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Insurance Management System is a prolific innovation of Radix a software development company in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, to support complete needs for clients in web insurance management. It is a pioneering system of ...
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Articles » Product Reviews » Miscellaneous Product Reviews » Akiles Offibind 21D Plastic Comb Binding Machine Review
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- Article Views: 278
- Word Count: 795
- Date Contributed: Feb 13, 2008
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| Akiles Offibind 21D Plastic Comb Binding Machine Review |
The Offibind 21D is the smallest plastic comb binding machine manufactured by Akiles Products. It is designed for use in the small office / home office space and with a pricetag of around $100 it is definitely worth taking a look at. In fact, the Offibind is a great example of the fact that you don't have to pay a lot of money for a decent quality plastic comb binding machine. This article will take a quick look at the features, limitations and construction of this machine.
Features:
For the pricetag, the Offibind actually has several features that other similarly priced binding machines don't offer. The first such feature is the adjustable depth of punch margin control on the 21D. This is a feature that is normally only available on much more expensive machines. The adjustable depth of punch control is located on the back of the Offibind and is fully adjustable. Many other machines with this feature provide between 2-4 preset settings. However, with this machine you can adjust the distance of the holes from the edge of your document in increments of just millimeters. This means that you can use 3/16" plastic combs with this machine (something that is not recommended with other small binding machines that don't have a depth of punch control).
The Offibind also includes three disengageable punching pins at the end of the machine. This allows it to work with letter sized paper, oversized covers and A4 paper for European formats. By default you will most likey have the number 20 and 21 pins pulled out most of the time. However, when punching longer documents or oversized covers with rounded corners the ability to engage these pins is important.
The Offibind is includes a binding punch that is capable of punching up to 10 sheets of 20lb paper per lift. It also has a plastic comb opener that is rated for use with combs that are up to 1" in diameter. Several of the other binding machines in this price range are not capable of handling combs that are that large. With the 21D you can bind documents that are as thick as 240 sheets of 20lb paper which is adequate for most applications.
Limitations:
Although the Akiles Offibind is a great machine for the price it does have some limitations. First, the punch on the OffiBind is only rated for use with ten sheets of paper per lift. Realistically this means that you will need to keep your punching to about 8 sheets of 20lb paper at a time (or less if you are punching thicker sheets). For small proposals this is not a problem. However, for thicker documents it can become very tedious to separate your book into such small sections.
The Alikes 21D also does not have fully disengageable punching pins. The design of the machine does allow for punching of half letter sized documents (8.5" x 5.5") but it does not allow for the punching of custom lengths. For most users this is not a problem but it is something that is worth noting especially if you are planning on punching longer documents.
The other limitation that is of note is that the comb opener on this machine is only rated to handle combs up to 1" in diameter. While plastic comb binding spines are available in sizes as large as 2" in diameter this machine is not capable of finishing the larger sized books. If you ever think that you may need to bind larger sized books you might consider purchasing a little bit larger machine that can use the bigger combs.
Construction:
For such an inexpensive machine the Akiles Offi-Bind is actually very well built. Unlike other machines in its price range the Offibind has a solid metal base and all metal components inside. The housing over the punching mechanism is plastic and so are the knobs. However, this should not affect the performance of the machine at all. It has rubber feet that will keep it from slipping on your work surface and uses a strong steel handle that should be more than adequate. Plus, Akiles offers a 1 year warranty in case you should have any problems.
Recommendation:
This machine is ideal for a small office or home office that binds a few documents per week. The relatively small punch capacity combined with the inability to bind thicker documents doesn't make it a great candidate for higher volume environments. Still, the excellent construction and small footprint of this machine make it a great choice for many organizations.
For more information or to purchase the product please visit:
http://www.mybinding.com/.sc/ms/dd/ee/26729/Akiles-Offibind-Plastic-Comb-Binding-Machine
or
http://www.mybinding.com
Article Source: UnArchived Articles
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