Smallest and largest sheet
List the unfolded dimensions of your recurring jobs, including the smallest insert.
Selection decision: Select a platform whose feed envelope covers both ends of the job mix.
Solution · Automatic folding
Automatic Paper Folding Machines
Plan an automatic folder around the jobs you run: sheet feeding, fold layout and finished-stack handling.
Production brief
Automatic Paper Folding
An automatic paper folding machine does three things a hand-fed folder cannot: it separates one sheet at a time from a full pile, it holds that sheet in register through every fold, and it delivers a counted, squared stack at the end. Everything that decides your unit cost — how many operators you need, how fast you can change a fold pattern, how much waste you produce — follows from those three functions.
The SPEED automatic range covers sheets from 60 × 100 mm miniature leaflets up to 780 × 1200 mm large format, with paper weights from 28 to 210 gsm depending on model. Folding speeds run from 180 m/min on the T490/T520/T600 platform to 210 m/min on the T780.
Published configuration references · Ratings depend on the model and configuration; they are not an accepted-output guarantee for a complete line.
180–210
m/min folding speed
28–210
gsm paper range
60×100
mm smallest sheet
2
folding units per machine
01 / Define the job
Information that determines the configuration
Start with the printed piece and the production requirement. These details help our team compare equipment and propose the process.
Paper and surface
Provide grammage, coating, grain direction and printed samples.
Selection decision: Review separation, roller settings and fold quality on the actual stock.
Fold layout
Supply the crease sequence and final panel dimensions for each regular format.
Selection decision: Choose the plate arrangement and any required second-unit operation.
Batch size and handoff
State batch lengths, changeover frequency and how the stacks are packed.
Selection decision: Specify feeding access and delivery around the operator workflow.
Production requirements
Production requirements and the specification decisions to review for this folding job.
01
Feeding consistency on mixed stock
A folder that feeds reliably on 80 gsm offset paper will double-sheet on coated stock and mis-feed on lightweight pharma paper. SPEED machines use a servo-driven high-speed feeder with three-hole suction wheels and double-sheet detection, so the separation parameters are set per job instead of being a compromise across the week.
02
Fold accuracy that survives the run
Register has to hold at the last fold, not the first. High-precision folding fences, a fully sealed circulating-lubrication box and gear transmission (instead of belt drive) remove the two main sources of drift: fence creep and roller-speed slip.
03
Changeover time between jobs
Buckle plates are independent stops, so a fold pattern change is a plate reposition rather than a tooling change. On a 10+4 or 12+6 plate machine the standard direct-mail and brochure patterns are all reachable from the same configuration.
02 / Plan the process
From the printed sheet to the finished piece
A process reference for the project discussion. The final layout and optional stages are agreed from the job drawing and sample run.
- 01
Feed and register
Set up sheet separation and registration for the job stock.
- 02
Fold to the layout
Set the fold sequence and unit arrangement from the supplied drawing.
- 03
Deliver and collect
Match collection and stack handling to the final panel and batch workflow.
Configuration notes
- Feeder
Servo high-speed automatic feeder with suction-wheel separation and double-sheet detection; round-pile or recirculating feeder added when one operator runs long, uninterrupted batches.
- Folding units
Two folding units per machine. The first unit carries the parallel buckle plates, the second unit carries the cross-fold plates — for example 8H4W on the T490 platform or 14H6W on the T600.
- Control
PLC with touch-screen control on the T780 platform; stack-height dual control is standard on the buckle series so the delivery does not have to be watched.
- Delivery
Standard belt delivery, or a vertical stacker where folded panels are small enough to fan out without one.
03 / Select the equipment
Equipment and its role in the process
Compare the linked equipment by its role. Folders and finishing modules are selected for their own operating envelope; every unit is not required for every job.
Miniature buckle folding
T490 Automatic Paper Folding Machine
Review the minimum sheet and finished panel size for small leaflets and inserts.
View specifications →
Leaflet folding and line integration
T520 Automatic Paper Folding Machine
Review the leaflet format and the interfaces to trimming, pressing and delivery equipment.
View specifications →
Commercial production folding
T600 Automatic Paper Folding Machine
Compare sheet format, fold arrangement and delivery requirements across the regular job mix.
View specifications →
Large-format folding
T780 Automatic Paper Folding Machine
Check the largest sheet, paper weight and installation envelope before choosing the layout.
View specifications →| Equipment | Sheet / feed / working width | Paper weight / finished thickness | Published speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| T490 | 490 × 1000 mm | 28–200 gsm | 180 m/min |
| T520 | 520 × 1000 mm | 28–200 gsm | 180 m/min |
| T600 | 600 × 1000 mm | 28–200 gsm | 180 m/min |
| T780 | 780 × 1200 mm | 40–210 gsm | 210 m/min |
Values refer to individual products. Actual line output depends on the stock, fold sequence, optional equipment and delivery arrangement.
Fold layouts for the project discussion
Use the diagrams to describe the finished piece. The model references below come from the reviewed product overviews; the ordered plate arrangement and your stock determine the final fold capability.
Half fold ↗
One fold, two panels — leaflets, mailers, greeting cards.
Accordion fold ↗
Concertina panels alternating in direction — 风琴折.
Cross fold ↗
A parallel fold followed by a fold at right angles on the second unit.
Production and demonstration footage
View the related feeding, folding or finishing operation in the existing SPEED video library. Confirm the proposed configuration against your own job brief.
Commercial A4 folding for leaflets and inserts
Everyday commercial print finishing: A4 leaflets, brochures and inserts folded on a single automatic folder.
Watch on YouTube →Fold methods: accordion, door, cross and more
A reference run through the standard fold patterns a buckle folder produces and how the plate settings differ for each.
Watch on YouTube →04 / Review the sample
Checks to agree before the trial
Agree the test stock, drawing, operating conditions and acceptance criteria with our team. The checks below help structure that review.
Stable sheet feeding
Record missed or double sheets during an agreed sample run using the intended stock.
Repeatable fold position
Measure finished panels at the start, middle and end of the run against agreed tolerances.
Practical changeover
Time the change between two recurring jobs, including setup sheets and first accepted output.
Frequently asked
What makes a folding machine "automatic"?
Automatic refers to the feed and delivery: sheets are separated from a pile by suction wheels, fed under servo control, detected for doubles, and counted and stacked automatically at the delivery. A semi-automatic folder still needs an operator to present each sheet.
How many operators does an automatic folder need?
One operator can run a single automatic folder and, with a round-pile or recirculating feeder, tends it only to reload and to remove finished stacks — which is what makes one-operator-two-machine layouts practical.
Can one automatic folder cover both commercial and pharmaceutical work?
Yes, provided the minimum sheet size is small enough. The T490 handles the 60 × 100 mm miniature end and the T600/T780 handle commercial formats; a machine used for both should be specified with the smallest sheet you actually run, not the largest.
Folded product applications
Pharmaceutical leaflets
Folded to carton-insert size from 40–120 gsm pharma paper; the highest-volume pharmaceutical folding job.
Production considerations
Patient information leaflets must fit the carton while retaining readable multi-panel copy. Miniature sheet handling, repeatable fold position and counted delivery are the main production checks.
The T490 and T520 cover leaflet folding; the SD-X250 can trim or slit a finished leaflet when the cut edge is part of the job. Confirm the pattern on the actual stock before specifying the line.
Brochures and catalogues
Parallel, roll and gate folds in 100–200 gsm stock, folded square enough to stack flat.
Production considerations
Commercial print shops alternate between brochure, catalogue and mailer formats. Fold-pattern coverage and changeover time therefore matter alongside running speed.
T490, T600 and T780 configurations cover different sheet formats. Round-pile feeding can support longer runs on compatible T600 and T780 lines. Match the plate set and feeder to the real job mix.
Industry applications
Related solutions
Solution · High-speed folding
High-Speed Paper Folding Machines
Speed on a folding machine is not a single number. A folder only holds its rated 180 or 210 m/min if the feeder keeps up, the rollers do not slip, and the delivery does not force a stop every few thousand sheets. High-speed folding is therefore a system question: feeder continuity, transmission type
Solution · Commercial printCommercial Paper Folding Machines
A commercial print finisher is judged on the number of different jobs that can leave the floor in a day. That makes changeover time, fold-pattern range and the ability to switch paper stock between jobs more important than a headline speed figure nobody runs all week.
Discuss your automatic paper folding project
Send the job drawing, printed stock information and production requirements. Our team can review the equipment combination and arrange the next technical discussion or sample test.