The Akiles Coilmac EPI, a desktop unit that can still produce at high
volume, is an all-electric coil binding system
designed for medium to large sized organizations that do a fair amount
of binding. Here is a brief overview of this machine's strengths and
weaknesses.
A desktop unit that can still produce at high
volume, the Akiles Coilmac EPI is an all-electric coil binding system
designed for medium to large sized organizations that do a fair amount
of binding. Here is a brief overview of this machine's strengths and
weaknesses.
Strengths:
The punching capacity of
the Coilmac EPI is easily one of the largest that is available on the
market. Officially stated at twenty five sheets of twenty pound paper,
we found that it really worked best at around twenty two. Still, that's
a lot of sheets, and it will get you quickly through even the largest
projects. This machine can also punch two clear covers at one time.
The
foot pedal control of the Coilmac EPI is a great feature that makes it
possible for you to hold onto your documents with both hands while you
are doing your punching. We found that this was really handy for
increasing the punch quality when working with sheet numbers at or near
the top of the machine's capabilities. Plus you can operate the coil
inserter using your foot pedal by simply flipping the switch located on
the front of the machine.
The Coilmac EPI features an open
throat design which allows the user to punch documents that are longer
than the number of pins available. The continuous punching guide
enables you to align the stack, flip it over, and punch the rest of the
holes. We found the whole thing to be a fairly easy process even though
we didn't think we would have to do it very often. The standard 13 inch
width of the machine should be more than adequate to get you through
the vast majority of jobs.
While it only represents about
a thirty dollar value, and we are talking about a machine that costs a
little bit of money, we did find it nice that the Coilmac EPI comes
with a pair of high quality crimping pliers. This tool is so important
to the process that we can't imagine anyone attempting spiral coil
binding without them.
Another couple features that we
really appreciated about the Coilmac EPI were the depth of margin punch
control which allows you to set the correct punch from the edge of the
document (increasing the usability and durability of larger documents),
and the open throat design that lets you bind letter, legal, as well as
A4 and A5 sized sheets with ease.
The Coilmac EPI appears
to us to be extraordinarily well built, and we see no reason why it
wouldn't last the user for a good many years of daily use.
Weaknesses:
For
all its benefits, the Coilmac EPI does not include fully disengageable
dies. Although for the vast majority of jobs this won't matter in the
least, it is a nice feature to have when you are going to be producing
documents that are custom sized. For this feature you will need to step
up to the CoilMac EPI+
We would have liked to see this
system come with separate foot pedals for inserting and punching. It is
currently designed so that the user must flip a switch to toggle
between functions. It can get a little tedious if you are punching and
binding one document at a time. You would be better off doing all your
punching first, then all your inserting.
For larger volume
projects, you may want to purchase a standalone inserter so that one
person can work on punching while another works on inserting and
crimping.
If you are interested in more information about the Akiles CoilMac EPI Heavy Duty Electric Coil Binding Machine, you should really check out MyBinding.com.
They offer a great price on this machine and they even offer Free
Shipping on all orders over $75. MyBinding carries the entire line of
Akiles binding equipment along with one of the largest selections of
Spiral Coil Binding Supplies that you will find on the internet. Choose
from more than fifty colors and twenty-seven sizes.
