Duplo has announced the iSaddle 5.0, which has seen a significant beefing up and strengthening of the popular short run stitching machine.
It takes Duplo a step further into commercial print applications, aiming at addressing the trend for shorter runs and faster turnarounds, as well as more complex products. The new servo motors throughout the iSaddle 5.0 have been chosen for heavy duty operation in order to help with longer runs if needed.
A key development is the introduction of an entirely new design of trimmer, the DKTS200, which offers both three-knife trimming and five-knife trimming for two up products. It is substantially beefed up from the previous trimmer, intended to cope with multiples of short run jobs without loss of performance. The trimmer is easier to access from the side of the machine rather than just from above.
Like current iSaddle models, the iSaddle 5.0 can cope with variable page size booklets. But instead of a drop in speed to 400cph, it “will run the same complex jobs at 1,300cph,” says a Duplo spokesman. At full speed on standard jobs, the new machine will run at 5,000cph, and 9,000cph for two-up products.
There is a choice of two or four stitching heads which can be positioned and adjusted independently.
For the moment, the iSaddle 5.0 operates from existing collating towers and the current generation of digital sheet feeder. New, more robust versions of both can be expected to cope with the expanded production footprint the machine has.
Automation is also stepped up, using a barcode to bring up the job ticket and download settings. “The operator just has to scan the barcode, this in turn will set up all parameters to allow the operator to then just put a quantity in then press the Green button. The machine is Industry 4.0 compliant as it can produce an XML file giving all production details required to feed back to an MIS system,” says Duplo’s product specialist Andy Cuff.
Two machines have been supplied to UK customers to date, with another pair to customers in Europe ahead of the official launch. The iSaddle 5.0 will now supersede the existing iSaddle 2 and X models.
