Now here’s something you don’t see every day. The North American document finishing solutions market has a new supplier. Morgana Systems Ltd., which has been a supplier to the European market for the last 30 years, and whose machines are on the floors of 47% of European print shops (according to the company), has entered the U.S.-North American marketplace.

Printers may recognize U.K.-based Morgana Systems for its smaller tabletop products, which it sells in the U.S. through Standard Duplicating. As of January, however, Morgana has begun supplying its entire line of fully automated creasers, folders, cutters, bookletmakers, and related solutions to the North American market directly. Morgana also has relationships with U.S. manufacturers like Xeikon and HP Indigo, which are showing Morgana products in their booths.

In an industry dominated by familiar faces and familiar technology, it’s invigorating to see a different viewpoint and a fresh approach. At On Demand, printers can see products like the KwikFold and DigiFold — never before shown in the U.S. — that provide some of just that.

Alan Oppenheim, country manager, Morgana Systems Ltd.

The “Flying Knife”

Morgana’s DigiFold is touted as the only creasing and integrated folder in the world. Its matrix and rule creasing action, which embosses the fibers of the paper before creasing the sheet, was designed with digital print production in mind, as it eliminates the toner cracking across the fold.

The DigiFold is an outgrowth of Morgana’s AutoCreaser, which adds an integrated folding function. In addition, rather than the buckle plates or conventional knives used by most folders, it uses an electronically controlled “flying knife” contoured around the rollers and that moves at the same speed as the material passing through the machine.

“Power Clenching”

Morgana’s KwikFold has its own unique approaches to the traditional finishing problems. The machine staples and folds in a single operation, ensuring accuracy and repeatability in the position of the staples and uses sensor-driven joggers on both the back and sides to prevent trailing sheets.

To apply the staples, the machine uses a technique Morgana colorfully calls “power clenching,” which, in a nutshell, uses special formers beneath the staples during the “clenching” process to shape the staples consistently into the correct shape.

It’s great to be reporting about a fresh face in the finishing area, and despite the fact that the phrase “power clenching” will likely bring to mind images that may or may not have anything to do with forming staples, this is some interesting engineering that is worth a look.