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Beyond the Guillotine: Automating B2+ Sheet Finishing

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The B2+ Opportunity… and the Bottleneck

The adoption of B2+ digital presses continues to grow rapidly. These platforms bring exceptional versatility, enabling printers to produce everything from oversized posters to complex multi-up postcard layouts on a single sheet.

Yet, in many production environments, these large-format sheets are still routed to traditional guillotine cutters. The result is a growing “work-in-progress” (WIP) backlog that clutters the shop floor, increases handling, and ultimately slows down the path from print to finished product.

 

Rethinking the Workflow: From Multi-Step to “One and Done”

The Tecnau Stack 1212 was developed to eliminate this bottleneck.

Instead of relying on a sequence of offline steps—vibrating tables, manual turning, multiple cutting operations—the Stack 1212 automates the entire conversion process in a single pass. Printed B2+ sheets enter the system and exit as neatly finished, production-ready stacks.

This shift from fragmented workflows to a streamlined, near-line process significantly reduces manual intervention, improves consistency, and accelerates turnaround times.

 

Built for Today’s Applications: Precision on Heavy Stocks

As direct mail and high-end marketing applications evolve, there is a clear move toward heavier, more tactile substrates—often reaching up to 350 gsm.

The Stack 1212 is engineered to handle these demanding materials with precision and reliability, offering:

    • Multi-up slitting to convert B2+ sheets into 2-up, 3-up, or up to 21-up finished pieces
    • Automated waste removal, with gutters and trims separated in-line to deliver clean, ready-to-use stacks
    • Integrated footprint, replacing multiple legacy systems with a single, efficient solution

 

From Process to Performance

By transitioning from offline guillotine cutting to an automated near-line workflow, printers can dramatically reduce touchpoints in production—an essential advantage in a market where labor costs and efficiency pressures continue to rise.

Fewer manual steps, less handling, and more predictable output translate into a smoother, more controlled operation.

And ultimately, a clearer path from Print to Profit.

Go to the Stack 1212 product page