C.P. Bourg today announced an enhanced "E-series" version of its versatile dual-mode Bourg BSF Sheet Feeder that allows C.P. Bourg finishing equipment connected in-line to a Xerox iGen or Nuvera press also to accept jobs from many different off-line printers and produce them automatically in a JDF workflow.

C.P. Bourg also announced that this new Bourg BSFEx Sheet Feeder can accept printed output loaded on stack carts used with DS3500, DS5000, and DC7000/8000 Gradco HCS high-capacity stackers for Xerox and non-Xerox high-volume digital printers. These include Xerox iGen, Nuvera and Color 800/1000 presses, and printers from Canon, H-P Indigo, Kodak and Oce, among others.

To achieve automatic finishing for jobs printed off-line, the Bourg BSFEx is equipped with a hand-held barcode scanner that operates with the Xerox IntegratedPLUS Finishing Solution for Booklets, also announced here at drupa 2012. In operation, the off-line digital press prints a "banner page" with a unique barcode when its stacker is fully loaded.

The barcode contains a reference to the entire series of JDF job tickets associated with each job in the stack. When the stack of jobs is wheeled to the BSFEx, the operator simply scans the barcode on the banner page before transferring the entire stack on the cart's air-table into the BSFEx, virtually hands-free.

The JDF job tickets are used by the in-line finishing system to set up all finishing function changeovers automatically for each job in the stack, including bleed and trim dimensions, folding crease placement, stitch position, paper dimensions and paper weight.

Stacks of jobs up to 19.7 inches (500 mm) high can be loaded in the high-pile compartment of the BSFEx from the stacker carts, while stacks of covers or content up to 6.3 inches (160 mm) can be placed manually in the top tray. Sheet sizes accepted by the BSFEx can range from a minimum of 203.2 x 177.8 mm (8 x 7 in) to a maximum of 571.5 x 364 mm (22.5 x 14.3 in).

During in-line finishing, the BSFEx bypass feature passes sheets from the Xerox iGen or Nuvera press directly to the in-line C.P. Bourg finishing modules. When the finishing modules are being used to finish jobs printed off-line, the in-line Xerox iGen or Nuvera press prints sheets to its stacker, or is idle.

C.P. Bourg finishing modules that can operate in-line with the Xerox iGen or Nuvera and with the dual-mode BSFEx include the Bourg BCMEx Bleed Crease Module, BDFEx Document Finisher, BMEx Booklet Maker and SQE Square Edge.

"The Bourg BSFEx is the perfect solution for printing professionals in environments with multiple digital presses who are struggling to decide what engine to dedicate to a specific finishing line," says James Tressler, Director of Marketing and Branch Operations, C.P. Bourg Inc.

"By sharing the same finishing equipment to produce booklets and other documents from in-line and near-line/off-line finishing workflows with the same high degree of integrity, the dual-mode Bourg BSFEx maximizes asset utilization, finishing efficiency, flexibility and productivity -- not to mention that it also delivers the best ROI in the industry."

Here at drupa 2012, the new Bourg BSFEx is being shown on the Xerox stand at Hall 8b.

The new Bourg BSFEx Sheet Feeder will be available in August 2012 from Xerox Corporation sales offices worldwide.