Coil binding looks good, doesn’t it? Pages turn a full 360 degrees, there’s a wide variety of color choices and the binding coils hold up well. If you need a coil binding machine, you should first take a look at the Intelli-Bind IC310 coil binding machine from Intelli-Zone. This is my review.

Intelli-Bind is a fairly new line of binding machines, but the feedback from the first few months has been very positive. Who, after all, can complain about a machine that does exactly what other machines twice the price can do? The Intelli-Bind IC310 is a newcomer, but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

My first impression with the IC310 is the features, and the almost over abundance of them. Many of these features are clearly available upon seeing the machine. A few of these obvious features includes the electric coil inserter and the fully disengaging dies.

The build quality on the IC310 is exceptional. The metal chassis and metal components really make this coil binding machine sturdy. While it isn’t too heavy to pick up for most people (31 pounds shipped), you definitely get a feel for the hefty build.

As previously mentioned, the IC310 has an electric coil inserter. This inserter really speeds up the coil binding process versus manually inserting the coils. The inserter is activated by turning on a switch. The entire process is quick and the inserter motor makes very little noise.

The selectable disengaging punching dies makes custom-size book binding very easy. Every single one of the 53 punching pins can be disengaged. Very few binding machines in this price range offer this capability. The IC310 also includes an adjustable margin depth selector dial.

The handle is leveraged in such a way that 18-sheet punching is fairly easy to do. The punching pins are sharp and get the job done very quickly. The IC310 punches holes in a 4:1 pitch (four holes per inch) pattern, which is the most common type used today. It can be used to bind up to about 1 ¼” of paper.

Overall I consider the Intelli-Bind IC310 to be an exceptional binding machine for low to medium-volume binding needs. It can easily be used all day long and the electric coil inserter is a huge plus. This is a great binding machine to have in a copy shop, a school, a church or other organization that needs to bind books, reports and other material.

You can find the Intelli-Bind IC310 coil binding machine here. You can find our entire selection of coil binding machines here and coil binding supplies here. Have a great day!

Do you need a high-quality pouch laminator that can be used to laminate letter-size or smaller documents? If so, one affordable model you may want to consider using is the Intelli-Lam IL300 pouch laminator from Intelli-Zone. I have had the opportunity to use this laminator and this is my review.

The Intelli-Lam IL300 is considered to be a medium to high-volume pouch laminator. This means it can be used throughout the day for laminating letter-size documents, signs, photographs and other material.

My first impression, upon handling this laminator, was how heavy-duty the build quality is. It has a metal case and metal components that become pretty clear when you try to pick the thing up. It is a very solid and well-built machine.

Upon opening it up, I was able to see that it had a total of four rollers. This is especially nice, when compared to other laminators in this price range that only have two rollers. Four rollers helps evenly distribute heat and pressure, which in turn provides better laminating results.

The control panel is fairly simple. There is nothing digital on the control panel, but it does have an adjustable temperature control and a separate switch that can be used to turn the motor on, off or put it in reverse. If you have ever misfed something into a pouch laminator, you probably know how nice it is to have a reverse switch. When in the “off” position, the heat is also turned off.

A power light lets you know when the laminator is plugged in and a green light indicator blinks until the laminator is completely warmed up, at which time it will turn a solid green. Unfortunately there is no power switch, which means you will have to unplug the laminator to turn it completely off (although it is in a standby mode when the motor is in the “off” position).

The IL300 is designed to be used with laminating film up to 10 mils thick. This is the thickest laminating film typically offered. This also means that the IL300 can also be used with thinner 3, 5 and 7 mil pouches. This provides a wide variety of laminating options.

Upon plugging it in and turning it on, I noticed that the IL300 is very quiet. The motor makes hardly any noise at all. This is the case even when the motor is in reverse. Even the cooling fan is extremely quiet. The laminator was warmed up and ready to be used in less than 10 minutes.

Overall I consider this to be a great, solid laminator (especially for the price). I would have no problem using this laminator with my most important documents.

You can find the Intelli-Lam IL300 pouch laminator here. You can find our entire selection of pouch laminators here.

Do you need a simple comb binding machine that can be used at home and won’t break the bank? There are a lot of machines out there, so which one should you get? One model you should seriously consider getting is the Intelli-Bind IB100 comb binding machine from Intelli-Zone. This is my review.

To begin with, the Intelli-Bind IB100 is easily one of the cheapest comb binding machines out there. At the time of this article, it only costs $45. This makes the Intelli-Bind IB100 an ideal machine for binding enthusiasts, for crafts and other home or light-volume binding projects.

This binding machine is very compact, weighing in at only 11 pounds shipped. That means it is extremely easy to move around and can be used on just about any table or surface.

The IB100 can punch up to 6-8 sheets of standard copy paper at a time. While this is the maximum amount allowed, I would probably scale that back to 6 sheets to be on the safe side. I’ve never been a big fan of maxing out a binding machine every time you punch paper.

This binding machine can be used to bind small books that consist of only a few pages all the way up to a two-inch thick book. This is pretty nice. Many comb binding machines, that fit within this price range, are limited to an inch or less.

If you plan on binding paper of custom sizes, this may not be the best binding machine for you. I recommend using a comb binding machine with selectable (disengageable) punching dies to avoid half-punched holes (like the Intelli-Bind IB400). The IB100 is best used with letter-size paper.

The Intelli-Bind IB100 is great for binding presentations, reports, books and other letter-size documents. It can be used to punch clear covers and card stock. Just be sure you scale back the amount of sheets punched at a time when using thicker paper.

Overall I consider the IB100 to be an excellent machine for its price range. I only recommend using it for light-volume binding.

You can find the Intelli-Bind IB100 comb binding machine here. You can find our entire selection of comb binding machines here.

Are you looking for a wire binding machine that is made to last for years? If so, you probably want a machine that is built from the ground up from metal components. If this is your goal, you may want to consider looking at the Intelli-Bind IW400 wire binding machine31 from Intelli-Zone. I have had a chance to use this machine and this is my review.

I’ve got the Intelli-Bind IW400 sitting next to me and the first thing I am noticing is the build quality. Just moving this thing over to my desk took a little effort. The case of the IW400 is made out of cast iron and the handle, punching pins and gears are all metal as well. It weighs in at 37 pounds shipped.

It has a total of two handles, located on the right side. The longer of the two handles is used to punch paper (up to 20 sheets) and the shorter handle is used for closing the wire. The handles are both long enough that the punching and closing takes very little effort. The way this machine is designed, you will need to use your right hand to operate it.

The IW400 is designed to punch and bind paper up to 13″ long, but has an open end. This means you can punch and bind longer sheets by sliding the longer paper and punching it again. I’ve always liked having an open-ended binding machine. I wish all wire binding machines were made like this.

The 2:1 pitch version of this machine has 27 punching pins and the 3:1 pitch has 40 punching pins. The term pitch is used to describe the hole pattern used. Each of the punching pins can be disengaged, which is pretty nice. This is especially ideal for punching and binding custom-sizes of paper. The punched holes are rectangular in shape.

The Intelli-Bind IW400 has a dial on the side of the machine where you can adjust how far into the paper the holes are punched. There is another dial on the top of the machine where you can adjust the wire closer. The wire closer is found in the back of the machine.

One thing unique to the IW400, versus many other wire machines, is the wire holder. There is a convenient clamp located on the front of the machine that is used to hold wire in place while paper is added. This is especially nice, making the holes easier to line up.

Did I mention the build quality? Wow. This thing is tough.

A wide catch tray drawer is found on the front of this machine. It spans the width of the machine and almost the entire length. This means it holds a lot of paper, requiring you to empty it less often.

Overall I have to say that the IW400 is more than adequate for medium-volume, continuous binding. It is probably one of the heaviest-duty manual wire binding machines I have used to date. You won’t be disappointed.

You can find the 3:1 pitch Intelli-Bind IW400 wire binding machine here and the 2:1 pitch Intelli-Bind IW400 wire binding machine here.  You can find our entire selection of manual-punch wire binding machines here. Feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 to speak with one of our binding machine specialists.

Are you looking for a well-rounded comb binding machine that will hold up with continued use? Perhaps a machine made with metal components? If so, you may want to consider looking at the Intelli-Bind IB500 comb binding machine from Intelli-Zone. I have had a chance to use this and this is my review.

To begin with, the Intelli-Bind IB500 reminds me of the old Ibico Ibimatic (aka CombBind C150). It even handles a lot like it. Do you remember that comb binding machines? Ibico was later bought out by GBC and the machine was altered and changed, but the IB500 handles a lot like the original Ibimatic. The biggest difference is the addition of disengageable punching pins.

This compact little comb binding machine is pretty fun to use. It features a metal housing and metal components, which is really nice in any piece of office equipment. While the IB500 hasn’t been around long enough for me to tell you just how long it will last, I wouldn’t be surprised if this machine held up for several years without issue.

While not designed for high-volume binding jobs, it can certainly be used on a daily basis. The punching mechanism is manually operated, capable of punching about 20 sheets of standard 20# paper at a time. Technically it has 21 punching dies (for A4 paper) but it is able to do 19-ring comb binding with letter-size paper. It will easily bind up to 2-inches of paper.

The paper punching and comb opening are all done on the same lever. You pull the lever down to punch the paper and push it back to open / close the combs. The handle is angled in an ergonomic way, making paper punching less strenuous. Sorry lefties, but this machine is definitely designed for the right-handed individual.

As paper is punched, the punched holes are collected in a bin located under the machine. A drawer, which you can probably see in the picture, can be slid out and emptied.

The Intelli-Bind IB500 weighs in at 26 pounds shipped. This means it is still a hefty little machine, but still light enough to be moved around and used on just about any table or desk.

Having handled this machine myself, I can say that it is definitely a solid little machine. The build quality feels good and it is extremely easy to operate. If you have light to medium-volume binding needs, this is a great machine to have on hand. It is certainly priced to move.

You can find the Intelli-Bind IB500 comb binding machine here. You can find our entire selection of manual-punch comb binding machines here. Feel free to speak with one of our binding machine specialists at 1-800-658-8788 with any book binding questions.

Do you need to bind a cookbook, a report or perhaps a presentation? Coil binding is a great way to bind a wide variety of literature. If you are looking for a binding machine, you should seriously consider looking at the Intelli-Bind IC110 coil binding machine. This is my review.

The Intelli-Bind line (from Intelli-Zone) covers a wide variety of book binding formats, which includes coil, wire and comb. Intelli-Bind is quickly growing in popularity due to the feature-to-price ratio. You can almost always get more “binding machine” for your money with Intelli-Bind. The Intelli-Bind IC110 coil binder is a prime example of this.

The Intelli-Bind IC110 may be one of the cheapest coil binding machines to include an electric coil inserter. If you have ever manually inserted coils, you can probably appreciate the convenience of an electric coil inserter.

The IC110 is primarily designed for light-volume use. This means it can be used on a daily basis, but isn’t the best option for binding dozens to hundreds of books a day. It is compact, ideal for sitting on a desk and great for the binding the occasional book. You will find this binding machine in homes and small businesses.

While the IC110 does have an electric coil inserter, punching is done manually. The manual punch is designed to punch through up to 12 sheets of paper at a time. The hole pattern is a 4:1 pitch (four holes per inch), which allows the IC110 to bind a book up to about 225 sheets thick.

Once holes are punched, and you are ready to insert a coil, I recommend feeding the coil through the first 3-4 holes. You can then turn on the electric coil inserter and let the IC110 spin the coil through the rest of the holes. The electric inserter is turned on and off by use of a switch, located on the top of the machine.

Be aware that the Intelli-Bind IC110 does not have disengaging (selectable) punching pins. While this isn’t a big deal if you are only binding letter-size paper, it would still be nice to have. Intelli-Zone does make a machine with selectable punching pins called the Intelli-Bind IC310 (found here).

Overall I consider the IC110 to be a great little binding machine for the money. It is compact, very portable and perfect for a book binding hobbyist or for a small business.

You can find the Intelli-Bind IC110 coil binding machine here. You can find our entire selection of Intelli-Bind coil binding machines here and our entire selection of coil binding machines here.

Are you in need of a solid, metal-built thermal pouch laminator that can be used to laminate photographs, menus, signs, business cards and other material? One model you may want to consider using is the Intelli-Lam IL400 thermal pouch laminator from Intelli-Zone. I have had a chance to use this laminator and this is my review.

The Intelli-Lam IL400 (from Intelli-Zone) is a 13-inch wide laminator that can be used to laminate letter-size documents, menus, photographs, signs, business card and other material. As long as the document fits within the 13-inch wide throat, you should be fine.

This laminator can handle most laminating pouches out there. It has an adjustable temperature dial that goes up to about 320 degrees Fahrenheit (160C).  It is able to accept laminating pouches up to 10 mils thick (250 microns) without any problems.

I actually have this laminator sitting next to me right now as I am writing this review. It is a pretty solid laminator. Everything is made out of metal, which is a rarity with pouch laminators.

While not all plastic laminators are bad, the metal housing definitely holds up well. Metal housings often indicate quality mechanical components inside. I just took out the screws on this laminator and took a peek inside. Everything in this laminator seems to be made from high-quality parts.

I am picking this laminator up now, and it definitely has a hefty feel to it, but I don’t think anyone should have a problem moving it from desk to desk. The power cord is extremely thick, but can be detached or replaced if needed. The IL400 weighs 20 pounds shipped, which isn’t too bad.

The laminator sits on four rubber feet that helps keep the laminator stable. It is sitting quite nicely here on my desk. I know this ultimately doesn’t play into how the laminator operates, but I think it is a nice looking machine.

It has a built-in fan that helps cool down the laminating film as it exits the machine. The finished laminated results appear to be crystal clear, smooth and glossy.  A total of four rollers helps with this process and means you shouldn’t ever have to re-run material through this laminator a second time.

The control panel is arranged nicely. The adjustable temperature dial is clearly laid out. There is a power LED light and a “ready” LED to let you know when it is ready to be use. A rocker switch lets you turn the motor on, off or put it in reverse. Reverse functionality in a pouch laminator is great in the event of a misfeed or jam.

Overall I consider the Intelli-Lam IL400 to be a great laminator. For the price, and everything you get, it is a great deal.

You can find the Intelli-Lam IL400 thermal pouch laminator here. You can find our entire selection of pouch laminators here. Feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions on laminators.

Are you looking for an affordable paper folding machine that can be used for creating letter and accordion folds? If so, you may want to look at the new Intelli-Fold IF300 paper folding machine from Intelli-Zone. This compact paper folding machine is brand new and I have had a chance to test it out. This is my review.

To begin with, Intelli-Zone is a leading manufacturer of affordable office equipment. They make a wide variety of laminators, paper shredders, binding machines and paper folding machines.  You can find Intelli-Zone’s entire product line here.

The Intelli-Fold IF300 is very similar in setup and operation to the LF286, LF283, LF283B and Dahle 10560. At first glance, you’ll find the IF300 to be a very attractive machine. It features a modern office design that blends in well. Another thing you’ll notice is that it has a digital display that will tell you how many sheets have been folded.

Setup of the IF300 is manual. This means both of the folding plates have to be manually set to the fold you want to do. This isn’t difficult. Common folds are printed on the folding plates, making adjustments simple. You should be able to have this folding machine set up and running in less than 10 minutes.

The feed tray can hold up to 100 sheets at a time and will automatically fold those sheets until they are gone. It even gives you the option to tell it how many sheets you want it to fold before it stops. The motor itself is adjustable. You can choose from low, medium and high-speed options.

Keep in mind that the Intelli-Fold IF300 will not work with glossy paper. This is the case with most friction-feed folding machines. This is because the friction rollers will slip on glossy coated paper, causing the machine to jam.

I personally ran several stacks of paper through, creating a letter fold (C fold) and accordion fold (Z fold) and a single fold (V fold). It seemed to do a nice job at folding the paper. The IF300 is primarily designed to work with standard copy paper with a paper thickness range of 6 to 24# paper.

Also keep in mind that this folding machine is not designed for high volume use. It is a great folding machine to have on hand for light-volume folding. This is the case as well with the LF286 and LF283 series folding machines.

Overall I give this machine high marks for what it is designed to do. It is affordable, great looking and much faster than folding paper by hand.

You can find the Intelli-Fold IF300 paper folding machine here. You can find our entire selection of paper folding machines here. Feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any paper folding machine questions.

At ABC Office we are always looking for new ways to increase our product selection in an effort to give you more choices and better prices. We are happy to announce that today we are now able to offer you binding machines, paper shredders, laminators and paper folders from Intelli-Zone™.

Intelli-Zone™ offers these products under the Intelli-Bind™, Intelli-Lam™, Intelli-Shred™ and Intelli-Fold™ names. While these machines won’t be available to ship until September 2010, we are currently offering extremely low pre-order pricing. If you are able to lock in your order now, you will not only get a great price, but you will also be at the front of the line.

These are the new products offered by Intelli-Zone™:

• Intelli-Zone Comb Binding Machines
• Intelli-Zone Wire Binding Machines
• Intelli-Zone Coil Binding Machines
• Intelli-Zone Paper Shredders
• Intelli-Zone Pouch Laminators
• Intelli-Zone Folding Machines
  

We are excited about this new addition and expect the Intelli-Zone™ addition to be a big hit with our customers. Do you have questions about Intelli-Zone™ office equipment? Call us at 1-800-658-8788 or post your question in a comment.