For users of interchangeable die binding
punches, it might seem like your dieset will last forever.Over time, the pins that you use
to punch your documents will begin to become dull causing problems.The
purpose of this article is to help you recognize the signs of an aging
die, remind you of the benefits of a well maintained unit and give you
some tips for maintaning your machine.
For users of interchangeable die binding
punches, it might seem like your dieset will last forever.
Unfortunately, this is not the case. Over time, the pins that you use
to punch your documents will begin to become dull causing problems. The
purpose of this article is to help you recognize the signs of an aging
die, remind you of the benefits of a well maintained unit and give you
some tips for maintaning your machine.
First, let's look at the signs of an aging dieset. There are three
primary ways that you will know that your punching pins have become
dull and may need maintenance.
As the pins becomes dull your machine will begin to leave
paper tabs behind on your punched paper. These little pieces of paper
or "chads" are often not fully severed from the paper and you will need
to tear them off one at a time to remove them. Definitely not a very
fun project.
Over time you will notice that the edges of the
holes that you are punching in the paper become raged. When a punch is
new, the holes are clean and crisp even when you punch larger lifts of
paper. However, as the pins become dull even single sheets of paper
will look ragged.
When punching plastic or poly covers with
your machine you will notice that the cover are stretching instead of
cutting cleanly. Again, you might see that the tabs are left behind on
the punched covers and may even notice stress marks in the plastic as
they are stretched during the punching process.
Once you notice these problems, things are really too late in terms of
maintenance. You are going to need a new punching dieset. However, if
you are reading this article and your machine is not yet experiencing
these symptoms or if you want to stretch a little bit more life out of
your punching pins, here are a few tips to consider.
Forget about a maintenance program for your dieset. What
GBC and the other maintenance providers don't tell you up front is that
they will charge you enough for "die maintenance" to simply replace the
dieset. If you get a notice in the mail for a Die and Tune-up Special
just throw it away. If you need a replacement unit then buy one.
Otherwise follow the next few guidelines.
Punch no more than
2 sheets of plastic or poly covers per lift. Even if your machine says
that it will punch 50 sheets of paper per lift you still don't want to
punch more than 2 sheets of plastic. As plastic stacks up, it takes on
properties like cement. Punching large volumes of plastic is the single
easiest way to ruin your punch and dull your punching dies.
Remember
to empty your paper waste tray on a regular basis. If chads are allowed
to back up in the tray under the machine it can put additional stress
on the machine and impede punching. If they back up enough, you can
ruin your pins or burn up the motor in your punch.
Don't
punch wood, cardboard, heavy duty plastic (above 30mil) with your
machine. These materials will quickly ruin your punching pins. If you
do think you might need to punch these materials you should be aware
that you might need to replace your dies sooner than is normal. Also
note that under no circumstances should you ever try to punch metal
with your machine. It will not work and you will ruin your punch.
Diesets for interchangeable die punches are designed to last for years
and years. Treat them right and you won't need to replace them often.
When they are worn out, recognize the signs and buy a replacement.
Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for MyBinding.com. He has written over 100 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders.
