Akiles Duomac C31 Plastic Comb And 3:1 Wire Binding Machine Review
*The Akiles DuoMac-C31 is a dual purpose binding machine that is designed for binding documents with both plastic combs and 3:1 pitch twin loop wire.
*This is one of the most versatile binding machines available on the market. Using the two punching patterns produced by this machine it is possible to bind your documents with six different binding styles.
*This machine is ideal for organizations that are trying to decide what style of binding is the best fit for their image. It is also great for companies who are planning to revisit the way that they present their documents in the near future.
*It is also great for companies that want to use different binding styles for presenting their internal and external documents.
Strengths / Features:
*The DuoMac-C31 has two different punching throats. It is designed to punch a 3:1 pitch square hole pattern and a rectangular hole pattern with holes that are 9/16″ on center for use in plastic comb binding. With these two hole patterns it is possible to bind your documents with six different binding styles including: Plastic Comb Binding, GBC Zipbind, Spiral-O Wire Combs, Twin Loop Wire, GBC Proclick and 3:1 Pitch Spiral Coil binding. No other machine provides more options than this.
*In addition to dual punching throats, the C31 also has multiple finishing devices built into the machine. It includes a high quality durable plastic comb opener that is capable of handling all of the different sizes of plastic binding combs that are available on the market. It also includes a high quality wire closer on the front of the machine. This wire closer is capable of handling wires that are between 3/16″ and 1-1/4″ in diameter.
*Although 3:1 pitch twin loop wires are only available in sizes up to 9/16″, this wire closer can also be used with 19 loop spiral-o wires in diameters up to 1″.
*Both of the punching throats on the Duomac C31 are fourteen inches in width which means that they can handle legal sized sheets with a single punch. Both throats also have fully disengageable punching pins and open throat designs. Using the disengageable dies it is possible to punch any length of document up to fourteen inches in a single pass. The open throat allows for punching documents longer than fourteen inches using a two step punching process.
*Like all of the Akiles DuoMac binding machines, the C31 is known for its high quality metal construction. The body of the machine and all of its components are made from high quality steel. The construction of this machine is great for organizations that need to bind documents on a daily basis.
Weaknesses / Limitations:
*The Akiles DuoMac C31 is able to combine a huge number of features into a single machine. No other binding system has all of these features. However, adding two punches and several finishing devices to the system makes it fairly large and bulky. It can also make it difficult for inexperienced users to operate.
*This machine is a great system for a small or medium sized office that wants to use multiple binding styles. However, it is still a manual punch and is not ideal for high volume applications. Users who need to bind more than fifty documents per week may want to consider a modular interchangeable die binding punch.
Recommendation:
*The Akiles DuoMac C31 is an excellent binding system for organizations that are looking to bind documents with multiple binding styles. This machine can be used to create presentations, proposals, reports and documents using up to six different binding styles. This makes it a perfect choice for companies that aren’t sure what type of binding they want to use or for their documents.
*This machine is extremely durable and is constructed with high quality metal components.
*However, it is still a manual binding machine and is not meant as a replacement for an interchangeable die binding punch. Printers, binderies and large organizations may want to consider a heavy duty electric punch and modular finishing equipment instead of a combination binding system such as this.
For more information or to purchase the Akiles DuoMac C31 Plastic Comb and 3:1 Wire Binding Machine visit MyBinding.com Jeff McRitchie is the director of marketing for MyBinding.com. He writes extensively on topics related to Binding Covers,Binding Supplies,Binding Machines, Binders, Index Tabs, Laminators, Laminating Pouches and more.