2009 Fall

Seaboard Bindery Writes Its Own Story

November 21, 2009

by: Dianna Brodine

By nature of the work, every bindery has a story. Decades of bundling pages into a cohesive entity lend themselves to history, stretching each year into another chapter, telling anecdotes of prosperous times and periods of struggle. The story at Seaboard Bindery began in 1977 with a man looking to further his entrepreneurial career in a new industry. Its chapters unfolded as he learned the binding trade from the ground up, bringing his sons into the business and specializing in difficult projects to meet the specific needs of his customers. The tale followed the man and his sons as they sailed uncertain economic waters, climbed the rocky demands of the digital markets, and walked the smooth path laid by dedicated employees. The ending to the narrative is not yet written, but the reading of the journey could inspire other small binderies to begin a new chapter.

Chapter One: The Beginning

Twenty-two years after Seaboard Bindery was founded, Harold Shear purchased the business on the recommendation of his accountant. Formerly a partner in a retail clothing business, Harold had no background in binding. His desire for sole ownership – a business that was truly his own – convinced him to take the leap. “It was the kind of business that allowed you to see what you’d done at the end of the day,” said son Frank Shear, current president of Seaboard Bindery. “Whether Dad had good bindery knowledge at the time or not, he certainly knew how to run a business, and his business skills and professionalism allowed him to prosper.”

Luckily, Harold had a pretty good sense of how books were made and how the machines worked. He hired an old bindery manager as a consultant to teach him from the ground up what a saddlestitched book was and what a folding machine did. A few of the employees stayed when the business ownership was transferred, and Harold the entrepreneur was on his way as a successful trade binder.

In 1983, Frank Shear joined his father at the bindery, despite Frank’s insistence up to that point that the bindery was not on his career path. “Dad needed someone to get a sales effort going. There was a lot of potential out there, but no one to go out and find the business,” explained Frank. “It was the idea of building the business through effective sales and marketing that hooked me. I wanted to build a relationship-oriented business.”

Frank’s brother, Jim, also joined Seaboard Bindery and has been with the company for 15 years. Jim is the chief estimator and IT manager, and also handles the purchasing and billing. As with many family businesses, it’s all hands on deck. Harold still comes in to work every day at age 85.

Today, the bindery operates from a modern, 17,000-square-foot building in a pleasant industrial area of Woburn, Mass., a suburb of Boston. The area is strong in the graphic arts, with five printers located within a couple of miles from the bindery and two diecutting plants within five minutes. The bindery’s core services include perfect binding, layflat binding, mechanical binding, saddlestitching, and diecutting. Over the years, Seaboard has upgraded into PUR perfect binding and extended its support services for bookwork to include film laminating, index tabbing, sheet collating, and pocket folder gluing.

“What really makes us unique,” said Frank, “are the specialty perfect binding jobs that we can do. We’ve become known for our ability to do complex perfect binding jobs, dealing with difficult paper stocks, difficult cover designs, landscape-oriented covers, pockets with flaps, and very thin books – even as thin as 1/16th of an inch.” The bindery’s experience in dealing with that complexity became an asset when the digital world came calling, bringing with it its own challenges.

Chapter Two: The Digital World Is at the Door

The explosion of the on-demand world caught some small binderies unprepared, finding them struggling with the shorter timelines and small run lengths. At Seaboard Bindery, the digital world has changed everything about how the company does business. “First of all, the jobs are always on fire,” explained Frank, “so it means that we have to devote more resources per dollar sale with a digital job than we do with a larger offset job. It can be challenging to deal with all the little jobs, when the real money is made on the larger job. Seaboard continues to look for ways to simplify the administrative side, exploring cost efficiencies, but Frank admits that the bindery hasn’t found the magic bullet yet.

There are binderies that specialize in small digital jobs and binderies that do only large commercial binding orders, and Seaboard is trying to mix the two – not always an easy task. “If we have a large job working its way through the bindery, it’s difficult to pull employees off that large job to work on a small digital project,” Frank said. He has struggled with the need to juggle the two. “We don’t turn down any smaller jobs, but sometimes we lose them because we can’t turn it around as quickly as the customer would like.”

When scheduling conflicts arise, Seaboard works with its customers to find space on the machines, even if it means putting in a tremendous amount of overtime to get all the work finished. The bindery also geared up for the digital challenge by purchasing computerized makeready machinery for perfect binding and wire-o binding, two of its core services, making its ability to set up and run small jobs quicker than ever. Seaboard has redundancy in nearly every area of its business, so that if one machine is occupied there is another available to service another customer.

“The pressure level has definitely increased,” laughed Frank. “That’s what digital customers want – fast turnarounds. It’s on and off the press, so it blends into on and off the binder as well. It’s all geared toward speed and immediacy.” The key to Seaboard’s success has been its employee base, a group of 18 full-time employees who are dedicated to doing what needs to be done for the customer.

Chapter Three: Cross-Training Becomes Critical

As with many small businesses, cross-training is a must at Seaboard Bindery and all of its employees are capable of operating more than one piece of equipment. “Everyone needs to fill multiple roles,” said Frank. “Otherwise, if you don’t have a replacement for someone, you can’t run the machine.” So, as employees have indicated a desire to learn to run new pieces of equipment, Seaboard Bindery has cross-trained them.

The bindery works to identify aptitudes, and then fills in the holes from there. “What are people good at? Are they good at tweaking machines or setting up machines? Do they have patience or dexterity? It’s very informal,” explained Frank, “but under pretty much any circumstance, we have enough skill to run a machine every single day of the year.” This employee flexibility benefits all involved parties, giving employees the opportunity to earn higher wages and overtime. “We started cross-training long ago as a way to cover our rear ends,” explained Frank. “But it’s blossomed into a way of looking down the road at what our needs are.”

Seaboard Bindery typically runs its shifts according to whatever time is required to complete the work, which can include evenings and Saturdays. In addition to the 18 full-time employees, Seaboard also has temporary assistance – up to five regular interim employees who fill in at the lower skilled functions when needed.

Chapter Four: Educating the Customers

With the variety of job types in today’s marketplace and the specialty work performed at Seaboard Bindery, a smooth relationship between binder and customer is fashioned through straightforward communication. Frank noted, “Since the onset of digital printing, more and more of our customers need instruction and advice as to how to prepare a job for the greatest binding efficiency. With new customers, we nearly always ask to review their layouts and, often, we provide our own.”

Aiding in bindery/customer communication is Seaboard’s quarterly newsletter, featuring topics relevant to job planning and binding-related matters. “We gained a reputation for putting out good advice and good information,” explained Frank. The newsletter began three years ago as a marketing effort and morphed into an educational tool. Marketing, however, is still a top priority at Seaboard. “It’s one of the things I firmly believe in – that no matter how bad things are, you have to be out there in front of the customers.

As a small family business, the family members are on the front lines every day. Being directly in touch with the customers in regards to their needs has the benefit of providing immediate feedback. According to Frank, “If we need to make improvements, ownership takes responsibility.”

Seaboard Bindery also devotes more of its resources to customer service than many other trade suppliers, including keeping a full-time customer service professional on staff. “Customer service is the foundation of our business,” Frank said. “We are in the business of making our customers look good to their customers.” One way of doing that is to proactively provide information about job status. Seaboard’s customer service professional, Phil Rutzick, calls the bindery’s printing customers with regular updates.”He has a drive for keeping on top of things, and he can communicate with printers in their language,” said Frank. “Printers are always nervous about turning their jobs over to the bindery, so his chief job is to allay that fear and make people feel that we’re a good, safe home for their work.”

Chapter Five: The Story Continues

A strong business takes the lessons from the past, turns them into plans for the future, and continues to grow. Seaboard Bindery has actively searched for areas of improvement by undertaking the lean manufacturing process. In 2008, Seaboard’s accountant made the company aware of a grant offered through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts workforce improvement program. Designed to put small businesses in a better position to hire additional employees, the fund contributed half of the money needed to begin the lean manufacturing process.

“Our lean manufacturing process is made up of several components, including 5S, which involves maintaining a neat, organized workplace; continuous training, allowing operators to keep building their skills; and a standardization of processes, so that there is a ‘best way’ of accomplishing a particular task,” explains Frank. Although the initial steps in lean manufacturing have provided benefits, the continuation of training is a work in progress at Seaboard. As a small company, it’s difficult to maintain a formal program when the daily focus must remain on job production. Frank also admits that the cost of implementing lean can be a barrier to many small businesses, but he believes that it has provided immeasurable benefits.

“We don’t spend a whole lot of time here collecting data because every job is unique,” Frank explained. “For us, the benefits of lean have been seen in the accumulation of a lot of strategic moves, like set-up reduction, continual cross-training, and process standardization. We’ve integrated many of the lean processes into our way of life, making it an ongoing process that really never ends.”

And the story is not at an end either. Through careful expansion, aggressive marketing, and a commitment to customer service, Seaboard Bindery has grown into a successful trade bindery serving commercial printing companies throughout New England. With its eye on the improvements that can be made through the lean manufacturing process and meeting demanding turnaround times, Seaboard Bindery is well positioned for the next chapter in its book.

In-line Finishing Techniques Enhanced with the Use of Electrostatics

November 21, 2009

by: Ken Troemel, Andy Grzesik, and Mark Blitshteyn, MKS Ion Industrial

Thanks to the one-stop-shop nature of today’s print customers, binderies are increasingly becoming involved with in-line finishing processes – which can include slitting, folding, diecutting, gluing, coating, perforating, perfume scenting, rotary cutting, shingling, sheeting, and stacking. While the majority of the process involves mechanical devices that perform all those functions, electrostatics is utilized in the in-line finishing process to assist in the production of unique products.

Electrostatic Pinning of Folded Webs

Folding a web in preparation of making an envelope-like construction is one of the most common in-line finishing processes, which most often uses a folding section called a plow tower or plow folder. With successive plow folds, air can be trapped within the layers eventually “inflating” the folded web into a “football.”

To avoid air entrapment, nip rollers can be used, although they will not stop the web from opening downstream. Electrostatic charging can squeeze the air out of the folded web and keep the web halves charged together, preventing them from opening in downstream processes. The best location to charge the plow folded web is at the point where the folding process is complete. Charging where the folding process is complete or registered ensures a good location to charge (all the webs are in intimate contact) and that what is charged together is intended to be held (so a charge does not prevent completion of a fold).

Whether in the case of a folded web or several ribbons of printed stock, a single charging bar in combination with an idler roller (as shown in Figure 1) or a pair of charging bars can be used.

In the case of the single charging bar, the bar is connected to a charging generator with the negative polarity output. In the case of the two charging bars, one bar is placed above the web and the other placed below. The ionizing pin electrodes of the two bars are generally aligned against each other. The positive polarity voltage is applied to one bar and the negative to the other from a pair of high-voltage charging generators or from a single generator with dual polarity outputs.

The distance between the single bar and the metal roller should generally not exceed one inch. The distance between a pair of bars should generally be two inches or less. The lesser the bar gap, the lower the voltage required to generate a sufficient tacking effect.

The immediate effect of the charging is that the web will “tighten up” or compress and be held closed by the electrostatic force between the front and back web surfaces. Any remaining air will be forced out from between the layers. This charging process can be repeated as more webs are folded.

A single web can be “married” into an existing plow folded web to add an extra unbound page. Static charging is an excellent way to make sure the single web does not slip out of register after it joins the existing web.

Electrostatic Tacking of Diecut Coupons

Coupons may be precut pieces loaded into a magazine and inserted with a special device, or the coupons could be in the form of a web, which needs to be diecut and placed onto the moving web. In either case, once the coupon is completely registered on the web, the coupon needs to be held in place to prevent it from shifting or slipping off the web. That can be done by a combination of pinch rollers and belts, or with glue.

Electrostatic tacking, with its ability to tack a coupon without any contact and with electrostatic force acting past the point of charge application, could eliminate the need for glue dispensing equipment and consumable material, as well as simplify equipment design by eliminating rollers and belts.

Figure 2 shows one common arrangement of placing a diecut coupon on a carrier web. There, the die roller, anvil roller, and the carrier web all converge in a very tight fit. A small charging bar is installed directly above the metal and electrically grounded idler roller, which guides the carrier web. The coupons exit the nip and cross a short air gap to land on the carrier web. As soon as its leading edge enters the space under the charging bar, the electrostatic force pins the coupon to the carrier web. Static charge will keep the coupon from slipping.

Guidelines for Using Electrostatic Systems in Finishing Processes

Rule 1. Use charging bars with the effective lengths one inch shorter than the most common web widths. If the bars are too long, extending beyond the edges of the web, a high portion of the charging current is flowing through the air between the bar and the grounded metal roller or between a pair of bars.

A single common length of charging bar can be used and angled when bar length exceeds web width. Holders normally used with in-line accessories, such as a fold helper or brush, also can be used to hold the angled charging bars.

Rule 2. Adjust the output of the charging generator to achieve optimal tacking. Notice the charging current value, because the electrostatic pinning force is determined primarily by the value of the charging current, not the voltage.

The most effective operation can be obtained with charging generators featuring a constant current (CC) mode. In the constant current mode, the generator automatically adjusts the voltage to maintain the preset current. In this mode, the system maintains stable and strong pinning power adjusting output when there are changes in the line speeds, ambient conditions, or paper-dust buildup on the ionizing electrodes.

Rule 3. Don’t apply excessive voltage to the bars.

If a distinct purple or bluish glow is observed at the end of the bars, then the voltage is too high. Turn the voltage down until the glow disappears. Generally, with properly installed bars, voltage below 15 kV will be sufficient for most in-line applications.

Rule 4. Keep the ionizing electrodes clean.

Paper dust should not be allowed to build up or cover the electrodes. Clean the charging bars often. Use a metal brush to scrub through the electrode channel during makeready. This allows the strongest pinning power over a longer press run.

Note: Because in-line finishing products are shingled or stacked together, it can be useful to neutralize the exterior of the product before shingling or stacking. It also is recommended to neutralize the charged web before and, in some cases, after a rotary diecutter. Doing so will allow the completed products to shingle or stack without “clinging” together.

Ken Troemel, Andy Grzesik, and Mark Blitshteyn of MKS Ion Industrial have many years of combined experience in creating effective electrostatic solutions for various printing and converting applications (working for Tantec Inc. and later for MKS Ion Industrial). In 2006, Tantec USA became part of the Ion Industrial product group formed to service the paper and film converting and plastics industries in 1997. For additional information on MKS Ion Industrial, visit the MKS Ion Industrial website at www.mksinst.com/ion-industrial.

Targeted Bindery Automation

November 21, 2009

by: Brad Emerson, www.fixyourownbindery.com

Efficient operations often hinge on automated equipment that increases production efficiency while also decreasing makeready times. However, these objectives also can be met through targeted automation, rather than through six- or seven-digit silver bullet investments. Improving bindery quality and identifying obtainable returns on investment requires a surgical approach to automating bindery operations.

Automation Options for Bindery Operations

1. Motorized Adjustments
With motorized adjustments being added in almost every industry to save operator footsteps and minimize operator-input errors, remote servo/actuator adjustment is no longer just for the pressman’s ink keys. Automation has migrated into the bindery with predictable and reliable results. While a “lights out” bindery solution is conceivable in a digital plant with an unlimited capital budget, targeted automation of the adjustments routinely used on existing equipment can provide measurable R.O.I.

For example, many buyers making a large capital investment in a new perfect binding line with over 50 servo motors from gatherer through trimmer would be surprised by how few of the motors are actually used on a typical product mix. Many plants do not raise or lower milling units, gluepots, and nipping stations from one job to the next. Focusing automated adjustment on a handful of thickness adjustments could generate real bang for the buck in the vast majority of plants.

Some of the early bindery automation pioneers with retrofit kits on paper cutters have already incorporated the bolt on kits to include modern CIP4 and JDF technology. I would expect this same technology to migrate into future aftermarket kits for saddlestitchers and perfect binders, as well as the use of off-the-shelf motors and control modules where possible.

2. PUR Adhesive Upgrades
We have been hearing for more the 15 years that the glue or adhesive of the future is coming, and that adhesive is PUR. Well, up until a few years ago, you could almost count all the PUR binderies from coast to coast on both hands. Binderies soon learned that PUR was not just a direct replacement of the hotmelt they were currently running. Many prerequisites had to be met before making a successful transition to PUR. Machine wear regarding book clamp guidance, spine preparation, increased daily gluepot maintenance with a given OEM’s gluepot design, conveyor length, and smooth conveyor transitions all had to be factored in sooner or later. Conversions to existing perfect binders often can be accomplished for less than 10 percent of the cost of a completely new line.

Possibly the only growing sector in the printing industry today is the digital market, and you would be hard pressed to find a digital press OEM that would recommend anything other then PUR for reliable binding strength. It seems the sometimes brutal process of digital print combined with the recycled papers of today makes for increased binding challenges. As recently as five years ago it was difficult to purchase a new PUR perfect binder for under $1 million. With many small perfect binders with automation entering the equipment market today, specifically targeting the digital shops, it is possible to purchase a new perfect binder with PUR and motorized adjustments for under $100,000.

3. Bookblock Feeders, Cover Feeders, and Web Bundle Feeders
With the combined use of the Internet search engine and the seemingly endless supply of surplus equipment through closures, auctions, and downsizing, the hard to find add-ons of yesteryear often can be located today. These feeders can be automated, made portable, interchangeable, or permanently added to a line by your own in-house maintenance personnel or a preferred bindery technical partner. A bookblock feeder running bookblocks at the greatest possible speed without the tedious repetitive pace of human labor can increase margins, as well as differentiate a plant from a competitor. The same R.O.Is often can be realized on web bundle feeders, cover feeders, book stackers, in-line mailing, etc.

4. Signature or Pocket Readers
ISO standards, end user expectations, and the need to minimize product-spoilage cost is pushing binderies towards some type of automatic verification of products being gathered correctly on saddlestitchers, perfect binders, or loose inserters. Many binderies have these systems, but choose not to use them due to poor performance or time required to set up and maintain them properly. When choosing an aftermarket system, samples technically approved by a prospective vendor in advance can eliminate many headaches and finger pointing. There really is no system that can be purchased and forgotten about – all systems require plant management and operators to take ownership and commit time to perform routine cleaning, calibration, or maintenance of the system.

5. Training
Beyond the safe-operation training of a given piece of bindery equipment, focused training can trim hours off makeready time and reduce equipment damage and downtime when a plant’s typical product mix is factored into the training. Sharing bound and unbound product samples of the typical product mix in a given plant in advance can allow a professional trainer to tailor a training session with optimal long-term results.

Additional Factors to Consider
All of these above items require an investment, but still pennies on the dollar compared to the complete replacement cost of a new machine. Some careful “crossing of T’s and dotting of I’s” can prevent the same gremlins that hampered production prior to the automation investment from returning once the investment is made. Before writing a down payment check for automation or expansion, binderies should evaluate the decision from several perspectives, including:

Has the machine been evaluated overall by a qualified technician (other than, or in addition to, an OEMs new equipment technician) to determine if the machine is in acceptable mechanical condition? Fully rebuilding a worn gluepot – possibly the highest maintenance item on a used perfect binder – can be less than 1 percent of the cost of a new binding line.
Do the production scheduling associates optimize the schedule for the bindery? Scheduling two jobs of nearly the same size is as efficient as the highest level of automation on even the most prehistoric piece of bindery equipment.
What are the bindery capability “wish lists” of existing customers, new prospects, and team members?
Should an independent bindery consultant with experience in bindery production and automated equipment provide a report and recommendations?
Are the current operators properly trained on the most difficult products you produce?
Do the machine operators have the proper manuals and documentation?
Is this the best time to rethink the machine and/or entire bindery layout?

Brad Emerson is the general manager of www.fixyourownbindery.com, a company specializing in consultation, turnkey new and used equipment, automation, equipment fabrication, and training. Emerson’s bindery background includes bindery supervision, as well as marketing and consultation with a global bindery equipment leader. For more information, email brad@fixyourownbindery.com.

Delivery Management: Increase Productivity, Customer Service, and Profitability

November 21, 2009

by Mark Porter, Dienamic MIS Software, Inc.

The past year has proven two things to those of us in binding and print finishing. One, we must be more productive. Our existing staff must be more efficient and perform more tasks with fewer resources. Two, we must provide extraordinary service, especially to our good customers. It is generally accepted that 80 percent of revenue comes from 20 percent of our customers, so we need to lock those customers in to ensure it takes a bigger price difference or bigger mistake for them to take their business elsewhere.

Productivity and service are objectives that can be achieved in many ways, but one way is through delivery management. The binding and finishing companies – the post press industry by definition – cannot begin a job until goods are received from the printer. The efficient management of these goods, combined with the timely receipt of goods from suppliers, can greatly contribute to the profitability of a job.

Nobody has to tell you how competitive it is in the marketplace. Printers are continually being pushed toward smaller production runs, lower prices, and quicker turnarounds. Binders and finishers, as the last step in the production process, bear the brunt of this pressure. Even if the end customer provides an allowance for extra time in the production schedule, in all probability it will be sucked out by the design, prepress, and printing processes long before the job gets to the post press stage.

It is a constant challenge for binders and finishers to meet the production needs of their printing customers profitably. But there are procedures, policies, and tools that can be implemented to help manage jobs and increase customer loyalty.

Controlling the Flow of Jobs into Post Press

By managing the delivery of both printing from customers and purchases from suppliers, you can maximize the time available to produce jobs, thereby limiting the risk of incurring overtime costs, disrupting other jobs, or missing deadlines.

The key to this problem, like many problems, is communication. Knowing what you are expecting, when you have received it, or when it is late can greatly increase your ability to manage jobs. These jobs are then produced on time and more efficiently for your customers and more profitably for your business.

Communication starts with knowing what job is coming in and when to expect it. Too often jobs just appear in the shipping/receiving area, causing production disruptions. Not controlling the receipt of jobs exposes your company to customer claims that goods were received earlier than they actually were, forcing interruptions in the production schedule. Sometimes your customer honestly believes that the job arrived early in the morning – he doesn’t realize his driver diverted his route. Providing a notification of received goods not only can provide your company with the evidence it needs to support the actual delivery, but also can provide the customer with information to manage his delivery resources.

Maximizing Production Time

Giving customers the ability to pre-book jobs and/or shipments via a computerized goods management system provides your business with notice of what jobs are coming in and allows you to plan for their arrival. Offering incentives, such as providing first priority status, supplying notification to the printer when goods are received, or advising the customer when his goods are not received by the required time are all motivation for the printer to pre-book his jobs.

Once the jobs are received in-house, it is critical that not a minute of valuable production time is lost. As soon as goods are received, people both within your organization and at the printer should be notified of receipt. The quantity and the condition of the goods can be verified against the information entered by the printer. If the counts are short or the material was damaged in transit, these issues can be dealt with immediately. Placement of the goods within your plant can be documented and a skid tag can be generated and attached to the skids or containers for easy identification.

Often, jobs are not just waiting for printed matter from your customer but also spine material, dies, or other items from suppliers. A quick look-up of all receipts for that specific job will quickly provide the information required to coordinate production.

Building Customer Loyalty

The additional benefit of a delivery management process is that customer loyalty is built through the addition of convenience and value to the printer. The ability to enter print job information 24/7 provides a printer with unparalleled access to your services. If it is 8 p.m. and a printer needs a job done tomorrow, is he going to enter it into your system – thereby gaining a priority place in your workflow – or wait until the morning to start calling binders/finishers?

Back in the ’80s, just as the printing industry was getting into desktop publishing, files were being generated on disks and couriered to printers. One of my clients had invested in providing his best customers with modems. These customers then had the choice of generating disks, filling out courier slips, experience delays in delivery of the disks and – if there were mistakes in the file – repeating the procedure – or they could simply click a button and electronically send the file to our printing client. It was an easy choice and I am sure this customer service won jobs for his company. Automatic electronic notification when shipments are received or are late provides peace of mind and eliminates the time required for the printer’s staff to follow up with you. This provides the printer’s staff with more time to do their jobs.

Automatic electronic notification of short counts and damaged goods provides the printer maximum time to correct these issues and ensures the printer can meet the customer’s deadline. Obviously, the use of a manual delivery management system makes this process very time-consuming and difficult to maintain, but the Internet provides the perfect communication system for the receiving process. Through your website, customers can have the ability to enter data, such as sheets to be delivered. An automated delivery management system can email the customer and your internal staff automatically when events happen, such as shipments received, short counts, damaged goods, or late shipments. This ensures that everyone involved is provided the maximum time to produce the order or correct the situation.

A solid management process for receiving goods will increase customer loyalty, save time on both your end and the customer’s, and improve your chances of producing jobs profitably.

Mark Porter is the president of Dienamic MIS Software, Inc. Dienamic offers a wide variety of software products and services designed specifically for trade binderies and print finishers. Dienamic can offer full systems, including estimating/management information/e commerce, and individual software tools such as delivery management, die management, foil management, and budgeted hourly rates. Contact Mark Porter at (800) 461-8114 or visit www.dienamicmis.com.