Bursters are business appliance that save length in time and effort in handling forms by  horizontally separating forms along a perforation. Bursters may action single to multi-part  forms, dependent  upon machinary you  purchase.
Burster models  range  that are from your basic tabletop/desktop to  floor  standing models dedicated to  the needs of  tiny office  & multi-feature heavy duty  industrial floor standing designs  dedicated to the heavy volume 24/7/365  user. 

• What kind of forms can a  burster handle?

Bursters action continuous or  cut sheet forms.
Different models  handle forms of varying lengths, dimension of width  ,  weight. critical factor to  consider when  purchasing burster  is the quantity of parts per form that  the burster could process. You should  consider whether you intend to action non-carbon forms  or carbon  interleaved forms,  since weight of paper being processed determines the number of parts it can handle. Another important factor is whether you are going to process two-up or two-side forms (side by  side forms).

• What modifications need  to be made to the forms?
  Trimming: Trimmers are  used to trim margins, including the removal of  pinhole tractor feed edging: In selecting margin trimmers  you have the option of choosing whether they  are fixed or adjustable.
  When buying adjustable trimmers,  consider  adjustment range of trimmers for the various forms you are  going to process.
  When generating a lot of  trim, how to  dispose  of waste becomes issue.
  You  may need base/stand to contain trimmings. margin  trimmer chopper can be used to compact  leftover source that is going into  the base/stand.

  Slitting/splitting: Center slitters slit two-wide  forms & double bursting  capacity: only with  center slitter, specialty cuts  could be made: Center slitters  can  be fixed or adjustable, allowing only for customized cuts.

  Folding: capability to fold forms prior to bursting them is  strictly option on only some machines;  although  there are many business appliance designed to handle both jobs simultaneously. 

  Imprinting: If you're using burster  only for imprinting, the size of the forms needs to be considered.  in case a check  signer is going to be used,  consider security measures. Removable signature saddles or a interchangeable signature plates  are average security  options.  in case you need to imprint on more  than one side  of a  form, another  imprinter may have to  be added.

• How fast do you have to action  forms?

The speed/  rate dedicated to  processing forms is measured in either feet  per minute  or forms per hour.  Speed can be  fixed  or variable, i.e. "adjustable".

• What is volume of  forms you  could be  processing?

The size of jobs in  which burster is intended to be used, user frequency & number  or  types of forms that need to be processed are  all considerations  when  selecting a burster.  You  should decide whether your needs are light, heavy-duty or industrial to find burster  that performs at the level you  need.

• What are your paper processing & paper flow  needs?

Forms have to be  fed  in to burster. This is  done by using either  an  in-feed tray or hopper: You should evaluate  the load capacity of in-feed trays  , hoppers. Some equipment could allow you to feed continuous forms directly only from a box. If necessary, forms could be fed into a  burster  through a decollator or through a merger.


The mechanism  used  dedicated to  running  & processing forms  through burster can be either friction feed or  pin tractor feed: Using pin tractor feed is better  option if you  are going to  use  heavy stock or where you need precise  alignment, e.g. just with imprinting or trimming.

Forms could be fed only from  the  burster into receiving tray, or conveyor/stacker that  keeps the forms in stacked, sequential order. in case you are considering utilizing a stacker, consider capacity you require, i.e. the size of stacker: If a  high quantity of  forms  is  being processed, you  may need deep and/or  power drop stacker.  Other options can  be added to  the output side of burster  such as decollator or recollator. 

• Do you have a budget you need to  stick  closely to?

Expensive models can be loaded just with features or  options that  are  added  to  basic models and, in most instances, manufacturers will accept custom orders  to suit specifically needs of a customer. Expensive models action forms faster, can burst  & action more "parts" per form, allow for more modifications just with adjustable margin trimmers,  either  split forms or makes  specialty cuts only with an  adjustable  center slitter, , are equipped  just with a base only with trim  bucket to hold margin trimmings. Basic models,  while economical &  suitable only for requirements of most users, would have limitations on speed, variety of forms that can be handled & modifications that  can be made  to forms during processing.

• Do you want to make adjustments manually or  automatically? Do you might want  to program  the adjustments?

Bursters priced that are from  moderate to expensive  may have electronic control panels to monitor operation, self-diagnostics, & pre-programmable  features such as settings dedicated to form longness & margins, & power-activated features, such as adjustable  side guides. 

• What are your  safety concerns?

Safety features such as interlocks  & covers prevent & minimize risk of injury to users:

• Do you  have size,  space & placement considerations?

Size, space  &  placement are critical  considerations when deciding which burster  to choose. Desktop , tabletop models allow you to economize on space:

• What features do you need  to  make paper handling & maintenance easier?

For neatness you may might want  to add a base/cabinet only with  bucket  designed to hold trimmings  or margin trim  chopper to compact thing  & reduce  the need  to  empty waste: some other  features  to consider are adding counters, a decollator  to  separate multi-part forms, extra wide margin trimmers, imprinter  that could be  used to place  signatures, logos  or  seals on  checks, a  "Last Form Switch"  that automatically shuts down  the power on  the  business appliance when last form  is processed, jam detector, a jog switch only for  form alignment, power switches such as an on/off switch,  and  roller  type.

• Do you need rollers that are resistant  to chemicals found in non--carbon forms?

Other helpful features to consider are sound reduction kits, static eliminators or brushes to  reduce paper clumping or  jamming.

• What type of feeder  do  you need?

Forms are fed into bursters using  either friction or pin tractors: Pin tractors  feed like sprocket  only with  teeth that project through  perforations in margins to align forms more precisely , consistently during  a form run.  Pin tractor feeds are better for  holding multi-part forms when  bursting,  when  trimming critical documents such as checks, while imprinting,  or using heavy stock.

Desktop & Tabletop Bursters

Small and compact models that accommodate  either  continuous or cut sheet forms: These are suitable dedicated to home  or petite office.

Floor Standing  Bursters

Require more  space & are required  to meet heavy-duty industrial needs.  Floor Standing Bursters (generally) have  the added ability to  procedure heavy  quantities of continuous forms.

• Continuous Form  Feed: pre-printed, connected forms that are perforated where they can be separated. continuous form feed burster handles continuous  forms  contrasts  just with a cut sheet burster that  handles  cut sheets
• Cut Sheet:  separate, non-attached thing of paper such as 8-1/2" x 11" typing or copy paper: cut sheet burster handles  cut sheets as opposed to continuous form feed burster  that handles  continuous forms. A cut sheet burster could  be  used dedicated to checks,  coupons, tickets, notices,  labels,  etc.
• Decollator: separates parts of  forms; can be layers  or plies
• Hopper: holds forms  being fed into  machinary before processing. term  "in-feed pan"  is  used interchangeably only with term "hopper"
• Hopper Capacity:  number of  forms or the weight of the forms that  hopper or in-feed pan  could hold
• Infeed Pan or Infeed Tray: interchangeable  only with the term "hopper"
• Jog Switch: allow the  user to "jog", i.e. move  paper  in steps,  through machine
• Margin Trim Chopper: chops , shreds margin trimmings  allowing  compact storage of  leftover waste; Makes  disposal of trimmings  easier & less frequent
• Merger: feature  will split form in two (e.g. only with center slitter);  puts one part of  the form on top of the  other, runs  them through  burster one behind the other (staggered), puts the forms onto  conveyor/ stacker  & stack the forms. feature is useful when two-up forms  are  being used to speed up the paper  handling process.  in case a  high  volume of forms is  being processed power  drop stacker  could be  added

With a merging  feature side-by-side, continuous  forms can be imprinted, slit, merged, burst & delivered in sequential order. 

• Merger/ Imprinter/One-wide: could imprint on one side of  a form & not other: If  imprinting is necessary  on  two sides another imprinter  has to be added
• Parts: describes number of layers  or plies  that pre-printed form has. only some manufacturers  in their specifications  for bursters &  decollators  count carbon interleaves as  parts. Most manufactures  do not. The manufacturers that  do not  count the  carbon  interleaves as  parts make distinction between forms  just with & without carbon
• Power Drop  Stacker: holds  more  stacked forms than conveyer  stacker.
  stacker  drops down as  it fills allowing it to hold more forms
• Recollator: puts the layers  of form  that have been separated by a decollator back  together again
• Static Brush: eliminates static in high static conditions, as with laser printing
• Tractor Feed:  tractor feed ensures  accurate registration only for multi-part set bursting, imprinting  and trimming  of  critical documents such as checks. Allows  handling of heavier stock 
• Tri-color Ink  Roll: special  ink roll that has three separate colors; Imprinters use this roll to create signatures,  logos or seals in  three  colors increasing security because they are more difficult to  alter or forge
• Trimmers: cutters used to trim  correct , left side margins of  forms being processed through  burster. Margin  trimmers  may be  adjustable or  fixed in  position. term  "trimmers" is sometimes used interchangeably with the term "slitters"
• Two-up or Two-side  Forms:  two pre-printed forms that are side by side
• Slitters: cutters used to cut paper. Margin trimmers are sometimes referred to as trimmers.  Margin  trimmers may be adjustable  or fixed  in position.
  adjustable center slitter is moveable in the  center  of the equipment  & can  be used to make specialty  cuts
• Vertical Folder: would  fold  a form  & then  burst it. dedicated to example a vertical folder only with fold 8-1/2" x 11"  form to 4-1/4" x 11" &  then  burst  form  where desired