Martin Yale Intimus 959AF Heavy Duty Air Feed Paper Folder

Staff Review

Martin Yale Intimus 959AF Air Feed Paper Folder Review

The Martin Yale 959AF Air Feed Folder is designed for use in large mail rooms, print shops, and other offices.  It easily folds coated and double sided documents without the smearing or slipping seen with many friction feed folders.  The air feed system also allows it to process a wider variety of paper weights.  In addition, this machine can also perforate, slit, and score your documents as needed.  Let’s take a closer look at this versatile folder.

Strengths:

• The air feed system is really what makes this device stand out. It utilizes a vacuum and air pumps for more efficient feeding and results in reduced operating costs.  Marks left by some friction machines are eradicated with this device.  It also helps with the feeding of heavier stocks as well as coated and glossy paper.
• Stacks of documents are automatically fed one sheet at a time into the plates for folding and then neatly collated on the conveyor exit belt.  Rubber folding rollers pull from the bottom of the pile, allowing continuous top reloading while working.
• A clearly marked guide enables simple adjustments for letter, legal, and 11″ x 17″ documents.  It also shows where to position the plates for “C”, “Z”, half, and double parallel folds.  Right angle and baronial folds are created in two passes.  You can also create your own custom folds.
• In addition to folding, this machine slits, scores, and perforates.  It comes with a seven-tooth-per-inch perforating wheel and two scoring wheels.  Optional three- and fourteen-tooth-per-inch perforating wheels are also available as well as a slitting wheel.  These functions can be performed separately or during folding.  Quick-release journal shafts aid in the setup of this equipment.
• Paper size can range from 3″ x 3.5″ to 14″ x 18″.  The machine also accepts a wide range of paper weights, from 16lb bond to 85lb index.
• The hopper can hold up to 200 sheets of 20lb bond paper, which go through as fast as 18,000 sheets per hour.  Variable speed control allows you to select the optimal speed for whatever type of paper you’re using.

Weaknesses:

• The biggest downside to this folder is the manual setup.  Offices that rarely change their fold style can set the plates up once and not worry about it.  But companies needing frequent changes may soon tire of switching the plate placement, as it can be tedious and time consuming.  We suggest you save yourself the hassle and invest in an automatically adjusted machine, such as the MBM 352S.
• One feature lacking in this device is a counter.  Counters tally the total number of items processed as well as allow batch folding.  Depending on your needs, this may or may not be an issue for you.  If you’re looking for an air feed machine with a counter, check out the Formax FD390.

The many strengths show the Martin Yale 959AF to be well-suited for the folding needs of almost any office.  Despite the few weaknesses, this folder will be a convenient and efficient device to have around.  High folding speeds with a wide variety of materials can accommodate all your folding needs.  We think the Martin Yale 959AF is a great choice for your next air feed folder.