Formax FD320 Tabletop Document Folder

Staff Review

Formax FD320 Tabletop Document Folder Review

The Formax FD320 is a great paper folder if you're looking for high performance and ease of operation. Heavy duty steel design allow it to stand up to rigorous use while the robust motor offers rapid folding of large stacks of documents. With quick and easy setup, you'll have this machine out of the box and in use in no time. Here is a closer look at the details of the FD320.

Strengths:

• The drop-in feed system eliminates the need for fanning pages. Simply square them up and slide your stack into the feed tray. The three tire friction feed system works to accurately pull in single sheets. Skew adjustment allows the feed table to be slightly moved to ensure crisp folds. After items have been properly creased, they exit via extended conveyor belt. The extra length offers neat and sequential stacking of the entire input of paper without having to unload first.

• The manually adjusted fold plates are removable with clearly marked settings to aid in setup. Popular folds are pre-marked including letter, accordion, and half folds in 11", 14", and 17" sizes. Other folds are completely customizable by moving the plates around.

• Variable fold speed control allows you to select the correct speed for whichever paper you use. The highest speed produced is about 11,000 sheets per hour. However, the recommended duty cycle is 20,000 folds per month. Consistent use above that will wear out your machine quicker.

• The hopper can hold up to 250 sheets of 20lb paper at once. Items ranging from 3-1/8" x 4" up to 11-3/4" x 18" are swiftly folded and ejected.

• The heavy duty steel frame with molded, high impact side covers provides a sturdy and durable machine. Formax offers a one year limited warranty on this product. This doesn't include labor, shipping, or consumable parts.

Weaknesses:

• The fold plates are manually set up. This process can be time consuming and difficult for some. The pre-marked setting will help you, though it may take some trial and error for exact folds. Offices that mainly need only one fold style will be able to set the plates up once and then not worry about it. But companies requiring multiple fold styles on a regular basis may prefer an electronically adjustable machine to save themselves the hassle.

• This machine isn't rated for folding glossy or coated paper. While this may be a bummer for some, others won't even know the difference. If your office specifically needs to be able to fold specialty material, we suggest you invest in an air feed machine designed for that capability.

As evidenced by the many strengths, the FD320 is definitely able to handle the folding needs of almost any office. While automatic set up is nice, manual offers more control. And once you have the plates in place, the rest will take care of itself. With its wide range of paper sizes, weights, and folds, the Formax FD320 is highly convenient and versatile. We think this would make a great paper folder for any office.