Mail inserting for direct mailers and lettershops

Bell and Howell’s Producer inserters are designed for environments that demand mailpiece quality controls, high production volumes and low operating costs. Producer inserters are built to last, are easily maintained and can be productive in the most challenging environments.

The requirement to meet high production demands with the fewest number of machines and the lowest possible labor costs is causing the industry to rethink the approach to high-speed mail production. Bell and Howell Producer inserters yield the highest production with the fewest number of operators. An array of productivity enhancements designed to reduce operating costs, optimize every machine cycle and automate paper handling processes are available. These inserters have the capability to process a variety of application types at speeds that are perfectly matched to your business and production needs.

The Bell and Howell Producer 18 inserting system is specifically designed to meet the requirements of today’s direct mail and lettershop houses.

Operating at speeds up to 18,000 cycles per hour, these systems are well positioned to handle the increasingly complex inserting jobs your clients are asking for.

The Producer 18 system is a true “in-line” process. Insert envelope feeders are located on the operator side of the system over the main collation track, and inserts and envelopes travel in the same direction.

Operation is further simplified because envelope feeding and opening are accomplished in a very short, direct delivery path. Reduced complexity for the operators translates to a significant reduction in scrap and rework, and higher productivity.

The Producer 18 system gives you:

• The ease of use that makes your operators more productive. Designed with the operator in mind, both systems incorporate easy-to-use setup routines that allow for quick format and size changes. Centralized lubrication points and other self-service features keep maintenance times to a minimum
• The freedom to grow your business without outgrowing your system. The Producer 18 systems are built using a modular design that allows additional capabilities to be added as your needs change

Flexibility

The Producer 18 systems employ rotary feeders as the primary feeding technology. Benefits include the following:

• More versatile — handles wide range of paper types and conditions
• Uses vacuum separation for positive control of the material
• Eliminates wear mechanisms associated with other feeding technologies
• Dual-gripper design eliminates skew compared to lower-cost, single-gripper designs
• Captured cams allow much higher speeds without “cam lofting” typical of lower-cost designs
• Large diameter feeder drum minimizes feeding problems

In addition to the standard rotary feeder, additional feeder options are available for a wide range of production requirements, including rotary feeders with separator disk, shuttle feeders and friction feeders. All insert feeders are modular and can be changed after installation.

Navigator system controller

The Producer 18 also features the Bell and Howell Navigator system controller, which acts as a master command center for virtually any device. With Navigator, operators are free to engage in their operational duties while communicating with the system using the voice command option. This allows them to focus on keeping the system running and lowering your cost per piece.

Optional features

• Ink-jet addressing
• Selective inserting
• Matching
• ZIP Code sorting

Specifications

Max cycle speed

• 18,000 cycles per hour for #10 envelopes (C6/5), 6” x 9” envelopes (C5) and #14 Brokerage envelopes

Feeder types

• Shuttle
• Friction
• Rotary
• Pick and place
• Card feeder

Envelope sizes

• Minimum: 4” x 7” (101.6 mm x 177.8 mm)
• Maximum: 6.3” x 13” (160.0 mm x 330.2 mm)
• Maximum collation thickness: 0.4” (10.2 mm)

Insert sizes

• Minimum: 3.2” x 4.3” (81.3 mm x 109.2 mm)
• Maximum: 5.9” x 11.8” (149.9 mm x 299.7 mm)