March 16, 2008 --  Duplo will use this year's drupa to unveil a range of new products and innovative modular finishing configurations which will allow printers to introduce sophisticated value-added finishing processes to their customer offerings.

Visitors to the exhibition will see for the first time Duplo's unique DC-645 Production Color Finisher with a new knife folder, adding further application possibilities to the already versatile slit, cut and crease machine. drupa will also see the first showing of the intelligent DSF-5000 high speed dynamic document sheet feeder; Duplo's new PUR DPB-500 Perfect Binder as well as the launch of the new mid-range bookletmaker DBM-350/T.

Duplo plans to unveil even more new products at drupa catering for all aspects of the traditional offset and digital markets as well as its latest digital printing systems. In addition, Duplo will reveal some interesting partner news in the run up to the event. Further information about these exciting developments will be announced over the coming weeks.

Akio Kaneko, Manager, International Sales Group at Duplo Corporation comments: "Duplo has been taking the industry lead in ensuring that print providers understand the significance of effective, flexible finishing within the production process and the benefits it can bring to their business. Introducing value-added finishing processes to their customer offering will help them to differentiate from their competitors, increase margins on individual jobs, establish profitable relationships as well as move into new areas and thus grow their overall business potential."

He continues: "Following valuable feedback from our customers world-wide, we've been extremely busy developing new advanced, cost-effective finishing solutions that produce high quality, multiple applications and which suit the requirements of traditional offset, digital or hybrid printing houses. There is no better platform than drupa to showcase our new versatile solutions to demonstrate our commitment to a very dynamic industry."

DC-645 Production Color Finisher with New Conveyor/Folder/Stacker
For the first time, Duplo is adding a knife folding option to the versatile DC-645 slitter, cutter, creaser, thus hugely extending the on-line capability of the production color finisher. By incorporating folding into the single system operation, printers can now fully finish different applications such as greeting cards, folded 'tent' business cards, brochures, leaflets and many more.

The knife folder incorporates two knife folds making it also ideal for parallel fold applications such as letter folds. With a speed of up to 50 sheets per minute, the new folder fully matches the capabilities of the DC-645 and can also be by-passed for no-fold applications from the DC-645. The finished documents are then stacked in a 400mm capacity stacker specifically designed to neatly stack and retain even heavier jobs such as folded card stocks.

At drupa, Duplo will present the DC-645 in a straight conveyor/folder/stacker configuration, however, ultimately the company will offer a modular range of configurations including cross-and straight-conveyors as well as simple and more sophisticated stackers. The cross-conveyor version will keep single batch outputs in sequence for applications such as photos and coupons. The flexibility of the DC-645 programming means that all configurations are simple to set up and easy to adjust to suit customer requirements.

DSF-5000 High Speed Dynamic Sheet Feeder
An addition to the Duplo dynamic sheet feeder family and next-level option to the established DSF-2000, Duplo' s new DSF-5000 modular high speed, production level feeder offers a number of enhanced benefits to give greater productivity for near-line finishing and bookletmaking solutions.

Responding to the needs of both the color market as well as the higher volume black & white cut sheet markets, the DSF-5000 can support the printed output of multiple printers without compromising print production and offers high speed, reliable feeding of a variety of substrates with both ultrasonic double and optical double detection for improved accuracy and reduced waste by preventing the processing of incorrect sets. In addition, its Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) and barcode readers offer greater versatility in handling variable and personalized print finishing.

The new belt suction feeder, integral buffer and enhanced sheet separation facilities enables consistent and reliable feeding of a variety of substrates at high speeds. The DSF-5000 can feed up to 400 sheets per minute, which is fed from a 610mm high capacity pallet style paper tray. Operators also benefit from automated job set up and changeover, as well as an intuitive, user-friendly PC interface.

To demonstrate the versatility of the DSF-5000, Duplo will showcase the Digital System 5000 Pro bookletmaking line incorporating two DSF-5000 sheet feeders in a tandem configuration as well as a new twin bin Cover Feeder, a DBM-500 Bookletmaker and Trimmer. The benefits of Duplo's modular approach allow printers to add to the system as and when their requirements change. As a result, a solution might incorporate one DSF-5000 for high capacity feed stock or an extra DSF-5000 – a tandem system for maximizing productivity as one DSF-5000 could be running while another is re-loaded. Cover stocks could be placed in this second unit, or in the new twin-bin Cover Feed module.

The DSF-5000 can also be combined with Duplo's versatile SCC slit, cut, crease module to the configuration, which deals with issues of trimming off full bleed print as well as managing digital print cracking problems.

New PUR DPB-500 Perfect Binder
In response to customers' demand, at drupa, Duplo will extend its single clamp fully automatic DPB-500 Perfect Binder range by adding a PUR version, making it ideal for short to medium run perfect bound books printed digitally or on coated stocks. PUR binding provides an extremely secure result with its high pull-strength ensuring that each page is firmly bound and can be opened flat without any risk of pages becoming detached.

The closed tank system offers huge cost and productivity benefits compared to open-tank systems, as it does not require draining after each session which incurs wasted material and downtime. Just like Duplo's standard-adhesive DPB-500 Perfect Binder, it runs at cycling speeds of up to 525 books an hour, and is capable of binding a wide range of materials with a maximum booklet size of 360 x 320mm and minimum size of 120 x 120mm. Cover sheet sizes range from 360 x 696mm and 120 x 250mm.

The versatility of the fully automated DPB-500 results in a reduction in set-up times and costs, making it perfect for short run and variable print, while its high capacity book production speeds make it equally suitable for longer runs. One of the machine's key attributes is its easy-to-use integrated touch-screen controls, which facilitates a 35 second set-up between programs, resulting in a book-bound quality finish with minimal operator skills.

New DBM 350/T Mid-Range Bookletmaker
Duplo will also use drupa to introduce a new fully-automatic mid-range bookletmaker/trimmer which fits between Duplo's established low-end bookletmaker DBM-120/T and its high-end counterpart the DBM-500/T and as such provides an alternative according to production requirements and budgetary needs. Offering stitching heads, speeds of up to 3,000 books an hour, and fully automated set-up, the DBM-350/T is an extremely productive and professional solution. The flexible bookletmaker easily accommodates a range from on-demand applications such as CD and DVD covers through to 5.5" x 8.5" to 8.5" x 11" finished booklets of up to 80 pages.

The ability of the DBM-350/T to handle set-by-set and sheet-by-sheet output with equal ease means that it can be connected to Duplo's collating systems or dynamic sheet feeders, making it ideal for printers making the transition from offset to digital, allowing them to incorporate color content and variable data into their finishing solutions.

Concludes Si Nguyen, product marketing manager at Duplo USA Corporation: "We're delighted with our wide range of new product innovations and look forward to demonstrating their versatility and modularity at drupa. While digital technology will shape the future of print, offset is here to stay for a long time. As a result, in today's competitive print environments it is crucial for printers to use equipment that is capable of handling a mixed workload in order to stay ahead of the competition. The additions to our already wide product portfolio mean that customers can choose the right tool for the right job to maximize productivity while minimizing cost and investment."