Paper folders are very helpful tools to have
around since they can take care of one of the most time consuming office
tasks in just minutes. Here's a rundown of your machine's parts so you
can have some understanding of how it works.
Paper folders are very helpful tools to have
around since they can take care of one of the most time-consuming office
tasks in just minutes. Here's a rundown of your machine's parts so you
can have some understanding of how it works.
The feed tray. This is where the paper
folding process starts. The feed tray is simply the place in which you
stick your documents so that they can be folded. Depending on the
machine you chose, the feed tray will only hold several sheets of paper
or hundreds. (If you haven't purchased a device yet, look for one with a
feed tray that can hold a decent amount of sheets.) Most feed trays
have a skew adjustment feature to ensure that the sheets are flush when
they're fed into the machine.
The pickup rollers.
Once your documents are placed in the feed tray, they'll come into
contact with the pickup rollers. These parts are covered with rubber so
they can easily grab a hold of your documents and send them deep into
the machine where they'll be processed. While the vast majority of
folders have friction feed rollers, there are some higher end machines
that have an air feed feature. This is helpful if you want to work with
stocks other than 20 lb. bond paper.
The fold rollers.
Next up are the fold rollers which basically just send the paper on its
way to be folded. Like the pickup rollers, these parts are coated with
rubber to keep things moving smoothly. Just be aware that the rubber can
wear out, especially if they get covered in paper dust. If that
happens, you can use a simple solution of soap and water to get them
back into shape. (Note: your machine should be off and unplugged when do
this so you don't become injured.)
The fold plates.
Eventually, your document will reach the fold plates which is where it
will actually be folded. Some of the lower-end folders only have one
plate for very basic folds, while other devices will have 2 or more so
you can enjoy fancy folds. Some devices require you to manually adjust
the paper stop to complete the folding process while others will do it
for you. If you have any questions about how to adjust the stop, your
owner's manual should have some information for you.
The output tray.
Finally, there's the output tray which is where your documents will end
up once they've been folded. Sometimes it's not even a tray but more of
a bin which should be fine if you're not folding a lot of documents. If
you're going to be processing a lot of paper, a machine with a conveyor
belt might be more helpful since it will keep your materials separate
from one another.
Those are the basic parts of your paper folder and all of them
are integral to a successful folding experience. Now that you know all
about these parts, you should have a better understanding of how the
machine works. Good luck and happy folding!
Jeff McRitchie is the Director of Marketing for MyBinding.com.
He regularly writes articles, review and blog posts on topics related
to book binding, laminating, paper shredding, and office equipment. More
than 2,500 of his articles have been published in thousands of location
on the Internet. If you're looking for information about paper handling equipment his articles are a great place to start.
