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How To Get Micro-Perfed Sheets From Your Folding Machine That Will Run Through Any Laser Printer, Copier Or Digital Press

13 Feb 2008 - 10:00

Does your folding machine let you down when it comes to micro-perforating?

Are you fed up with burred perf blades or the constant flow of broken teeth that lead to more orders for replacements on a regular basis?

Have you ever asked yourself why true micro-perforating has not been produced on a folding machine? Maybe you’ve been in a situation where you’ve outsourced a job or two simply because the sheets need to be finely perforated and you weren’t confident of using the standard device that was supplied with your machine.

In truth folders are made to fold paper and any perforating, cutting or scoring accessories that come with the machine have been produced only to aid this process. It’s this simple, if you try to produce flatbed quality micro-perforating by using standard perf devices on you folder you won’t achieve it and here are the reasons why:

• Rotary micro-perf blades for folding machines come as a standard 12TPI (teeth per inch). True micro-perforating perf rules used on a flatbed cylinder start at 17 TPI.
• The very nature of rotary micro-perforating goes against the fundamental principles adopted by flatbed cylinders. The rotary perf blade is simply too harsh when it runs against the steel cutting anvil, pushing the stock and forming a ridge before puncturing it and dispersing paper dust below. The paper dust and ridge can cause problems for those jobs that need to run through another process.

Metal against metal is a recipe for disaster

It’s a fact that blade running against anvil, or to be blunt, metal running against metal is no more than a recipe for disaster. Something is always likely to ware out or break and it usually happens when you least want it to, costing precious time and money.

It’s not hard to understand why micro-perforating is usually outsourced given that flatbed methods gently press up to 72 cuts per inch into the surface of the material without damaging the fibres. In fact, it has become an industry standard over the past few years for micro-perforating applications to be fine and flat and without any distortion so that the perfed sheets can run trouble-free through laser printers.

So what has been done to try to replicate this perfect flatbed method onto a folding machine over the years? A few companies have come up with finer perf blades and, although this is a partial improvement, it only leads to even smaller paper particles showering down below and retains the same destructive element to the paper stock.

Before coming up with the perfect solution to long lasting, trouble free and perfect rotary micro-perforating we studied the process adopted by flatbed cylinder machines. We also studied the mechanics of folding and scoring machines before combining all positive factors with our own ideas, read on to gain an insight into how we developed our unique micro-perforating device...

It seemed obvious that pressing a perf blade on top of an anvil to produce a flatter result was the key to rotary success and in researching why so many had avoided this step, we got to the root of the problem, and came up with the following alarming discoveries:

• We found that to accurately manufacture finer blades than 12 teeth per inch was very difficult, in other words the more teeth that were added the more likely they would be to lose their profile.
• The tolerances needed for blades, anvils and collars to fit and work perfectly in unison were almost impossible to achieve. 
• The limitations of tolerance in the shafts where micro-perforating devices are attached worked against an ultra precision application.
• All defective elements mentioned above led to mid to long term wear or damage to all or some of the components.

The evidence was conclusive: Folding manufacturers and small companies searching for a solution to match flatbed micro-perforating are up against the many elements mentioned above. After unearthing the difficulties involved in achieving near perfect micro-perforating results it isn’t hard to understand why manufacturers or opportunists may have decided to avoid such hassles. Let’s face it; the rotary method of micro-perforating adopted world-wide that incorporates the overlap of blade against a cutting anvil simply hides any possible imperfection. There is no quick way of telling if a blade is slightly oval-shaped or under the specified tolerances because it will always penetrate the stock during production. However, you may measure mid to long term wear by the burred edges that form on the blades or the amount of broken perf teeth you acquire or by the amount you spend on replacements each and every month or year.

What if there was a rotary solution that matched flatbed micro-perforating?

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a solution that actually worked as well as the proven and accepted flatbed method, a device you could just slide onto the shafts and see working straight away? Imagine if the device could press up to 72 micro-cuts per inch for millions and millions of sheets without any hint of wear to the blade or without any broken teeth?

How easy would life be if you could completely bypass the outsourcing process and produce faster turnaround on your folder at top speeds, saving money in the process?

Would you be more likely to buy such a unique device if you knew the company that made it had found a way to produce perfect micro-perf blades and precision fit perf collars and anvils using a combination of unique materials and tried and tested methods?

Introducing the Tech-ni-Fold Micro-Perforator

The Tech-ni-Fold Micro-perforator was created as a result of extensive market research over many years and fulfils all of the promises above and much more.

Not only does our system produce an array of micro-perf options but it was designed using new technology that adds strength and longevity to the unit, so that it greatly outlasts conventional methods many times over.

Unlike conventional perfs, the Tech-ni-Fold Micro-Perforator is designed to kiss-cut the sheet, and the narrow profile perf blade cuts through only to the bottom of the sheet, not beyond, which also minimises the knife area in actual contact with the sheet.

This means you get a cleaner, finer cut which permits the sheet to lay flat, and because the Tech-ni-Fold Micro-Perforator’s blade is mounted on a special shock-absorbing cushion, you get an accurate, precise kiss-cut the entire length of the sheet. Tech-ni-Fold Micro-Perforator blades are break resistant for two reasons:

• Strong double bevel construction; the hard wearing blades have been specially designed to penetrate paper.
• They cut against a comparatively softer nylon rather than steel.You get perfect, straight line micro perfs without the cost or the headache!

The Tech-ni-Fold Micro-perforator is the only rotary action solution that replicates the proven micro-perf results you see come from the flatbed cylinder. The package includes 17, 25 & 52 teeth per inch blades that deal with stock ranges 65-350gsm and a choice of two nylon cutting anvils that greatly minimise blade wear.

Benefits include:

• Eliminates micro perf outsourcing
• Save hours and days in turnaround time
• Produces sheets that will run through laser printers and copiers
• Sells jobs that you used to turn away
• Saves thousands of pounds on replacing printing press blankets
• No installation required, simply slide onto folder’s slitter shafts
• Frees up your printing press and die cutter for more profitable work
• Never break a perf blade again!

“We have just completed our second job with the Micro-Perforator and have already recovered the cost we paid for it. Now we can complete work quicker with superior results than previously, and with a lot more control."

Phil Fredericks
Wood Mitchell Printers, Stoke on Trent, UK

How to place an order

If you are interested in purchasing your own Tech-ni-Fold Micro-Perforator simply call Paul Barrett on 01455 554491.

Take advantage of our 100% Money Back Guarantee

We are so convinced that the Tech-ni-Fold Micro-Perforator will fulfill your requirements that we will give you all your money back within three months of purchase if you are not completely satisfied.

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