Why did you choose this particular machine?  

The format and options are highly suitable for book production, which is our main focus. We picked our first Diploma three years ago, based on our faith in Welbound as a good manufacturer of post-press equipment. We bought our first perfect binder from Welbound in 1993 and we have seen them grow from close quarters. They have a very good customer orientation, which is backed by technology and manufacturing capability. 

 

Did you look at any other similar machines?  

We had a Heidelberg Stahl 74 size machine, prior to buying the first Diploma folder. We have bought one more Stahl folder with round pile feeder, in between the two Diplomas.

 

Why did you make the purchase?  

To boost capacity. 

 

What features do you particularly like? 

Diploma has all the necessary features like format supports, creasing/perforation, pressing etc required for book folding. Unlike a normal KLL model, one can have right or left-hand side folding, be it a 16- or 32-page format. 

 

Is there anything that you wish it had that it doesn’t? 

Choice of different types of feeders including a round pile feeder. 

 

How fast is it? 

It can give you anything between 6,000-10,000 sheets per hour net on pallet, based on size and quality of paper. This compares reasonably well with our Heidelberg Stahls which deliver 15-20% more. 

 

How reliable is it?

The machine is a workhorse and it can be run 24x7.

 

What’s the quality like? 

The quality of folding is good and consistent.

 

How easy is it to use?

It’s pretty simple to set up and run, from the perspective of a book printer. 

 

How much time or money has it saved? 

If you have regular jobs to run the machine 12 hours a day, you can break even in less than two years. 

 

Would you say that it offers value for money?

Absolutely, yes. The cost of ownership is low. From my experience, it is not just the cost of equipment, but cost of spares and service that one needs to consider while making an investment. This is very important in the Indian context, as folding is more of an add-on service and the book printer cannot command a premium for the same. 

 

Were there any difficulties experienced during the installation or after? 

On the first machine, there were a few things which we wanted modified. Welbound could do that to our satisfaction and now these are standard offers. For the recent installation, there were no difficulties.

 

What about the pre and after-sale service? 

Welbound is well known for that. No problems there.

 

Who do you think the machine is right for?

This is an ideal investment for the book printer. Anyone who has more than 20,000 sheets to fold into a 16- or 32- page signature on a given day, should consider investing in this machine. The cost of ownership makes the investment attractive. 

 

Under what circumstances would you buy another?

Additions in sheet-fed capacity.