The U.S. Postal Service coordinates more than 700 million pieces of mail each and every day dealing with over 136 million
Some of the more important USPS rules pertain to Automation Compatible Mail, or mail that is discounted and then prepared for handling in a more effective and timely manner, particularly through their high-speed sorting equipment. Preparation includes ensuring the proper address; being CASS-certified and presorted, with a Delivery Point Barcode; and sorting in ZIP order and traying for shipping to various DDUs. It can't be emphasized enough how important it that these rules be followed in order to allow the USPS to move these enormous volumes of mail efficiently and cost-effectively.
Therefore, we need to be reminded that if we are mailing open-edged mail, defined as mail that has at least one edge open either the top, bottom or leading edge it is extremely important that we seal that open edge.
Sealing Methods
The most common way to seal this type of mail is with tabs or wafer seals. This process is effective, efficient and inexpensive. USPS rules for tabbing can be found in "Designing Letter and Reply Mail," Publication 25, July 2003, and are complete and easy to follow.
The basic rule of tabbing is simple: if the piece is open, it needs to be sealed, either one tab on top, or two on the bottom, depending on the orientation of the mailpiece. Of course, there are always exceptions, and if in doubt, contact the Mail Piece Design Specialist at the post office where you typically drop your Automation Compatible Mail. He or she will explain the requirement and will offer guidance on the proper preparation of your mail.
However, since mail can require one or two tabs more if it is an unusual piece then what is the most efficient way to handle this type of tabbing assignment? One might suggest lining up a number of your people, giving them sheets of round stickers and having them work slowly, placing the seals on the open edges. Or you could use a very efficient machine, which is certainly the trend today. So let's take a moment to discuss tabber machine technology.
The two basic types of tabbers are leading-edge and side tabbers, each designed to very efficiently carry out a specific sealing function. Leading-edge tabbers, that is, tabbers that place the tab on the leading edge of the mailpiece, are available in models that place either one tab or two tabs on a single mailpiece in a single pass. The model you select would depend on the type and volume of mail you send most frequently.
Side tabbers place one, two or three tabs on the edge of a single piece as it travels through the device, then roll the tab over and seal the edge. The advantage here is speed and efficiency, since the mailpiece is in the same orientation as most fixed head printers, so it can be placed in line with a printer for more efficient production. The questions
you need to ask are, how many, how often and what is the best method for you based on the type of mail you most often send.
Tabletop Leading-Edge Tabbers
To the best of my knowledge, all leading-edge tabbers are of a tabletop design. Some have a built-in feeder and others require a separate feeder. They all share the same distinction in that the tab or tabs are placed on the leading-edge of the mailpiece as it is fed through the tabber. Generally, this is either the top or the bottom of the mailpiece.
The advantages of tabletop tabbers are their smaller size and lower cost. Most are small enough to fit on a normal worktable, with room for staging the product to be tabbed. They are often set up to drop tabbed items onto a conveyor, and in most installations, are simple to set up and easy to run. The disadvantages are that they operate at a slower speed and at somewhat reduced efficiency.
All leading-edge tabbers require that the mailpiece be run through the tabber either before it is addressed or after, and therefore require a second handling or processing of the mail. This takes longer as most of these models run at a slower rate than larger side tabbers. Their use requires more labor and results in more cost for mail preparation. If the mailings are not large, say under 10,000, then this can be a practical way to prepare the mailing. However, if the mailings are consistently large and an address is to be applied, you may get a better return on your investment with a side tabber. Leading-edge tabbers are not designed to accommodate larger rolls, so most are restricted to rolls with fewer than 10,000 tabs and some as small as 5,000 or even 3,750 tabs. This necessitates changing the rolls more often, particularly on larger runs, and therefore is less
efficient than side tabbers that handle rolls as large as 40,000 tabs.
If a single tabber is used and there is a need for a second tab, it is necessary to run the mailpiece through the tabber a second time. If most of your mailings are designed so that two tabs are required, then the purchase of a dual, or double, tabber is practical and becomes a more efficient way to prepare mail. Again, if an address is to be applied to the mailpiece, then this requires additional steps and is less efficient than a production, or side tabber.
Side Tabbers Tabletop and Console
Most side tabbers, or production tabbers, are designed to do more than just place tabs on mailpieces. All of them can also place self-adhesive stamps, and some will also place labels and repositionable notes. The biggest advantage
of side tabbers is their ability to run at higher rates of throughput, run in-line with fixed head inkjet address printers and generally process more items, thus increasing efficiency and return on investment. Throughput speeds can be in excess of 20,000 pieces per hour for sustained periods. Since side tabbers will accommodate rolls up to 40,000 tabs, fewer roll changes are required, longer sustained runs are possible and again, efficiencies are created that improve return on investment. They also accept all types of tabs, from 3/4 inches to as large as 13/4 inches, for greater flexibility and versatility. And because they can place labels as well, it is possible to seal center-open items such as CD covers and presentation folders, etc.
Also available are side tabbers that will simply place the tabs and perhaps self-adhesive stamps. However, more common today are units that handle labels up to four inches wide and seven inches long, or repositionable notes that are either preprinted with a message or applied without a message and run in-line with a product inkjet address printer with a message customized to the recipient.
Until recently, all side tabbers were console design; in other words, built in such a way as to require their use either in-line with console, production level printers or as a standalone unit with a separate feeder, conveyor and/or catch trays. Recently, units have become available that are tabletop in design, but with full production capability. They can be run in-line with high-end, heavy-duty production tabletop inkjet address printers. Their biggest advantages include their simplicity to set up, ease of operation, space utilization and of course, reduced acquisition costs. Yet these units can run at full production rates, in standalone environments, up to 35,000 single tabs per hour or as fast as 30,000 dual tabs per hour.
The right tabber for you can be easily determined through a discussion with your local authorized mailing equipment dealer about your specific applications. Be sure to ask about installation setup and training, as well as after sale-service. Developing a relationship with your local dealer can make a difference in the success of your operation
as well as the actual performance that you get from your tabbing operation.
David R. Currie is National Sales Manager, address printers for Hasler, Inc. Contact him at dcurrie@haslerinc.com.