Unibind XU338 Triple Heater Binding Machine Review

*The Unibind XU338 is a high volume professional binding solution that is designed for organizations that need to bind large numbers of reports quickly and easily.

*With three heating units and three cooling compartments it is possible to bind as many as twenty four documents at one time using this machine.

*The XU-338 offers durability, productivity and versatility for organizations who want to bind documents with Unibind.

*It is ideal for organizations that are looking for a way to bind a large number of documents quickly without the need for punching and inserting.

*Plus the XU338 gives you a huge variety of options for binding their presentations and proposals.

Strengths / Features:

*The Unibind XU338 has three heating units and three cooling units. Each heating unit offers the ability to handle up to 36mm of documents at one time. This means that this machine can bind up to 108mm of documents at one time. You can bind up to twenty four small documents at one time or three 36mm documents. This unit offers a huge amount of flexibility.

*The XU338 can be used to bind documents using a variety of different supplies. Each style of Unibind supplies provides the ability to create documents with a different look and feel. Here are some of the supplies that are available for use with this machine:

1.)SteelCrystal covers have a steel spine with clear covers attached to the front and back. These covers allow you to print your own title sheet and help to add protection to your bound documents.

2.)SteelMat covers are similar to SteelCrystal supplies but have frost covers attached to the front and back. These frost covers are resistant to scratching and provide an elegant look and feel to your reports. These covers are translucent which allows the printed information on your title page to show through.

3.)Steelbook covers offer the ability to bind your own hard cover documents in just minutes. They have a steel spine hidden inside the hard cover case. They provide one of the most elegant options for binding documents using a desktop binding machine.

4.)SteelBack spines allow users to use their own covers with their documents and provide a look and feel that is more consistent with perfect binding. These covers come with a tear off front and back fly sheet. You simply bind your document into the spine and then tear off the fly sheets leaving your finished document.

5.)Unibind Photo book covers provide an option for creating landscape bound phtoobooks and presentations. They are available with or without windows and in a number of different sizes.

*The XU-338 can automatically sense when the steel spine from a Unibind cover is placed on the machine. The unit will automatically turn on the heating unit and will tell you when the binding cycle is finished. A red light will tell you that the system is heating and a green light will tell you that your document is finished and can be moved to the cooling rack. It is possible to use just one of the heating units on the XU338 or you can use all three heaters at the same time.

*The Unibind XU 338 can be used with standard thermal binding covers and or with thermal glue strips. However, these supplies don?t use steel in their spines and thus won?t activate the machine. The best way to solve this problem is to use a spare Unibind SteelBook hard cover to activate the machine. Simply place the Steel Book cover and your thermal cover onto the machine at the same time.

*Using this machine for Unibind Binding is extremely fast. The triple heating elements make it possible to bind up to twenty four books in a single binding cycle. You can assemble your next set of documents while the machine is working to help increase productivity.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

*Like all Unibind systems, the XU-338 is limited in the thickness of books that it can bind. The three heating units on this machine are each 36mm in size. Thus, the largest document that you can bind with this machine is 36mm (1-1/2?). This is the largest binding spine that is available for the Unibind system. Users who want to bind documents larger than 36mm will have to use a different binding style.

*This system is also limited in the length of documents that it can bind. The XU338 is designed for binding letter sized documents with 11? and 8.5? spines. Unibind spines are not available in any other lengths and they cannot be cut down for custom sizes.

*Unibind binding provides an excellent and secure bind for your documents. However, documents bound with this style will not lay flat or wrap around. Users who need documents with these features will want to use a traditional punch and bind system for finishing their presentations.

*Soft covers and spines for the Unibind binding system range in price from about a dollar a piece up to a dollar and a half. Hard covers start around five dollars each. These prices are higher than most punch and bind supplies. However, these supplies also provide a premium look and feel for your documents.

Recommendation:

*The XU-338 is a great choice for medium and large sized organizations that need to bind multiple documents at once.

*It offers a huge variety of options for binding your presentations, proposals, yearbooks and reports.

*However, the XU338 is somewhat limited in its ability to bind documents that are odd sizes or thicker than an inch and a half.

*Still, if your organization is looking for a professional and fast binding system, the XU338 is a great choice.

For more information or to purchase the UniBind XU338 Triple Heater Binding Machine visit MyBinding.com Jeff McRitchie is the director of marketing for MyBinding.com. He writes extensively on topics related to,Binding Supplies,Binding Machines,Laminators, Binders, Index Tabs,and more.