The first step to selecting the correct wire binding machine for you is to understand the volumes and type of paper you are looking to bind. Machines range for office level units to high speed commercial systems.  There are 6 basic steps to selecting the right Wire-o machine for you - see our list below.

1. How much paper - punches can range from 8 sheets per punch to 35 sheets per punch (some say 55 sheets but that is generally for three hole punch), it is important to understand what level of volume you will be producing. Machines with under 20 sheets of punching capacity are most commonly manually operated. Those at 20 sheets and above are electrically operated. Knowing how many sheets of paper you need to punch and how often will help you decide if you can survive with a manually operated punch.
2. Book thickness - Twin loop wire or Wire-o comes in two different pitches (amount of holes per 1” of paper) 3:1 (3 holes per 1”) is for binding books up to 1/2” in thickness and 2:1 (2 holes per 1”) is used for binding books 9/16” and above.  Measure the book thickness to understand what die pattern is required for you. The binding elements come in these standard sizes so you will need the punch pattern to match up in order for the book to bind properly.
3. Timeline - How long do you have to produce the books. This combined with answer to the first question will tell you how big of a punch you should look at investing in.
4. Other work - the last but equally important question is are you binding any other work? Some punches have a fixed die that cannot be changed, some offer an interchangeable die. The interchangeable machine may be slightly more expensive than the fixed die machine but if you are binding coil as well as wire-o books you can acquire a second die for only a fraction of the cost of the machine. This gives you an all in one system.
5. Accessories - don’t forget the accessories, some binding machines include a wire binding module however some do not. Make sure you have the accessories you need in order to finish the project.
6. Budget - we can all wish and hope as much as we like but sometimes our budget gets in the way. For 20 pages or under you are looking at around $1500 or under, for those machines above 20 pages you can pay up to $7,000 for the punch alone.
   

 
If you follow along these steps you can quickly find the machine that suits your needs best. We carry a full range of different machines to choose from manufactured by industry leaders Akiles and Rhin-o-Tuff.

 

If you are not sure which model suits best do not hesitate to give us a call and speak with one of our experienced sales team members.