What Is a Folder Gluer? The Ultimate Guide to ROI, Productivity and Profitability
If you work in commercial printing, packaging, print finishing, or an implant operation, you have probably heard the term folder gluermany times. But what exactly does a folder gluer do, and more importantly, when does investing in one make financial sense?
A folder gluer is a finishing machine that automatically folds and glues printed sheets or die-cut blanks to create a finished product. Depending on the machine and configuration, it can produce everything from presentation folders and mailers to folding cartons, packaging and specialty products.
For many printers, the real question isn't simply, “What does a folder gluer cost?” It is:
“What can a folder gluer save me and what can it help me produce?”
That is where productivity and ROI come into the picture.
How Does a Folder Gluer Work?
The basic process is relatively simple. Printed sheets or die-cut blanks are fed into the machine and guided through a series of folding and gluing sections.
The feeder delivers the sheets consistently. Folding sections then create the required folds and panels while an adhesive system applies glue where needed. Additional folding sections bring the product into its final shape, followed by compression and delivery.
Modern folder gluers can be configured for a wide range of applications. The important thing is matching the machine to the work you actually produce.
A commercial printer producing pocket folders and mailers may have very different requirements from a packaging printer producing folding cartons. Short-run digital work may also require a different approach than long production runs.
What Can You Produce With a Folder Gluer?
One of the biggest advantages of a folder gluer is its versatility.
Applications can include:
- Presentation and pocket folders
- Mailers
- Direct-mail products
- Folding cartons
- Retail packaging
- Promotional products
- Specialty packaging
- Pharmaceutical packaging
- Custom die-cut products
For a commercial printer, this can mean bringing work back in-house that was previously outsourced. For a packaging printer, it can mean increasing production capacity. For an implant operation, it can reduce the amount of manual folding, gluing and assembly required.
Where Does the ROI Come From?
The purchase price of a folder gluer is only one part of the investment. To understand the potential return, look at what the equipment can change in your operation.
Labor
Manual folding and gluing takes time and people. As production volumes increase, labor can become one of the biggest costs associated with finishing.
Automating repetitive finishing work can allow fewer operators to produce significantly more pieces. It can also free employees to work on other areas of production.
Outsourcing
Look at what you currently send to another company for folding, gluing or specialty finishing.
If you are spending thousands of dollars a month on outsourced finishing, some of that expense may be brought back in-house with the right equipment.
There are other benefits as well. You have more control over schedules, quality and delivery, and you don't have to build your production schedule around another company's capacity.
Production Capacity
A folder gluer can also create capacity without simply adding more employees.
That additional capacity can allow you to take on larger orders, shorten turnaround times and accept work that may not have been profitable to produce manually.
And that leads to another important part of ROI: new business.
If owning a folder gluer allows you to offer products you previously outsourced or turned away, the additional revenue can become a significant part of the investment's return.
Don't Just Look at Speed
When comparing folder gluers, it is easy to focus on maximum speed. Speed is important, but it is not the only number that matters.
A machine that can change jobs efficiently, handle a variety of substrates, minimize waste and consistently produce quality finished pieces may provide more value than a machine that simply has a higher top speed.
Think about the entire production process.
How long does setup take? How much manual handling is required? How much material is wasted? How often do you change jobs? How much work is currently outsourced?
Those numbers will tell you much more about your potential ROI than the machine's rated speed.
The Cherry on Top: Rotary Die Cutting
For printers looking to take finishing automation a step further, rotary die cutting can be the cherry on top of a folder gluer investment.
Rotary die cutting can cut, crease, score and perforate printed materials at production speeds. When combined with folding and gluing, it opens the door to producing more complex finished products with fewer separate operations.
Think about a job that starts as a printed sheet and needs to be die cut, creased, folded and glued.
Instead of moving that job through several separate processes with additional handling and staging, a more integrated workflow can bring several of those operations together.
That can mean less handling, fewer production steps and potentially better overall productivity.
This is especially valuable for products such as custom mailers, folders, packaging, folding cartons and specialty promotional pieces.
The bigger question becomes:
How much of your finishing process can you automate?
That is where the combination of rotary die cutting and folder gluing becomes particularly interesting.
Why Moll Folder Gluers?
Moll Finishing Systems has been developing finishing equipment for commercial printers, packaging printers and specialty print applications for decades.
Moll folder gluer systems are designed around the needs of printers that want to automate finishing, expand their capabilities and improve production efficiency.
The right folder gluer isn't necessarily the fastest machine or the least expensive machine. It is the machine that fits your applications, your production requirements and your plans for the future.
And for operations looking for even more automation, combining folding and gluing with rotary die cutting can provide another level of finishing capability.
Is a Folder Gluer a Good Investment?
The answer depends on your business, but the calculation is straightforward.
Start with what you are spending today on:
Labor + Outsourcing + Waste + Handling + Overtime + Lost Production
Then look at what you could gain from automation:
Labor Savings + Increased Capacity + New Business + Faster Turnaround + Reduced Outsourcing
That is the foundation for calculating your potential ROI.
A folder gluer should not simply be viewed as another piece of equipment. It should be viewed as a production investment that can help you make more products, take on more work and reduce the cost of producing what you already sell.
For commercial printers, packaging printers, print finishers and implant operations, that can make a significant difference.
And when rotary die cutting is added to the equation, the possibilities become even greater.
The folder gluer may be the investment. Rotary die cutting may be the cherry on top.
If you're considering a folder gluer, replacing older finishing equipment, bringing outsourced work back in-house or expanding into packaging and specialty products, talk with Moll Finishing Systems about your application.
The best place to start isn't with the price of the machine.
Start with what the machine can do for your business.
