Offices needing more than the occasional letter folded can really benefit from a reliable paper folding machine. The Formax FD 340 is fast and dependable for both batch applications as well as every day use. Designed to process a medium volume of documents, this machine will save you both time and money. Here is a closer look at the details of the FD 340.
Strengths:
The three-roller, drop-in feed system allows you to simply square up your stack and place it in the tray for folding, no fanning required. A skew adjuster and self-centering side guides ensure proper loading while fine tuning knobs on the fold plates help to deliver precise, crisp creases. A central control panel uses soft-touch buttons and alerts the user to an open cover, paper outage, or fault occurrence. This allows you to quickly fix the problem and continue use.
The manually adjusted plates are pre-marked with six common folds, including C, Z, single, gate, foldout, and double parallel folds. Custom folds are also possible by manipulating the plates to your specifications. Complete insulation allows the whole operation to run quietly.
As many as 500 sheets of 20lb bond can sit in the hopper at once. Sheets are folded as fast as 12,000 per hour. Paper size can range from 3.5" by 5" up to 12.25" by 17". Such a wide array of paper sizes allows the creation of myriad items, including menus, bulletins, flyers, newsletters, and many others.
Conveniently, the telescoping outfeed stacker holds the same number of processed documents as the hopper, 500 sheets. Items stay in sequential order, which is especially handy for folding numbered or progressive materials.
An optional dedicated multi-sheet feeder provides additional variety by allowing the feeding of up to three loose or stapled pages for combined folding. It offers independent skew and side guide adjustments for accurate loading and folding. If you think you may want this, it's good to know it often must be ordered at the same time, not added later.
Formax provides a 90 day warranty on this product, which doesn't include consumable parts, labor, or shipping.
Weaknesses:
The fold plates are setup manually. If your office mainly uses one fold and rarely switches, then this won't be much of an issue for you. Additionally, a business such as a print shop where machines are switched around frequently won't mind this either. But if you fit in somewhere in the middle of those two, you may find the process to be a hassle you'd rather avoid. An upgrade to the FD 382 will provide you with a comparable machine with automatic adjustments.
Only one speed is offered on this machine. For many offices this won't be a problem. However, some will find different paper stocks will work better with various speeds. For this we recommend the Dynafold DE8.
Overall, the Formax FD 340 is an adequate folder for medium applications. Offices needing mainly one fold and little paper variation will find that this device works well for them. While fancier folders may be better equipped, this one will reliably get the job done without the cost of extra, unnecessary features. The FD 340 is an excellent choice for a basic, dependable paper folder.
Formax FD 340 Document Folder Review
By: Jeff McRitchie
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