As transactional mail evolves, mail manufacturers are adopting inserter technology that can handle greater format variability, faster changeovers, and stricter production demands.
Secure and accurate transactional mail is crucial to business operations. Bills, statements, notices, checks, and other time-sensitive or account-specific documents must be accurate and secure.
To maintain processing accuracy, transactional mail manufacturers use inserters to gather printed components, fold documents, insert them into envelopes, and verify that each mailpiece is correctly matched, assembled, and complete for proper delivery.
As envelope format requirements become more varied, mail manufacturers need inserter technology that can support fast changeovers between projects without slowing production or increasing the risk of errors.
“Modern inserter technology is changing how transactional mail manufacturers evaluate production equipment. The most efficient operations are the ones that can accommodate envelope format changes without creating bottlenecks, excessive manual intervention, or unnecessary setup delays,” says Jeff Betterton, CEO and President of BMS Direct.
BMS Direct, a Lynchburg, Virginia based print and mailing services provider, has witnessed the shift up close. Its varied client base spans multiple sectors, including municipalities, healthcare, financial services, and government organizations.
As BMS Direct expanded its transactional mail business, the mix of jobs began to shift. Standard #10 and 6×9 envelopes remained popular, but more projects involved higher page counts and flat-sized mailpieces.
For many years, BMS Direct utilized traditional swing-arm inserters that use pivoting mechanical arms and gripper jaws to pick inserts from feeder pockets, gather them, and place them into an envelope. However, as the envelope sizes increased, the need for quicker setup and smoother transitions between jobs was apparent.
To keep pace with demand, the company needed inserter technology that could maintain accuracy while adapting to a broader mix of formats. Its existing relationship with MCS Inc., a company that designs, manufactures, sells and supports industrial inkjet imaging systems, tracking systems, and inserting systems for mail manufacturing, provided access to automated systems designed for that kind of operational flexibility.
“We prefer to work with vendors that are staying on the forefront of new technologies, new software. MCS has done that and shown that it is progressive in an ever-changing direct mail industry,” says Betterton.
BMS Direct selected the MCS EPIC inserter, a fully automated, multi-format inserter for both direct mail and transactional work, with job tracking and intelligent processing data.
For high-volume production environments, this inserter delivers rated cycling speeds of up to 24,000 inserts per hour. Features include automated setup, all-servo feeders, electronic double-detect, auto tray sorting, four programmable diverts, and optional cut-sheet or roll-fed input. The platform can produce up to 400,000 pieces per day.
“The EPIC implementation has resulted in tremendous improvement with throughput and efficiency while reducing labor needs and cost,” says Betterton.
Looking ahead, Betterton says the company will continue investing in technology that strengthens operational flexibility. “Technology from partners like MCS helps us produce with a very high level of integrity.”
For more information on MCS and their inkjet printing solutions, visit www.mcspro.com, call 800-728-0154 or email glenn.toole@mcspro.com.