Search:

Home | Business


GBC AP2 Ultra Automatic Binding Punch Review

By: Jeff McRitchie

*The AP2 Ultra is a high quality heavy duty automatic binding punch that is designed for the highest volume punching environments.

*This machine is designed for users who do a lot of punching and want the ability to set a stack of paper on their machine and walk away.

*The AP2 is designed to be fast, versatile and easy to use. It is a popular choice for larger print shops, binderies, in-plant printers and copy shops.

*Although this machine comes with a fairly hefty price tag, most organizations that do a high volume of punching find that they are able to recoup their investment in less than two years.

Strengths / Features:

*The AP2 Ultra is an incredibly fast punch. It is capable of punching up to 56,000 sheets of paper an hour and averages 40,000 sheets per hour for most applications. This means that the AP2 can punch as many as 80 reams of paper in one hour of operation. This means that even large punching jobs that would normally take hours on a desktop punch can be completed in minutes with the AP2.

*This punch is also really easy to use. All you need to do is load a large stack of paper into the top of the machine, press the button and a few minutes later the stack will be punched. The machine does it all and the operator is able to work on other tasks while the AP2 is punching. There is an LCD display panel on the front of the machine that tells you the status of the machine and there are a few different adjustments. However, this machine isn't really complicated.

*Another strength of the AP2ultra is its relatively small footprint. It is no secret that most print shops and production environments are short on floor space. The AP2 measures 25" x 53" x 34" which is significantly smaller than most other automatic punching solutions. Plus, it is mounted on wheels with castors to allow it to easily be pushed out of the way when it is not in use.

*The AP2 Ultra is an upgraded version of the old AP2. This version has been retrofitted with new components and feed mechanisms for handling heavier stocks and glossy papers. This is still not the ideal solution for extremely hard to run sheets. However, the new design allows it to run most common uncoated paper stocks that are part of a normal print environment.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

*The AP2 ultra does have some limitations on the type of sheets that it can punch. Although its ability to run heavy and glossy stocks has been improved it will still have difficulty feeding laminated or coated sheets. Additionally, it is not recommended to run clear covers or plastic covers through this machine. Plastic covers will stick together and have the potential to cause problems with the punching mechanism. If you were to try and run poly covers through the AP2-Ultra you would want to make sure that they are collated into your documents. Most print shops will need a desktop punching unit in addition to this machine so that they can handle small runs, odd sizes and sheets that will not run through this machine.

*There are a huge variety of die sets available for the AP2 Ultra. You can use this machine to punch holes for spiral coil binding, comb binding, twin loop wire, Velobind, Proclick and 3-Ring binders. However, the die sets can be a little bit tricky to change and the changeover can take a few minutes. This makes the AP2 Ultra a great solution for longer runs or short runs with the same punching pattern. However, if you have to constantly change the die on this machine for short run punching it is quite possible you will spend more time on the die changes than you will actually punching your documents.

*This machine is somewhat limited in the size of sheets that it can punch. The smallest sheet size that it can handle is 5.5" x 5.5" and the largest that it can handle is 12" x 13". This means that the AP2 cannot be used to punch documents for legal sized binding. A standard desktop binding machine will have to be used for this application.

*There are a lot of moving parts inside the AP2-Ultra. Although this is a reliable machine it is advisable to look into putting this type of equipment under a maintenance contract. That way you know that you are covered if something were to happen to the machine. This is especially true for organizations that use their automatic punch on a daily basis and can't afford to be down for extended periods of time.

Recommendation:

*If your organization has the volume to warrant the cost, the AP2 Ultra is an excellent automatic binding punch.

*This system is capable of punching a huge amount of paper per hour and can free up labor inside of your organization to focus on other highly profitable tasks.

*However, there are some paper types and document sizes that are not compatible with this machine. Most print shops, binderies and in-plant printers use this type of machine for their volume punching applications and still use a desktop interchangeable die punch for short runs, clear covers and laminated sheets.

Article Source: http://www.contentspool.com

For more information or to purchase the GBC AP2 Ultra Automatic Binding Punch 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, Laminatin

Please Rate this Article

 

Not yet Rated

        Add to Onlywire
Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Business Articles Via RSS!
  • Using Packaging Tape to Facilitate more Business By: Alphonse Adams - Can you visualize a world without packaging tape? How will you send a package by post, or courier? You can use a twine or string to tie the package, or you can use glue to paste the ends of the package together. These alternatives require more time to apply compared to packaging tapes. There are also special fasteners like ties, staples and such. Each of these has some disadvantages. For example, ties come loose, and storing it is not as easy as storing packaging tapes. Ties can also be only be used with packages designed for them.
    Tags: business, business, finance, online business, money, marketing, advertising
  • Tips For Making Money With Digital Products By: Ahmet Dagseven - Clickbank is a well renowned, trustworthy affiliate network. It is acknowledged as one of the best places to produce fast money as an affiliate. Their fees are very reasonable and the tools and services they provide are good. Clickbank is a good place to start for new affiliates and an easy way to start a new business. The products you will find are digital products that are either E-books or software products which are easily downloadable from the internet. There are no physical products therefore there is no need to worry about delivery.
    Tags: business, affiliate marketing, internet marketing, make money online, affiliate programme, affiliate revenue
  • Using Online Sales to Reach Local Customers By: Alphonse Adams - **Can you sell your product online?** If you are already in business and you are thinking of promoting your products or services online, one of the first questions you have to ask yourself is "Do I have a product I can sell online?" This question is at the very heart of the decision whether or not to try online marketing. Most of the problems with products are the result of delivery issues.
    Tags: business, business, finance, online business, money, marketing, advertising
  • Follow this Checklist to build Traffic towards your Website By: Alan L Smith - People who are working in navy fly for a living and they do everything by following a checklist but remember that simply doing a checklist is not what made the flight or the mission a success. You should need a whole lot more understanding also you need to have a whole lot of dedication and you need tons of commitments to your mission to get possible. Generally successes built on one key element.
    Tags: business, web agency, website design los angeles, graphic design bay area, website design san francisco, website design santa clara
  • How to Immediately Increase Visitors to Your Business Blog By: Alphonse Adams - Today's largest businesses are really taking blogging seriously. They are not about to sit back and let the rest of the world reap the advantages while they don't. Successful business people are intelligent. They know how much blogging can connect people together. They know that by using blogs within their organizations, they can easily and cheaply build better businesses. If you are curious about how to make blogging work for your business and how to get visitors to your blog, check out these ideas that many companies are already using.
    Tags: business, business, finance, online business, money, marketing, advertising
  • Taking Advantage of MLM Opportunities from Home By: Alphonse Adams - MLM is a powerful business concept for many reasons but the most obvious is for the type of income it can provide the network marketer. It is so powerful that many fortune 500 companies have used, some are still using, this business model to build their multi-million dollar empire. So why cannot the average person do the same? The answer is average people are already working some great MLM home-based businesses opportunities. Are you one of them? If not, now is an excellent time to get started.
    Tags: business, business, finance, online business, money, marketing, advertising
  • The Business Gold Mine of Forums By: Domingo Powers - In most forums registered users are allowed to add a signature line underneath their name. Your signature will show up each time you make a post, which works in your favour, because in this way you will be subtlety promoting your business without spamming anyone. It is important that you post to the forum frequently, some forum posters don't bother to look at the websites of users unless they are regular users of the forum, and then they may eventually get curious.
    Tags: business, business, finance, money, marketing, advertising, strategies
  • Save Your Internet Business with these Free Internet Marketing Methods By: Domingo Powers - Best things in life are free, as many would say. This especially holds true with efforts in advertising one's products or services. With free Internet marketing services, one can save a lot. Instead of shelling out for the marketing aspect of your product or services, that chunk of money could be put to other important elements of your business since many information websites now offer knowledge regarding Internet marketing services that comes with no price tag at all. This is not to tell you that better focus on plain Internet marketing.
    Tags: business, business, finance, money, marketing, advertising, strategies
  • Guidebook Of Travel Insurance By: Eric Charles - What is the purpose of having travel insurance policies and what makes them an important consideration for someone going to travel? This article will provide beneficial information on travel insurance as a whole including certain inclusions and exclusions for each policy option. When planning any kind of trip, are travel insurance policies significant and do the travelers spend enough time to take these into consideration? Travel insurance pertains to policies which are intended to cover any medical expenses as well as other financial losses when one travels locally or internationally.
    Tags: business, travel insurance australia, cheap travel insurance, travel insurance compare, travel insurance comparison, compare travel insurance, travel insurance
  • Getting Free Marketing for Your Watch Bands Business By: Domingo Powers - Whether just starting out into the world of business or if you already have an established watch bands company, free promotion is a must have. In addition to being a terrific way of budgeting your expenses, it's a real revenue booster. The largest expense that many businesses incur is that of advertising. Why? Because the cost associated with advertising in print publications can be quite hefty, which is why an increasing number of business owners are looking for an alternate way of getting the word out about their company.
    Tags: business, business, finance, money, marketing, advertising, strategies

Produced in Cooperation with Content Spooling Network.

©2010 Expert Insiders, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Use of our service is protected by our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Script from Article Dashboard