The Akiles DuoMac-C21 is a dual purpose binding system designed for finished documents with plastic combs and 2:1 pitch double loop wire.
This machine is an excellent choice for organizations that are looking for durability, versatility and reliability. It is capable of binding documents with five different styles of binding.
The C21 is ideal for companies who are trying to decide the type of binding that is best suited to represent their image. It is also great for organizations that want to use different binding styles for their internal and external communications.
Strengths / Features:
The DuoMac-C21 includes the ability to punch two different hole patterns. It can produce rectangular holes for use with plastic comb binding and a 2:1 pitch rectangular hole pattern for use with double loop wire. With these two punching patterns it is possible to use this machine with five different binding styles including: Plastic Comb Binding, GBC Zipbind, Spiral-O Wire Combs, 2:1 Pitch Twin Loop Wire, and 2.5:1 pitch spiral coil. This makes this machine one of the most versatile binding machines available anywhere.
The C21 has a high quality plastic comb opener that is designed for use with all of the different sizes of GBC style plastic comb binding supplies. It also has a highly durable wire closer that can close twin loop wire and spiral-o wires up to 1-1/4" in diameter. With these two finishing devices, the Duomac-C21 provides a wide assortment of binding options for both small and large sized documents.
The Akiles DuoMac C21 is a legal sized binding machine. Both the plastic comb and 2:1 pitch wire punch are fourteen inches in length and have fully disengageable punching pins. This means that they can easily be set up to punch any length of document up to fourteen inches. Plus, the throats for both punches are open ended which allows for punching longer documents using a two step punching process.
The DuoMac-C21 is constructed of heavy duty, high quality metal components. Like all of the Akiles binding machines it comes with a full one year warranty. However, most users will never need to use the warranty. These machines are highly durable and rarely have any problems.
Weaknesses / Limitations:
The Akiles DuoMac C21 combines a huge number of features into one system. However in adding all of these features to the machine, the system naturally grew in size. The DuoMac C21 has a fairly large footprint and is a substantial binding machine. The system has four different handles and a number of knobs. This can be somewhat intimidating for users who have never seen a binding machine before. Luckily everything is labeled fairly well and most individuals can figure things out with a little bit of effort.
Although this system is capable of binding your documents with a number of different binding styles, it is not a replacement for an interchangeable die modular binding system. This machine is designed for light to moderate binding use. Organizations that need to bind more than about fifty documents per week will probably find the manual nature of this machine tedious. In fact, high volume users should really consider an electric punch with standalone finishing equipment.
The DuoMac C21 is capable of binding documents with five different binding styles. However each binding style has its own limitations. Depending on the style of binding that you pick the price, available colors and selection of sizes will vary. This is something that you will want to investigate before deciding on a particular binding style.
Recommendation:
The Akiles DuoMac-C21 is a great choice for companies that are looking to bind documents with multiple binding styles. It offers the ability to bind documents that are both thin and thick and can help in creating professional presentations, proposals, documents and reports.
This system can be used with up to five different styles of binding. However, each style has its own strengths and weaknesses. Still, it provides the versatility that your organization needs to create a wide variety of bound materials for internal and external use.
The DuoMac C21 is constructed of high quality metal components that help to ensure its reliability and durability.
However, this machine is still a manual binding system and is not ideal for high volume production applications. Print shops and binderies that produce hundreds of documents a day should look for a interchangeable die modular binding system with standalone finishing equipment.
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There Are Many Different Types of Coaches
Coaching is a profession that is practiced by a variety of individuals, with no standardized training or regulation. Several professional accrediting processes do exist, including the well-respected International Coach Federation.
Today's professional coach, like yesterday's mentor, does come from a variety of different backgrounds, and can assist a client to identify and reach different objectives. While accreditation is a guarantee that the coach has a certain skill level, it is no guarantee that any particular coach is right for any particular client.
A coach with a background of business consulting (with or without an MBA) may have realized that just providing expert advice about a business problem isn't enough. Although a client may know what to do about a problem, s/he may often have difficulty implementing the solution without ongoing support. The coach provides this support.
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Choose your coach with as much care as you would choose any other member of your professional support team. First consider the specific support you need and ask your associates whether they know of anyone who can help. A surprising number of people already work with coaches. The expertise of the coach you are considering and your comfort with the person who offers this very personal relationship are both important factors.
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Both Jeff McRitchie & Laurie Weiss are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.