Finishing & Screen Printing
POLESTAR GAINS PRODUCTIVITY INCREASE WITH JOBFEED SYSTEMS FROM WRH MARKETING UK
Thursday 01. May 2008 - Polestar has increased the efficiency of the post press department at Polestar Petty following the installation of 12 JobFeed hopper loader and stream feeders from WRH Marketing UK Ltd. The company produces some 12 million magazines every week from its six 64-page presses, cover press and four high speed Ferag stitchers. Handling the inserting requirements for such large volumes presents a major challenge, as managing director Chris Bowen explains.
“The incorporation of loose inserts into magazines is an important value-added opportunity for our customers and has been a growing trend within the industry for several years,” says Mr Bowen. “Some of the titles that we produce can contain as many as six inserts and we reached a stage where we needed to improve the effectiveness of how this was handled within the production line.
“We carried out an indepth feasibility study and the JobFeed hopper loader and stream feeder appeared to be the best solution for us. Certainly, since they were installed, the 12 JobFeed systems have lived up to all of our expectations. They are in operation around the clock, inserting work ranging from small four-page leaflets to 32-page brochures with great reliability and accuracy. They have proved to be a real asset, which has enabled us to utilise our manpower within the post press department much more efficiently.”
Marcus Evans, the managing director of WRH Marketing UK, comments, “We were confident that, once Polestar Petty had trialled the JobFeed, they would be impressed with the quality and reliability of the equipment, which makes it such exceptional value for money. Over the past few years, based on our successful bindery installations at Polestars Sheffield, Colchester, Varnicoat and Petty facilities and on our ongoing service provision at the sites, weve developed an excellent working relationship with Polestar. Thanks to the strength of that relationship, Polestar Petty was more than happy to try out the JobFeed and, from the feedback theyve given us, the machine has since more than proved its worth.”
JobFeed can be used for a wide range of types of work such as newspapers, catalogues, directories, books and magazines. The ergonomically designed units are easy to use and maintain, while their rugged construction ensures they are built to last. Changing over between jobs can be carried out quickly.
Features include variable speed and synchronised tail and side joggers. The single, continuously arched infeed conveyor provides excellent control of the product, resulting in fewer machine stops, less wastage and potential reductions in manpower. The JobFeed unit can handle the smallest to the largest product, feeding them securely and reliably into virtually any pocket or hopper on the market. The pile height adjusts automatically to ensure consistent feeding. The CE certified unit has an optional log extension, which increases capacity.
“The JobFeed systems will obviously not handle everything and for items such as CDs or post-it notes we utilise separate applicators, which are also supplied by WRH Marketing UK,” says Chris Bowen. “However, in busy periods the JobFeed units come into their own and they have allowed us to handle inserting requirements at the same throughout with which jobs are stitched.
“One person can keep two or three JobFeed systems in operation and even on very long runs the production line is not held up because of inserts running out. Each JobFeed unit has its own maintenance programme but weve had no problems at all with them and their portability means that they can easily be moved around during the shift to different parts of the line.”