Stahlfolder folding machines invite you to discover the whole variety of folding. Make use of the additional chances to strongly enlarge your product range and to differentiate from your competitors successfully - with the flexible folding machines of the Stahlfolder TH/KH series. Our buckle plate folders Stahlfolder TH and combination folders Stahlfolder KH are constructed consequently modularly. Thus you can enlarge your product range with specialized applications just as you like, open up new business segments and increase your added value. This ensures your success also in future.
No matter which job challenges you are confronted with – you can rely on these machines. The high machine availability of the Stahlfolder TH/KH folders gives you certainty with your production planning. You fold various jobs economically with very short throughput times. With a Stahlfolder TH/KH you get high productivity for a wide product range into your factory. Comprehensive automation options and an ergonomic machine design make the operation easier. You produce reliably and in constant high quality. This is profitable – for you and your customers.
Four feeder variants available – adapted to different requirements
With four feeder variants available, from flat pile feeder, round continuous feeder or pallet feeder up to the high-capacity PFX pallet feeder, there is an ideal configuration for each requirement. The ball-free AirstreamTable provides a very easy setting, and ensures mark-free sheet alignment.
The FFH flat pile feeder is designed to be used with small to medium run lengths. The flat pile feeder is an economic feeder variant at manageable investment costs. Further advantages: the little space required and the short set-up times. The pre-stacking device allows the operator to already prepare the follow up jobs while the current job is still running. For this purpose further mobile stacker boards can be loaded on the folding machine or already at the cutting machine which must just be changed during the setup process. This minimizes unproductive idle times.
The RFH round continuous feeder is particularly suitable for medium to large circulations. You can also process pre-folded, pre-perforated or pre-punched products with this feeder variant without any problems. The lowest loading height in its category allows for ergonomic loading. The advantage of the round continuous feeder: It allows for a high performance by non-stop-operation as the feeding need not be interrupted. Due to the low pile height of eight centimeters it is also possible to process bulky, warped sheets without any problems.
The PFH pallet feeder is mainly used for medium to large circulations as well as for large formats. The sheets on the pallet to be folded are run into the feeder by means of a pallet truck directly from the printing press with no manual intervention. All in all, the pallet feeder provides high production capacity – with shortest interruptions for feeding by pallets. The physical strain for the operator is low even if large signature formats have to be processed.
With the PFX pallet feeder it is possible for the first time to feed the sheets into the folder in an overlapping sheet stream, no longer individually and with sheet gap as before. Due to the overlapping of the sheets their infeed length reduces by up to 30% and more sheets can be produced at the same machine speed.
The PFX-feeder is optimized for large circulations in order to achieve a more stable production even with sensible materials and higher machine speeds. Especially for the Stahlfolder TH/KH 82-P folding machines and the Stahlfolder TX 96 folding system, the PFX-feeder is the start of a perfectly matched folder for top productivity.
Process optimization by sheet separation device
The sheet separation device Tremat provides ventilation and pre-separation of the fed sheet piles at the flat pile feeder and pallet feeder. High efficiency with sheet separation by cycle-independent operation principle ensures the high productivity of the folding machine - at clearly reduced setup time. Operation and settings of the Tremat are easy and uncomplicated. The blowers can be spun around their vertical axis which optimizes the separation especially with large format sheets. With its suspension laterally beside the paper stack the Tremat can easily be tilted backwards which improves the accessibility and makes the loading easier.
Markfree alignment by AirstreamTable
The AirstreamTable allows for an exact alignment of the sheets without balls and thus without marking risk. The suction wheel transfers the separated sheets from the feeder to the transport belt of the transfer table. This guides the sheets along the rule to the first buckle plate unit. In doing so the sheets are kept on the belt by a low-pressure created by the air stream and can easily and precisely be aligned along the infeed side-lay.
Modular Control Concept: Your key to economy
The Stahlfolder TH/KH machines are controlled by means of a control in the feeder as well as by intelligent digital sequence controls in the folding units and deliveries. The graphic user interface allows for an easy operation. Direct keys are available for the main functions. Due to the modular construction of the control, the functionality of the machine can be enlarged by option kits up to maximum levels of automation. The new operation QuickSetup mode reduces the range of the control to the most important settings. Only sheet format, grammage and fold type must be selected to set up the machine. This does not only avoid set up errors but your folding machine is ready for production with four clicks only. It goes without saying that the professional mode remains available as well so that you can switch between the two operation modes.
Additional devices individualize your products and increase your added value
Additional units like gluing device, water scoring, image inspection, barcode identification as well as sheet ejection can be integrated at the alignment table.
Sheet ejection with contact-free control
Besides the mechanical double sheet detector, a sheet ejection with contact-free double sheet monitoring is available for the Stahlfolder TH/KH. Based on an ultrasonic sound control, sheets lying on top of one another which were picked-up are recognized and actively ejected before they reach the first buckle plate unit. What is important: The sheet ejection is done during machine run and at full production speed. In case of a serial failure, i.e. several double sheets after one another, the machine is stopped before a lot of waste accumulates.
Modular machine concept and wide range of options
For the buckle plate units one to four, various working widths from 56 cm to 96 cm as well as an aligned number of buckle plates (2-8) are available. Combination folders unite the buckle fold with the knife fold principle.
Parallel fold unit
The parallel fold units of the Stahlfolder TH/KH folding machines are equipped with buckle plates with swing deflector or combination buckle plates – depending on the version – possibility of up to 8 buckle plates in the folding unit.
Cross Carrier
The cross carrier leads the signatures exactly into the following folding station. The oblique rollers are driven by toothed belts completely nonslip: This provides a continuous sheet transport and ideal fold accuracy. Due to the diagonally arranged transport rollers, the signatures are moved reliably to the register sidelay – at all speeds. With the automated Stahlfolder TH folding machines, the cross carrier is equipped with a rule with digital display of target and actual value. Here, the control calculates the setting position of the rule. The setting of the rule is done manually in a very simple way, the fine-adjustment is a lot easier thanks to the digital display and can be done very precisely.
Cross-Fold Units
With six versions of the cross-fold – from KL with two folding knives up to the complex cross-fold KTLL with three folding knives and integrated buckle plate – we offer you the suitable solution for any requirement.
Cross-Fold Unit KH Compact
The basic variant cross-fold unit KH Compact with the Stahlfolder KH 66 and 78 folding machines convinces by its ergonomic construction and good manageability. All areas of the cross-fold unit are well accessible, which makes corrections a lot easier: knife height, knife inclination, sheet stops and side stops can be adjusted without any tools at full machine speed and closed noise hood. The slitter shafts can be reached trouble-free at any time as well, thanks to an upper side rack which can be pulled back easily and a square bar which can be taken out.
Automated Cross Fold Unit KH
The automated cross-fold of the Stahlfolder KH 66 and KH 82 folding machines ensures you uncompromising quality and productivity in a wide range of applications. The constant sheet stop ensures that the signature is stopped, being controlled, and the sheet edges are not deformed. Additional guiding elements like the motor-driven side stops, the belts, the adjustment of which depends on the format and the pneumatically raise able pull wheels at the leading sheet edge transport the sheet exactly and avoid a bouncing back from the sheet stop.
The optional sheet ejection in the cross-fold avoids jams – a misfolded sheet is detected reliably and ejected without the knife being released.
TX-Fold Units for Stahlfolder TH/KH 82-P Folding Machines
Increase productivity without losing quality and process reliability: This is the promise of the new Stahlfolder TH/KH 82-P folding machines. Their innovative fold units allow for a transport of more sheets at the same machine speed – by shingled folding in all three parallel fold units of the Stahlfolder TH 82-P and the parallel and cross-fold unit of the Stahlfolder KH 82-P. This provides two advantages for your production which you can use as needed: High-capacity production of signatures without making cuts regarding quality – or increase of quality, e.g. when processing bible papers without having to accept losses in productivity. The innovative construction of the fold units allows for a shingled folding of all fold types; this way the infeed length can be reduced by up to 45 percent. While the PFX pallet feeder creates the sheet stream for the first fold unit, additional suction wheels provide the shingling in the follow-up stations of the Stahlfolder TH 82-P. You can also fold the shingled sheet stream in the cross-fold unit of the Stahlfolder KH 82-P and achieve a plus in productivity this way.
In combination with the high capacity delivery palamides alpha 500 hd or with a stacker bundler you increase your productivity in signature production by more than 50 percent this way.
Top fold accuracy and markfree sheet guidance: the right folding roller technology for precise fold results
ExtraGrip-folding roller-technology
The distribution of steel and polyurethane rings with ExtraGrip folding rollers is designed in such a way that there is no crossover of steel segments with two folding rollers lying parallel. At the same time the drag force is essentially raised due to the number of polyurethane rings which was increased by approx. 30 % per folding roller. The effect: The rings work exactly in paper running direction so that excellent fold accuracy and an exact straightforward guidance of the signatures is achieved. ExtraGrip-folding rollers are available in two variants: As Soft-PU-ExtraGrip-folding rollers they cover a wide range of different papers above 50 g/m² ab, in Hard-PU-version they are especially suitable for the processing of bible paper.
Manual or motor-driven folding roller adjustment
For an exact setting of gaps of folding rollers and slitter shafts, the Stahlfolder TH/KH folding machines are equipped with the proven FESTA-folding roller adjustment. The adjusting knob is simply underlaid with the corresponding number of paper strips; these adjustments are transferred directly and free from play to folding rollers and slitter shafts.
As option the Stahlfolder TH/KH machines offer a motor-driven folding roller and slitter shaft space setting. Here, the paper thickness is measured by the sensor of the double sheet detector at the feeder. A previous stacking of paper to feed a learning sheet is not necessary for this. Following that, the control automatically does the setting of the folding roller gaps and the drag of the folding roller – considering fold type and paper features.
Different buckle plates: The right version for every application
Buckle plates with swing deflector offer high functionality. Combination buckle plates, combination buckle plates in comfort version and motor-driven combination buckle plates convince by top flexibility. Special applications are possible by means of gatefold buckle plates.
Buckle plates with swing deflector and combination buckle plates
The first buckle plate of the Stahlfolder TH/KH is equipped with continuous sheet stop as well as with continuous buckle-plate lip. This ensures top fold quality even at high machine speeds. In the standard version buckle plates with swing deflector are used. Optionally combination buckle plates are available in which all important buckle pate settings like clearance, buckle space and pretension of the lower buckle-plate lip can be done during running production.
A further process optimization can be achieved by the additionally available motor-driven combination buckle plate. Depending on fold type and format the sheet stops of the motor-driven combination buckle plate are positioned and in case of angle alterations the fold length is compensated automatically. An absolute parallelism of the sheet stops is ensured with new orders, even in deflector position.
Slitter shafts before and after the folding unit: Processes like creasing, perforating and trimming are possible
Front mounted and double rear mounted slitter shafts
Standard equipment is a simple pair of rear-mounted slitter shafts. Front mounted and double rear mounted slitter shafts with lift function are optionally available or can be retrofitted. This way, print shops can easily enlarge their range inline and thus differentiate from their competitors. The double rear mounted slitter shafts clearly optimize the cutting quality with the production of multi-ups in small formats. The slitter shaft lift which is standard integrated in this configuration offers easy accessibility to the first slitter shaft.
Slitter shaft lift in parallel fold
The optional lift for the rear mounted slitter shafts brings the whole slitter shaft component into an ergonomically favorable position for the operator. The access to the slitter shafts has been clearly improved. This makes the setting and changing a lot easier and reduces setup times.
Integrated pressing module for top fold quality
The automated pressing device for all automated Stahlfolder TH folding machines which is integrated into roller frame increases the fold quality and the piling capacity. It is positioned instead of the first pair of slitter shafts thus allowing the additional use of the second pair of slitter shafts for the use of various tools. The liftkit ensures an ergonomic access to the folding unit.
The pneumatic system provides sharp fold edges with folded products up to 3.5 mm thickness and reduces the trapped air in the signature for an ideal transfer of the signature to the following station.
With the automated Stahlfolder TH 56 there is an integrated, automated belt pressing module especially for working width 56 cm for a reliable transport and the pneumatic pressing of miniature folded products up to a minimum of 3.5 cm. The variant with additional, automated slitter shafts and transfer table is mainly used for the first stations, while the direct transfer into the delivery without using tools is sufficient for second stations.
Wide range of deliveries: the ideal delivery for every configuration
At the exit of the folding machine, various deliveries deliver the folded sheets ready for being taken off. The range of different deliveries varies from simple stream deliveries over horizontal stack deliveries up to high-capacity deliveries. The deliveries can additionally be equipped with pressing rollers to press the signatures: This reduces the pile volume and makes the following finishing processes easier. Marking devices which laterally offset the piles make it easier to take off the folded products. In case of multi-ups the individual ups can additionally be pulled apart. Thus the delivery used essentially determines the productivity of the whole system. The high folding capacities of the Stahlfolders can only be realized by means of suitable deliveries.
