In a conventional printing plant quarter folding has never been able to keep up with the actual printing speed of a fast web press. This costs the printer a “speed premium.” The cost premium is increased when product has to be stored and quarter folded offline, jobbed out to a third party quarter folder or simply run at a slower press speed to accommodate the slower standard press quarter folder after a time consuming make-ready. And if multiple streams must be quarter folded, the investment in press folders becomes prohibitive.
The simplicity of design makes the HQF-2060 easy to set up and maintain. The features such as pneumatic crusher roller, automatic divert gate, and high frequency jogging assure the stream conditioning entering the unique shingled-stream forming and scoring section is accurate. The patented design makes quarter folding the lightest weight 4-page tabs possible at speeds never before achieved. Fold accuracy is consistent and suitable for mailers and similar product needs.
All components have been designed and selected for long life and low maintenance, with easy adjustment and reliable operation. And all of the benefits of the HQF-2060 are available at a price that is a fraction of the cost of press manufacturer’s quarter-folders that don’t provide the speed, mobility or flexibility that the HQF-2060 offers.
How it works:
- The first operation utilizes a pneumatic crusher roller to smooth out the stream in preparation for quarter folding;
- Second operation includes a drop down divert conveyor. In one position the copies entering the machine are diverted to waste.
- In the other position, copies are processed through subsequent stations of the HQF-2060;
- Incoming stream is automatically sensed for alignment and copies which are 3/4” or more out of jog, are also diverted;
- The third operation features a state of the art high speed vibrating belt jogger that accurately aligns the shingled stream of copies;
- The fourth operation includes a “top pinning” pneumatic section that holds, forms and scores each copy with six independent scoring wheels which create the spine for the fold;
- The fifth operation advances the folded copies, using pneumatic pressure from both sides;
- In the sixth operation the copies are reoriented 90-degrees so that they are lying flat for entry into the next station
- The seventh operation is the High Speed Section which separates the stream into individual copies, in preparation for re-shingling;
- The eighth operation provides for re-shingling of the stream using a soft landing and catching system. This section also provides a drop-down conveyor automatically opera ted in the event of any jams.
Featured Benefits
- Run significantly faster than existing quarter folders on a high speed web press…there is no chop-folder or tucking blades requiring slower production.
- Portability allows easy transfer to run in-line with any web press delivery.
- Increases efficiency by enabling in-line operation with your high-speed web press.
- Avoid the down time for make-ready required by press quarter folders.
- Reduce cost per thousand for quarter folded production and realize faster paybacks as quarter folding volumes increase.
- Reduce deliver y lead-times and a void jobbing out quarter folding.
- Successfully bid printing jobs previously considered unprofitable.
- Use multiple HQF-2060’s with deserters to quarter fold multiple streams of products.
- Quarter fold just one stream of products for mail-outs when running multi-stream deserter, with no speed reduction or make-ready time loss.
- Run light-weight 4-page tabs at full speeds.
- Investment required is far less than press folder addition.
- Low maintenance costs, especially compared to press folders.
- Can also be used off-line in conjunction with high volume signature feeders