MyBinding Knowledge Base
What do the terms under paper handling equipment mean?
If you’ve ever seen the term “paper handling equipment” you’ve probably wondered what it meant. Paper handling equipment consists of a lot of different devices that are used to prepare and finish off documents. This category includes cutting tools (such as rotary trimmers), booklet makers, and letter openers. Here’s some information about some of the items that are grouped together under this term so you can determine if there might be something that’s right for you and your document finishing needs.
- Cutting tools. This term includes a number of different devices such as guillotine cutters, rotary trimmers, and electric cutters. These tools are good for cutting straight lines so you can prepare your paper for future use. Rotary trimmers are
- Letter openers. As you can tell from the name, these machines are pretty straightforward: they can open your mail for you. Letter openers can be small and handheld which is great for light, personal use. They can also be large and fast so busy mailrooms can take advantage of them. These machines make processing mail a lot easier than it used to be.
- Booklet makers. These are unique devices that can fold and staple booklets which helps free up the operator for other projects. A lot of the machines that are on the market have adjustable stapling heads to help you get a strong binding for your work. Some of the devices can also just fold the paper which can be helpful if you’re preparing documents for mailing. (There are also machines that just fold paper. They’re called folders, as you may have expected.)
- Paper drills. One task that can be particularly time-consuming is punching holes in paper so it can be used in binders, file folders, and so on. Drills can be used instead of standard three- or two-hole punches if you need to process a large amount of paper at once. Most of the time, these machines come with adjustable spindles so you can produce different hole patterns with just one device.
- Collators. Organizing your documents can be taxing and time-consuming, but a collator can help you get the job done quickly. One of these devices will group and sort your materials for you so you don’t have to do it by hand. (This will also help prevent those painful paper cuts from happening.) Collators are available in different sizes to fit the needs of different types of work environments.
< Over the years, a number of customers have asked me whether they can use twin loop wire with their plastic comb binding machine. These customers often don’t want to have to buy a brand new machine but like the look and feel of twin loop wire binding. However, the answer to their question isn’t as simple as it seems. You see, they actually do make twin loop wire that is designed to work with the plastic comb binding hole pattern. With that said, if you want to use these wires you are going to need a way to close the wires. What is Spiral-O Wire? Let me explain a little bit more…There is a product that we carry called Spiral-O Wire. This wire has 19 loops and is designed to work with the hole pattern from a plastic comb binding machine. Spiral-O Wire is sometimes called Wire Combs or Ibico Wire and was originally designed for use with some of the older Ibico binding machines. A number of the older Ibico plastic comb binding machines also included a twin loop wire closer on the front of them to allow users to use both plastic combs and wire. This 19 loop wire was designed for this purpose. What Equipment is Needed? As the Ibico brand has been phased out by GBC and all of the older Ibico plastic binding machines have been replaced with new models, they no longer have the twin loop wire closer on the front of them. This presents a problem in trying to use these spiral-o wires since you can’t use the wires without a way to close them. One of the only options left is to purchase a Twin Loop wire closer. However, since twin loop wire closers are not incredibly cheap this option usually only appeals to users who have larger electric plastic comb binding machines. Otherwise, it is often advisable to simply buy a low end 3:1 pitch twin loop wire binding machine (the supplies are cheaper). This being said, if you have one of the older Ibico binding machines that has a wire closer included you are in luck. The Spiral-O binding supplies that we carry will work perfectly with your machine and you will be able to use both plastic combs and wire depending on your needs. These Spiral-O binding supplies are available in Black, Silver, White, Blue and Red and in sizes up to 1″ in diameter. If you aren’t sure what type of wire binding supplies that you need to work with your machine simply give us a call. Our trained sales representatives will be glad to help you find the correct supplies for use with your machine.(Read More)
