BINDING AND LAMINATING GOOD ADVICE IS KEY

Binding and laminating:

advice is key as technology evolves

Binding and laminating machines continue to play an important role in many offices but, post-pandemic, they are being adapted and dealers can help customers to find the right products

W

hile the idea of the ‘paperless office’ has been around since the turn of the century, and the principle behind it – to reduce the amount of paper used to zero, or as close to it as possible – is laudable, the practicalities mean it has remained largely an aspiration.

Many people still require printed documents and, often, these require binding or laminating - but, post-pandemic, this is changing. Bound or laminated products are now seen as touch points that can, potentially, spread viruses, and manufacturers are responding by introducing products that have antimicrobial properties.

ANTIMICROBIAL TECHNOLOGY

“From the outset of the pandemic, a comprehensive range of antimicrobial items has been launched across the office product market to combat the spread of bacteria and viruses,” explains Lawrence Savage, marketing manager at ExaClair. “Based on silver ion technologies, which have previously been used in a number of industries - including the medical, food and water sectors - the Exacompta® Clean’Safe® FSC® certified filing and recycled desktop accessories feature an organic antimicrobial additive within the materials used, protecting against the spread of bacteria, viruses, mould and fungi, eliminating them by more than 99.9%.”

He adds that information from market research company Technavio indicates that demand for products utilising this technology will continue to grow, with a CAGR greater than the 7% growth originally predicted up until 2025.

“A surge in demand for these types of items has seen the introduction of other stationery items, such as the Clairefontaine® Clean’Safe® notebooks, which feature covers treated with a quaternary ammonium-based biocide, an organic antimicrobial additive,” says Lawrence. “The benefits of using this type of antimicrobial technology includes that the protection lasts for the life-time of the product, and won’t affect the recyclability of the products.”

ENVIRONMENTAL DEMAND

This last point is important, as consumers increasingly demand products that are recyclable and environmentally-friendly – and they are prepared to pay a premium for this “Recent reports show that consumers are increasingly willing to pay up to 5% more for environmentally-friendly items, whilst additional research highlights that 74% of consumers would pay more for sustainable packaging,” Lawrence says.

“As modern production facilities have been able to drive down the cost of developing more sustainable manufacturing techniques, we are continuing to see the augmentation of ecological products and

packaging materials, including cellogreen, PLA and oxo-biodegradable plastics - as well as more efficient processes that create less excess waste.”

GREAT ADDITION

Consumers have increasingly high expectations of what binding and laminating machines can do, says Jeremy Cooper, UK marketing manager at Fellowes. “Consumer studies tell us that end-users are looking for laminators that offer a fast, jam-free, performance and a durable finish that protects documents and enables them to be wiped clean after use.

Jeremy says that Fellowes has responded this need; its products now include Instaheat™, which heats the laminator in as little as 60 seconds, has auto-reverse jam prevention and AutoSense automation for sensing pouch thickness, and instantly adjusting the speed for a high-quality finish.

He adds that consumers are also seeking laminators that are user-friendly. “With many people moving away from large-run, commercial printing to self-print, needs-must solutions, laminating provides a professional touch to one-off requirements and adds longevity of the document, thus reducing the amount of paper being printed.”

Meanwhile, binding machines are going through something of a revolution, according to Jeremy, with the development of one machine to undertake the functions of three tools. “The recently launched Lyra™ 3-in-1 Binding Centre enhances and simplifies document binding productivity by combining the functions of comb binding, stapling, and two and four-hole punching in a single machine.

“It staples up to 30 sheets using the staple edge guide and the patented EasyPress™ double-action stapler. The comb binding and hole punching start with the easy vertical document loading for aligned pages and clean punching. The Lyra™ also features document and comb measurement guides to help users achieve perfectly accurate results. The hole punch has a 30-sheet capacity, and the comb binding punches up to 20 sheets at a time, and binds up to 300 sheets.”

BESPOKE APPROACH

Dealers have an important role to play in advising customers on the right products for their businesses, guiding them through the recent developments in binding and laminating technology. “Acting as a consultant to their customers, dealers should take a more bespoke approach, rather than a ‘one size fits all’ angle, enabling them to create a personalised solution that best suits their client’s individual requirements,” says Lawrence.

“With this in mind, an ever-growing number of dealers are seeking to enhance their scope of support beyond simply advising on available product choices, with many now also offering guidance on the design layout of the customer’s office space in relation to staff circulation patterns, social distancing signage and PPE equipment locations and COVID-19 staff testing stations, as well as the placement of dedicated employee wellbeing areas.

“Dealers should be able to construct more focused product proposals that are built around the needs of their customers. In the industry today there are several ecologically aware and sustainable product solutions that benefit from innovative, yet cost effective, manufacturing processes.

“With the help of supplier product training, and related marketing collateral, dealers can highlight those relevant items that will chime with their clients’ environmental values.”

An ever-growing number of dealers are seeking to enhance their scope of support