MyBinding Knowledge Base
What brands of binding equipment should I consider for my office?
If you are thinking about purchasing a new binding machine punch, the choices can seem endless. There are hundreds of binding machines available on the market from dozens of different manufacturers. Your decision can be a lot easier if you know just a little bit about the different makers of binding equipment. This article will provide a quick overview of some of the largest and most well known binding machine manufacturers.
- GBC Ibico: GBC or General Binding Corporation is by far the largest and best known maker of binding machines and binding supplies. GBC has dominated the binding and laminating industries for over a half century and still makes some of the best binding machines on the market today. GBC is especially well known for its Comb Binding Machines and its modular line of binding equipment. If you are looking for a comb binding machine you should definitely check out the GBC CombBind C250 or the GBC CombBind C800pro. If you are looking for a modular interchangeable die punch you should consider the GBC MagnaPunch or the GBC MP2500ix.
- Akiles: Akiles products is a relatively new maker of binding equipment. They have managed to build a solid reputation for manufacturing coil binding machines and wire binding machines. The Akiles CoilMac line of coil binding machines are some of the finest pieces of spiral binding equipment on the market. Likewise, the Akiles WireMac Line of Wire Binding Machines are also well-built and feature-packed. These two lines of equipment are the standard in the industry for desktop spiral coil and wire binding machines.
- Tamerica Products: Tamerica Products also manufactures a full line of binding machines. Their Comb Binding, Wire Binding and Coil binding machines are well-built and easy to use. The Tamerica DuraCoil EL coil inserter has several unique features that make it one of the best coil inserters available on the market. It includes a Teflon coated base, a large grooved roller and a stop to prevent the coil from spinning too far on your books.
- PDI Rhin-O-Tuff: The Rhin-O-Tuff line of modular binding equipment has managed to establish itself as a major competitor to the GBC line of modular binding equipment. Rhin-O-Tuff binding equipment is well made and is designed to punch more pages per lift than any other equipment on the market. The Rhin-O-Tuff HD7700 can punch as many as fifty-five pages per lift (more than 10 pages more than the GBC Magnapunch). Rhino also makes the HD7500 which is the only 24” wide punch on the market. TheRhinoTuff HD7500 is specifically designed for binding large documents such as calendars.
- Renz: The Renz line of binding equipment is extremely well built and competes well with almost all of the other binding machines on the market. Their innovative coil binding equipment comes with an integrated crimper for easy operation without the need for coil crimping pliers. Renz sets themselves apart in the coil binding machine category by offering oval hole coil punching at no additional charge (with most other manufacturers oval hole coil is either not available or is very expensive). Additionally, the Renz SRW and ECO wire binding machines are ruggedly built and give the Akiles WireMac line a run for its money.
Although there are several other binding equipment manufacturers including Fellowes and Wilson Jones, the manufacturers listed above provide most of the high quality binding equipment in the market. However, this overview is only a starting point. If you have more questions or want to know the difference between two specific models of binding machines, just remember that it never hurts to ask.
< 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)
