current products and to create innovative solutions to help our customers.” He noted that the improved bookletmaker has faster processing speeds and can process a larger paper size, which allows customers to perform a wider range of bookletmaking applications, including letter landscape, calendar, CD-size and small booklets. Additionally, the newer system can process small paper sizes without requiring a special kit or accessories.

The 600i Booklet System features the Duplo PC Controller software to program and manage the entire system. From a PC, a single operator can use the intuitive Graphical User Interface (GUI) for faster and easier job changeovers. After paper sizes are selected, the PC controller automatically calculates the stitch, fold, and trim positions, while the user-friendly interface elements allow the operator to select settings and make adjustments, if needed. According to Gandara, the operator can “program and save an unlimited number of jobs,” and “change from one job to another within a matter of seconds, without any tools, simply by selecting and recalling the saved job parameters and setting the automatic changeover of the entire system.”

The 600i Booklet System comes standard with the ability to perform a variety of booklet-type applications, including saddlestitch and fold, saddlestitch no fold, fold only, six-page insert, side stitch, side stitch and fold, corner stitch, and corner stitch and fold. To meet the individual needs of each customer, there also are customizable options; for example, booklet production can be doubled for certain applications by adding the 4-Stitch Head Kit and the DKT-200 Two-Knife Trimmer and Gutter Cutter module to enable 2-up bookletmaking. Producing flat, square spine booklets is another option when the ASM-500 Square Spine is added to the system. With this customization, Gandara reported Duplos fifth generation automatic bookletmaker “has had a positive reception from both existing and new customers.”

Technical Details

The DSC-10/60i Collator can handle paper with a width of 4.1″-14″ and length of 5.8″-24″ and various weights for two different types of paper. Fine quality paper can weigh between 52-157gsm, and art-coated paper can weigh between 79-157gsm. It has a bin capacity of 2.6″. The DBM-600 can make 5,200 booklet sets per hour, compared to 5,000 sets per hour in the former model, the DBM-500. The DSC-10/60i Collator also can stack up to 10,000 sets per hour. It measures 34″x33″x78″ and weighs 674lb.

The 831lb DBM-600 Booklet maker is 73″x37″x31″ and comes standard with two stitcher heads. Its maximum sheet size is 14.33″x25x19″; minimum is 4.13″-6.69.” It has folding capacity up to 30 sheets (thickness: .11″/3.0mm) and stitching capacity up to 50 sheets (thickness: .19″/5.0mm).