Formax FD390 Air Feed Document Folder

Staff Review

Formax FD390 Air Feed Document Folder Review

The Formax FD390 Air Feed Document Folder is an ideal system for mail rooms, print shops and other offices needing efficient high volume folding. Designed to fold a wide variety of paper sizes and weights into multiple fold styles, this machine is highly versatile and convenient. Here is a more detailed look at the strengths and weaknesses of the FD390.

Strengths:

• The air feed system makes this folder stand out from other Formax machines. Multiple air flow adjustments offer consistent feeding of individual pages into the plates. The bottom air feed mechanism pulls the lowest pages first, allowing constant refilling from the top while in use. Adjustable side guides compensate for items that aren't completely square. The skew is adjusted for, then returned to square for the next batch. Fine tuning knobs precisely set the stoppers for crisp, even folds.

• Heavy duty steel plates offer precise folding for heavier stock, up to 65lb cover stock, including coated and glossy paper. Automatic roller tensioning accounts for variations in paper thickness.

• A chart for seven common folds provides easy setup. They include "C", "Z", half, gate, double parallel, engineering, and right angle folds. Custom folds can also be created by fold plate manipulation. With these options, you can create countless documents, including bulletins, menus, invoices, newsletters, flyers, and more.

• The input and output are located on the same side of the machine for easier access and to save space. The extended outfeed stacker slides items out in a neat, sequential fashion.

• The hopper can hold up to 350 sheets which are processed as fast as 35,000 pieces per hour. The recommended duty cycle is around 400,000 pieces per month. Running your machine more than this on a consistent basis will cause it to wear out quickly.

• Formax provides a 90 day limited warranty on this device, excluding consumable parts, labor, and shipping.

Weaknesses:

• One major downfall of this machine is the manual setup. For experienced users or offices rarely changing fold styles, this may not present much of a problem. But companies needing to frequently move the plates around may wish to save themselves the hassle and invest in an automatically adjusting machine.

• Another feature that would be nice on this machine is the ability to fold multiple sheets together. Again, many companies don't need this function and won't be bothered by the lack of it. If your office often folds large amounts of multi-page documents, then you may prefer a device with this capability.

• The last thing to be aware of is the size of this folder. It weighs over 300 pounds and won't be easy to move. If you will need to relocate it frequently, we suggest storing it on a cart for simple mobility.

As you can see, the Formax FD390 is capable of accommodating the folding needs of any office. Heavy duty steel plates quickly complete a variety of folds in various materials, resulting in a convenient and efficient device. You will see increased productivity, which will save you time and money. Eventually this folder will pay for itself. The Formax FD390 is an excellent choice for your next office paper folder.