American-based Therm-O-Type has chosen Drupa as its European launch pad for a new series of sheetfed foil presses.
The NSF, SFM and SFX presses can run at up to 6,000cph and can be used to produce foil blocking, foil and plain embossing, die-cutting, kiss-cutting, perforating and numbering output.

The NSF has a maximum sheet size of 30.5x31.5cm and a minimum of 9x11.5cm and has an impression area of 21.5x31.5cm. Christopher Van Pelt, Therm-O-Type vice president and designer of the range, Christopher Van Pelt, said it was developed after consultation with existing customers in the USA. Our greeting cards and other clients collectively asked us to produce a fast versatile foil press, which we did. The self-lubricating machine was released in the United States in October 1999, but is now being imported into the UK by London-based Caslon. The price of a fully installed NSF is 52,000.

The machine can be fitted with a combination of flat foil blocking and embossing dies, locked into a letterpress chase with quoins and furniture. It can also be used for ribbon numbering and crash numbering on NCR sets. Van Pelt said that typical makeready times vary from five to 25 minutes.

He added that the main advantage of the NSF compared to a conventional windmill machine was speed.