PREFOLDER

Prefolders make one or more folds in the web in the running direction to produce a wide variety of additional product configurations thru the press Folder. Each Prefolder is custom designed for the specific needs of the customer and the press configuration.

All Innotech Prefolders use INNOFORMER, the geometric air bar plow, to make folds at high speeds in a wide range of paper stocks without needing numerous adjustments needed by conventional plows. Typically, Prefolder will consist of an angle bar section to re-align the web and to make folds at one or both edges, or fold one or more ribbons in half. The web is kept under proper tension by the pull rollers driven by an independent drive motor to follow press speed.

Ribbon Prefolders can be incorporated in the Press Ribbon Deck to fold specified ribbons and merge these with other ribbons to provide additional product configurations or to double up the production of products such as 4 and 8 page broadsheets. In many cases, the Prefolder can perform the functions of a Balloon Former, by folding webs or ribbons and place these on the Press Former.

Typical applications are gatefolded covers for magazines, centerfolds and coupon folds for direct mail and newspaper inserts. A special version of the Prefolder for newspaper presses produces 4 page wide centerfold, typically referred to a Panorama Gatefold.