Akiles DuoMac 431 4:1 Coil and 3:1 Wire Binding Machine

Welcome to MyBinding video. Today we’re looking at the Akiles DuoMac 431, a 4:1 coil and 3:1 wire binding machine. Step-by-step let’s bind a book and watch the DuoMac 431 in action.

With 3:1 wire binding, you’ll make your punches with the top slot. Starting with the covers, slide them into the throat of the machine. Use the side control margin knob to adjust, set, and lock papers into position so all punches made are the same throughout the project. Pull out any disengageable die pins you might need for the size paper you need so there are no half holes punched. Then you make your punch. And continue to punch through the rest of the papers in your project. When all your holes are punched, assemble your project; it’s time for binding. Threading your project over the wire bind is probably the most difficult part of the process. You need to choose the wire that best fits your project. You can do so with the graph on the front. With the dial on the right, you set the stop point for the closer which best fits the size wire you’re using. Drape the wire over the fence in the front. In wire binding, there’s a little trick where you can hide the seam of your final bind. Simply take the last page and flip it over so the back of the back faces the front of the front and the seam will be hidden between the last page and the back cover. Thread your project over the teeth of the wire spine. Make sure all the teeth are fitting through all the holes. Lift your project up off the fence and turn it around so that the “C” of the wire bind faces down into the closer. Lay it flat and make your close. And here’s where you see our little trick pays off; the seam is hidden between the back page and the back cover. Chips fall into the waste bin below and can be accessed from the front. And that is 3:1 wire binding on the Akiles DuoMac 431.

This is 4:1 coil binding. With your project all ready to punch, set the side margin control knob to make sure that all punches are consistent throughout your project. Simply set it for the size paper that you need and clamp down the dial. And pull out any disengageable die pins according to the size paper that you have so you have no half punches. Pull down on the long, more forward arm, and your holes are punched. Continue to punch through the rest of the pages in your project. And now it’s time to bind with your 4:1 pitch spiral coil binder. You can do so by hand or with a separate machine. And that’s basically it with 4:1 binding with the DuoMac 431. There’s also an adjustable depth of punch control knob on the right hand side so you can punch a deeper, much more stronger margin for larger projects.

And it’s that simple with the DuoMac 431 by Akiles. For more demos and reviews of this product and many more, check out MyBinding.com.

Welcome to MyBinding video. This is a product review video of the DuoMac 431, a 4:1 spiral coil and 3:1 wire binding machine by Akiles. First off, this machine is a tank. It weighs over 64 pounds, is solid metal, and is just as sturdy as it is heavy. But when it comes to 4:1 coil and 3:1 wire binding, it just does a great job. Let's look at its features and watch it in action.
Punch capacity is always the first question for any punch machine. The 431 boasts to punch 20 sheets of 20 lb paper per lift. This is impressive and it can be done. However, it's a bit difficult. Realistically most users are going to punch between 15 and 17 sheets per turn. The sturdy metal construction is throughout the whole machine, very consistent. Even the side margin control knobs for both punching units are metal and very solid. There are two independent die sets and both of them are disengageable, the top one being fully disengageable, every pin, allowing you to punch any size you need. Also the open throat design allows for virtually any length. Four to one punch has five strategically placed disengageable pins. This allows for the most common size papers -- letter, A4, legal, A5, and half-letter sheets -- to be punched, also with the ease of an open throat design. When it comes to wire binding, the DuoMac has two helpful charts on the front of the machine to help you choose the right size wire spine for your project. And on the right side of the machine is a very helpful dial that allows you to set a stop for the closer for your size spine. Which is really helpful, especially with a lot of projects, to make sure you don't over- or under-close the spine of your document. There is a built-in wire spine fence on the front of the machine. It's metal, sturdy, but it could be built a little further away from the machine because threading your finished product over the teeth of a wire spine is the most difficult part of the process. As for the closer, it's flawless and very solid. Once you set that stop, the bind seems to come out very nice, every time. However, with the spiral coil binding, the 431 offers no help. You have to do that by hand or by a separate machine; certainly a big drawback for the price of this machine. However, this 3:1 pitch pattern is compatible with GBC's Proclick spines. This is nice to know. However, it does require another machine or at least their tool to close the spines. All punches fall into the waste basket below the machine, which is accessible from the front and we like that. The MyBinding price is just under $700. Where this is pretty expensive, this is a great machine and worth the investment if this is what you need. For what it does, we highly recommend the DuoMac 431 by Akiles. For more demos and reviews of this product and many more, check out MyBinding.com.

Welcome to MyBinding video. This is a demonstration video of 4:1 coil binding on an Akiles 431 binding machine. Step-by-step, let's bind a book and watch it in action.

This is 4:1 coil binding. With your project all ready to punch, set the side margin control knob to make sure that all punches are consistent throughout your project. Simply set it for the size paper that you need and clamp down the dial. And pull out any of the disengageable die pins according to the size paper that you have so you have no half punches. Pull down on the long, more forward arm, and your holes are punched. Continue to punch through the rest of the pages in your project. And now it's time to bind with your 4:1 pitch spiral coil binding. You can do so by hand or with a separate machine. And that's basically it with 4:1 binding with the DuoMac 431. There's also an adjustable depth of punch control knob on the right hand side so you can punch a deeper, much more stronger margin for larger projects. Chips fall into the waste bin below and can be accessed in the front. And it's that simple with the DuoMac 431 by Akiles. And for more demos and reviews of this product and many more, check out MyBinding.com.