Jeff McRitchie

GBC USP13 Universal Speed Binding Punch Review

The GBC USP13 is the same machine that was originally designed and manufactured by Sickenger before they were purchased by GBC.It utilizes a short and straight paper path to help minimize jams when running thick and coated paper stocks. This design also allows this machine to run collated documents with intermixed index tabs and papers of different weights.

• The GBC USP13 is the same machine that was originally designed and manufactured by Sickenger before they were purchased by GBC.
• This machine is designed for extremely high volume applications and is commonly found in large print shops and binderies across the United States.
• It utilizes a short and straight paper path to help minimize jams when running thick and coated paper stocks. This design also allows this machine to run collated documents with intermixed index tabs and papers of different weights.

Strengths / Features:

• The GBC Sickinger USP13 is designed for large binderies, print shops and in-plant printers that need to punch millions of sheets per month. It is capable of punching up to 120,000 sheets of paper per hour and operates at an average of 80,000 sheets per hour. That is double the speed of the GBC AP2 automatic punch. You simply load your collated documents into one side of the machine and in seconds they will be punched and ready to finish.
• The straight paper path and variable speed settings of the USP-13 automatic punch make it far better suited for handling thick, glossy and coated paper stocks than other automatic punches. By turning down the speed you can help to reduce misfeeds and problems when running specialty paper stocks and heavier covers. It is designed to punch sheets as light as 16lb bond and as heavy as 110lb index.
• The Sickinger USP13 has been around for years and has been in use in high volume binderies and print shops. This is a reliable machine that you can count on to handle your volume punching needs. Parts are readily available and there are experienced service technicians that have experience with this specific machine in most major cities across the United States.
• There are more than fifteen different die sets available for this punch. In fact, punching dies are available for all of the major binding styles including: Comb binding, spiral coil, twin loop wire, Velobind, Proclick, 3-hole and 2-hole punching. Custom dies can also be produced to your specifications for use in specialty applications.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

• Users who are considering purchasing this machine should note its size and weight. This machine weighs about fifteen hundred pounds and has a massive footprint. It measures, 38" W x 74" L x 50" H. It is important to make sure that you have the space for this machine and a way to get into your shop.
• Although the GBC brochure advertises that you can switch dies in seconds, it truthfully takes between one and two minutes for most experienced operators that switch die sets. No specialty tools are required which is a good thing. However, the die change time on this machine does not make it ideal for short run applications or for shops that are constantly switching punching patterns. The GBC Quantum is far better suited for those types of applications.
• Like the AP2 Ultra, the USP13 is limited in the sizes of documents that it can punch. It can punch documents with a binding edge as short as 6" and as long as 13". However, the unpunched edge of the document must be between 5" and 12" long. This means that it cannot punch legal sized paper or extremely small sheet sizes. This is something to keep in mind.
• Although this machine can punch collated documents with mixed paper stocks, it can still have trouble with plastic or poly covers. It is sometimes possible to punch these types of covers by collating them into your documents. However, if the lift happens to fall so that the clear cover is on the top or bottom of the stack that is being punched it can cause a paper jam. Unfortunately the best way to handle plastic covers is to punch them with a desktop binding punch one or two at a time.
• Although the USP13 is extremely reliable, it is a really good idea to consider purchasing a maintenance contract for this machine. Much like a photocopier or piece of printing equipment the USP-13 will require maintenance over time and there are literally hundreds of components that all work together to punch your paper. Having a trained technician perform regular maintenance will help you to protect your investment and reduce potential downtime.

Recommendation:

• The Sickinger GBC USP13 is an excellent quality automatic binding punch that has been used by large binderies and printers for years.
• This machine is capable of handling a wide variety of document sizes, paper thicknesses and can even punch collated documents with index tabs.
• With an average speed of 80,000 sheets per hour this machine is one of only a few choices available on the market for ultra high volume users.
• Provided that you have the budget, space and volume to warrant this piece of equipment I would highly recommend the USP13.

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