Pitney Bowes goes after transpromo with concept technology

Pitney Bowes is demonstrating a concept wrapping line at Drupa that exemplifies its “White Paper Factory” strategy.

The idea behind the White Paper Factory is straightforward – white paper goes in, completed mail packs come out.

As Pitney Bowes describes it, “high-volume print and mail operations can transform plain white paper and envelopes into powerful, colorful, personalised customer communications”.

This is taken one step further with the “drupa technology demonstration” of the Mailstream Wrapper, which uses plain paper reels instead of envelopes, which offer major cost and efficiency benefits for users.

The line combines Pitney Bowes high-speed inserting technology and software with a wrapping solution based on Sitma technology.

Simon Illingworth, Pitney Bowes product marketing manager production print, said wrapping is still largely confined to the direct mail sector, but that the new machine could push wrapping  into transactional mail space.

The machine on show is a concept line, and some additional functions are still being developed, such as the ability to introduce windows and scalloped flaps so the wrapped mail pieces look and feel like traditional envelopes.

“Adding window and scalloping makes it seem less like DM and less likely people will throw it away,” said Illingworth.

Along with this technology demonstration, Pitney Bowes is also showing its Mailstream Productivity Series (MPS) 26, which also follows the White Paper Factory concept.

Two different mock transactional jobs have been printed live on the stand on a Pitney Bowes IntelliJet, which is based on an HP T Series inkjet web press, with the statements sorted into post code order.

The reels then pass through the MPS 26 at 26,000 mail pieces an hour, with statement and envelopes paired up based on a mailroom data file then overprinted in full colour by an HP inkjet module integrated into the line.