The manufacturer said its DS-700 iQ is equipped with more than 30 enhancements designed to address the evolving workflow demands of high-volume mailing environments.

It can process up to 14,000 sheets per hour and features reduced setup time with full-page reading, which eliminates the need for physical camera relocation or moving production markings with software.

The DS-700 iQ can handle multiple applications quickly, from letters to invoices to highly sensitive financial statements, with productivity of 7,000 envelopes per hour.

It can handle envelopes from DL up to C4 size, booklets, and multiple folders, and can print addresses and personalised messages. The device can also read the reverse side of documents, and features output sorting capabilities.

The machine’s sheet feeder has a capacity of 2,000 sheets – with combinations of 500 and 1,000 sheet hoppers – while its envelope feeder capacity is up to 800 C5/C6 and up to 500 flat C4 envelopes.

Users can add additional modules or enable new functionality to adapt to changing business needs, while integrity features include closed-loop verification software, and the ability to closely monitor jobs, track progress, and generate reports.

Quadient said the device is strategically designed and engineered “to meet the rapidly changing needs of mailers, driven by digitalisation and outsourcing”, with the digital transformation of essential customer communications resulting in smaller-sized physical mail batches, although the number of mail jobs may have remained steady or even increased.

The DS-700 iQ is commercially available with immediate effect, with a lead time of six to eight weeks.

It will mostly be sold direct, although Quadient also has trade partners that resell its products. Due to the machine’s modular nature, the business said pricing is dependent on specification and application.

The DS-700 iQ was being demonstrated by Quadient at its ‘See The Future Of Production Mail’ event held at its Loughton, Essex site last week, which is the production centre for all of the company’s high-end folders/inserters that are sold worldwide.

The “British-built and manufactured” machines are produced mostly with materials and parts sourced locally sourced, where this is possible.

The Loughton site also holds all of the company’s spare parts, houses its R&D activity, and hosts its engineer training.

Speaking to Printweek at the event about the DS-700 iQ, Quadient vice president of sales for the UK and Ireland, Conor Power, said: “Before this we had the DS-1200, our flagship machine, and then the DS-600 and DS-200; we’ve amalgamated both of these machines under the one banner of the 700, allowing two separate license keys for speed.

“Speed is the major upgrade, but we’re also continuing with our green button technology for ease-of-use. Readability is now automatically across the entire page, which takes away human interaction for the machine setup.

“The machine is also very modular depending on what the customer’s needs are, so we can add or subtract, or build a machine to their exact needs.”

He added the faster turnarounds would help users with shorter run work, and direct marketing “which is now really key after the pandemic with people who are at home”.

“We’ve found a very good, niche marketplace for short-run and we can turn our machines around in 45 seconds to a minute from one size to the next, which is one of the major key benefits. This means less downtime, more production, and more jobs out the door a day.”

At the event, Quadient provided customers and visitors with tours of its manufacturing facility, and also demonstrated the DS-1200 G4i, which the company shipped 100 units of in 2021 – a record for a single year, and its AIMS Automated Insertion Management System.