Modular solutions for efficient inserting

Kern AG is a Swiss manufacturer and global supplier of products, solutions and services in the field of inserting systems and packaging solutions. Software and platforms tailored to the product and customer complete the Kern system landscape. Kern has stood for high innovation, quality, flexibility and reliability for over seven decades. Factors that mean one thing above all: maximum security and service.

kernMail

Fold documents quickly, securely and with absolute precision, feed inserts, package and prepare for dispatch: Kern inserting systems with maximum performance and security.

The new visionary platform strategy is based on two inserting systems, each available in different performance classes. These are designed for processing medium to high job volumes. The Kern 1600, Kern 3200 and Kern 3600 are multiformat-capable - simple and fast automatic format change is standard. Modularity and productivity are top priorities. 

kernPack

For an efficient shipping of the most diverse items, the logistic chain must be optimized and automated. This requires clever packaging concepts and systems, which provide packaging at the required time and size.

Online trade is booming: An increasing number of people and companies are conveniently ordering items over the internet, with straightforward delivery of the ordered items to their locations. The number of packages to be packed and transported daily to recipients by logistics service providers faces a yearly double-digit growth. Customer’s purchasing behavior and expectations are changing because of the increasing number of online platforms. More and more crucial for the buying decisions are price, availability and delivery time. Customers order when they have a need.

About Kern Inc.

Welcome at Kern Inc. USA. Established in 1997, Kern USA is a proud subsidiary of Kern, a global leader in high-performance mailing and card processing systems. Located in Grove City, Ohio, Kern USA serves as the North American headquarters, delivering cutting-edge solutions in mail management, card processing, and software.

Our diverse product line is precisely engineered to meet the rigorous demands of the transactional, mailing, and card sectors, ensuring unparalleled efficiency, reliability, and innovation. As an integral part of the Kern Group, we provide premium products and tailored services that enhance productivity and streamline operations for our customers both in the United States and internationally. Our exceptional service ensures that customers receive ongoing support and expertise, helping them achieve continued success. Our unwavering commitment to excellence is evident in every solution we deliver, reinforcing our reputation as a trusted industry leader.

Kern Inc.
3940 Gantz Road, Suite A
Grove City, OH 43123-4845
U.S.A.

Phone (001) 614-317-2600
Fax (001) 614-782-8257
info.usa@kernworld.com


Contact People

Sales Inquiry
info.usa@kernworld.com
Phone 614-317-2600

Rick Stepp, CEO
rick.stepp@kernworld.com
Phone 614-317-2604

Todd Russell, SVP, General Manager
todd.russell@kernworld.com
Phone 614-317-2606

George Forystek, SVP, Operations
george.forystek@kernworld.com
Phone 614-317-2608

Brad Young, VP Sales
brad.young@kernworld.com
Phone 614-317-2594

Rob Dwyer, VP Sales
rob.dwyer@kernworld.com
Phone 614-317-2600

Melissa Russell, Marketing Communication Manager
melissa.russell@kernworld.com
Phone 614-317-2596


Card Processing Solutions

Kern Card Application Processing Fitting to Your Business Needs

Look in your wallet. Cards are getting smarter, more valuable and cover a wide range of uses. Most importantly, most are sent directly to the user. That’s where Kern comes in with the fastest, most integrated card application processing solutions. We leverage our extensive experience with production mail systems with state-of-the-art robotics and software systems to deliver the most advanced card processing platforms in the industry.

 

Kern 90 - Card Mailing System

The groundbreaking card processing solution for high-range volumes The Kern 90 Card System is yet another innovation from the Kern Group, whose more than 70 years’ experience with inserting systems has enabled the company to develop a new and exciting card system. The Kern 90 is notable for its extremely versatile and modular design. The system’s pick and place robot allows up to 8 cards to be placed anywhere on the document, while its linear structure allows up to max 7,000 cards placements per hour - a significant gain in productivity. The System’s user friendly software allows for a database controlled procedure where all cards are compared with carrier and inserts, then validated and inserted. Each processing step is monitored, and an ergonomic user interface makes system operations extremely simple and intuitive. And what’s more, all product information is available for ad hoc evaluation purposes. The use of a pick and place robot allows cards of varying thicknesses, sizes and forms to be processed

Kern 90 GFT - Gift Card Mailing System

The right solution for «out of ordinary» card packaging Packing of Gift-, Retail- and SIM-cards is not limited to a standard paper carrier. Reality evidences endless possibilities based on creativity of Marketing Departments who more and more want to capture end users attention, provide brand awareness, by inspiring excitement and confidence with a personal touch. Multiple designs, sizes, formats, densities, folds and cross folds, gluing, labeling, add-ons and prints represent a real tough challenge for Operation Managers in charge of fulfilment, who currently have to rely on manual labor, semiautomated equipment or one job-dedicated systems. The Kern 90 GFT is a simple yet innovative one pass solution, based on a few easy mechanic components. Their combination, sequence and repetition along the workflow together with adequate series of guides and brackets, enable to repeatedly turn, rotate, fold and refold various shapes and formats from the smallest to the largest.

Kern 91 - Card Mailing System

Kern 91 Card Mailing System – The simple user friendly solution for mid-range volumes Kern 91 represents a further highlight of the range of automatic card affixing and mailing systems. A simple A-Z solution designed for the needs of the mid-range sector, the Kern 91 achieves up to a max. speed of 4,000 card placements per hour. Kern 91 focuses on easy operation and being user friendly, making an articulated process simple to set and use. With simplified modules and advanced electronics, time setting for jobs is drastically reduced to zero. Whether bulk volumes or shorter intensive jobs, a sequence of guided steps on the control panel leads to automatic and quick preparation, making mechanical intervention strongly reduced. The ultra-compact and functional design is the other main attraction of the Kern 91. It occupies small space and is configured to be run by one operator only, making it extremely cost effective.

Kern 90 HS - Affixing & Mailing System

Kern 90 HS is a Card Affixing and Mailing system for high- volume productions. The system works offline, not linked to a Personalization system. The production velocity is up to 12,000 pieces/hour when combined with the inserting system. Higher speeds are obtainable without the inserting system based on type of job/items to process. K90HS can work either in "Matching Mode", with an already-personalized carrier, or in "Read and Print" mode by adding a InkJet printer. Cards sections are equipped with Barcode, OCR, Magnetic Stripe reader. Cards feeding and affixing of the card on the carrier is performed through a Continuous Rotary System. Carriers' folding is completely automated and equipped with motorized fold pockets. The enclosure feeding unit is completely modular. The inserting system works with 6x9 and flat formats. The output section is equipped with a recycling bin and Production Control for perfect integrity control. This system also has a possible interface with a wide range of optional modules: electronic neighing scale, InkJet printer, packaging system. K90HS is provided with the renowned Jobs Manager to run articulated operations with ease to use. K90HS system is particularly suitable for types of production in which it is necessary to deliver millions of card in a very short period of time. Perfect for the Telecom sector, where high velocity and consistent versatility in card affixing is required without enveloping.

Kern Card Sorter

Robotically sort cards per indivdual card order and remove the human error while making the process of sorting and stacking cards less tedious. The Kern Card Sorter is an ideal solution to the tedious, time consuming, and at times error ridden process of people needing to take cards from a vault and stack them in the exact correct order for a machine to process the cards and send them out to the correct address they are meant to be sent.   Cards are placed in the system and based on the file input to the card sorter, robotic arms stack the cards accordingly in groups so they are arranged in the correct order every time without a risk of human error. The Kern Card System’s speed accompanied with ease of use make the stacking process no longer a problem area in the card industry.

EDGEdock - Digitization

For document archiving and retrieval, store your documents in a central location for quick access.
EDGEdock is the central location for your business documents.  Here, your documents are placed into your own cloud in one of three ways:

  • Scanning: through existing network scanners, one of our preferred scan systems, or by our team (on-site or at our facility in Morgan Hill, CA.)
  • Electronic Image Transfer (manual indexing)
  • Electronic Data Transfer (automatic indexing)

EDGEdock is accessible through any web-enabled device and a powerful search engine helps you find the right document quickly.  For back-file conversion or managing documents electronically, EDGEdock makes your documents digital for access in the cloud, anywhere, anytime.

EDGEline - Workflow Automation

Many companies are facing the issue of spreading out more work among fewer employees.
EDGEline is designed to make employees more productive by meeting specific department needs with workflow and process automation.  Whether you utilize Kern EDGE for a single department or across your enterprise, EDGEline gives you what you need without buying what you don't.
Configured to the way you work, EDGEline enhances the mobility of documents, with tracking and triggers to motivate the flow activity. EDGEline applications include:

  • Accounting: AR / AP Automation
  • Human Resources
  • Project management / Sales / Marketing
  • Health Care RecordsInsurance
  • Legal
  • Compliance
  • Auditing
  • Disaster Recovery / File archiving

EDGEmail

Electronic delivery without losing your customer relationship. Kern knows mail and we see the trends of the mailing industry with a big focus on print suppression.  Email alternatives promoting digital mail serve to separate you from your customers, delivering your critical communications in their network.  Additionally, digital mail services have increasing costs as you increase your distribution. To truly reduce mailing costs, businesses need a delivery tool that is light and drives customers back to your site where you control the message.  EDGEmail takes your mailings from the print stream, archives them, and converts them to PDF for email delivery.  Experience real savings with Kern EDGEmail.

EDGEpost

Conquoring the avalanch of mail coming into your organzation. With EDGEpost, businesses can eliminate the time consuming task of distributing mail internally.  Scan in mailed documents and instantly deliver them to the right person.  Receive your mail faster and pair with EDGEline for instant productivity improvements and a permanent record of all inbound communications.  Employees working remotely?  Get them their mail wherever they are, even on their mobile phone on the go.  Save big and take the hassle out of internal mail management.

EDGEsync

Integrate & Enhance. Integrate with your existing systems for less.
For businesses that have already invested in large enterprise software systems, EDGEsync integrates with your existing applications to expand your document management capabilities at a fraction of the cost , compared to upgrades from Oracle, SAP, or other custom solutions.  Integrate EDGE without interrupting your business processes and use EDGE’s clear user interface to manage your documents.

EDGEmail E-Deliver Solution

Platform for High Volume Transactional Statement Delivery
Struggling to get customers to go paperless?
You are not alone, 90+% of companies are making decisions based on print suppression goals and over 50% of companies want to achieve 25-50% print suppression by 2014, but most utility companies are struggling to get more customers to go paperless.  We can reach more of your customers electronically than any other e-delivery service.

EDGEshield

Security is an issue that has exponentially been raising more red flags amongst all companies large and small. Raising concerns on document security has opened a door for Kern EDGE, as we have the solution to this problem.  With a custom built wrapping tool of all documents loaded into all EDGE systems, tier 6 data centers housing the data, multi-level verification options to log in and constant patch updates pushed to customers as new security practices are discovered, Kern EDGEShield is the solution that has been providing the answer to the issue of security for top end companies all across the United States and beyond.

EDGEaccounting

From accounts payable, accounts receivable, expense reports, procurement to pay, and document achiving, Kern EDGE is the most flexible solution out there to help digitize and optimize fincance departments efficiencies for any company.

EDGEutility

Utility companies tend to have many different department level programs that can be more efficient using the many services offered by Kern EDGEUtility. Whether it is a mailing that is being sent out to millions of customers and there is a need to have the customer responces collected and workflowed through an automated application without any need for keying in fields by the utility, or handling the hundreds of customer service requests coming in daily and reaching SLA's with each and every one of them, Kern has the solution ready and available.  With products available in days or weeks, rather than months or years, EDGEUtility has the potential to help your program become most efficacious

EDGEenterprise

Luckily, Kern has developed a solution with Kern EDGEEnterprise. Here, Kern offers a solution to take the validation file of the entire mailing, and track the results of the campaign by compiling the hard copy returning responces to the mailings, the non-deliverables of the mailing, and even adding in any digital responses to these mailing together and providing in-depth reporting tools to be able to be run on the results, along with workflow for the returned data to be pushed down whatever channel it needs to be run. If it is a marketing piece, it will be sent down a path for the marketing team to collect and distribute accordingly. If it is a bill or something requiring payment, it will go down the accounts receivable workflow to be propperly handled that way. No matter what the mailing or the path it needs to go down upon return, Kern EDGEEnterprise can truly optimize the mailing side of your business.

EDGEfulfillment

Order processing can be a very troublesome part of the everyday process of your business, especially as your business is growing.  Kern EDGEFulfillment is an offering to help organize and best optimize this entire process from start to finish. EDGEFulfillment gives your salesmen, vendors, or even customers, the ability to log in to the system and place orders that will be directly flowed throught he workflow processes needed to fulfill that order.  If you are a card industry, you have the ability to accept orders, validate them against your business rules, combine/split orders to best push them to a card processesing machine if you have one, run quality checks on the orders to make sure all all accurate, run full reports on the orders, and much more.

Service & Support at Kern Inc.

To discuss servicing options that best meet the needs of your Kern equipment, please contact us directly at:

Telephone 614.317.2600
servicesupport@kerninc.com

 

Kern provides a wide range of service coverage options for customers.

  • On-Site Coverage of up to 24/7 service support
  • Standard On-Call Coverage with on-demand support
  • Residential On-Call Coverage with flexible onsite support

Service Alternatives
Kern Inc. is fundamentally focused on customer success. We are dedicated to delivering a quality, competitive, and on time solution. We continually strive to improve our end to end, innovative solutions and services through design, customer feedback, and employee participation. Kern, Inc also offers alternative service options for customers without on-site service coverage.

 

Preventative Maintenance

Preventative maintenance is a very important function to ensure that our equipment always performs at maximum efficiency.
Whether you are a contracted customer or currently are in a self service arrangement, Kern will actively participate and perform monthly preventative maintenance for our Kern-provided and/or supported systems.

Predictive Maintenance
In addition to our preventative maintenance program, Kern promotes and adheres to a strict predictive maintenance model as well. Our predictive program allows us to proactively replace parts prior to failure in an effort to maximize the uptime potential of our equipment. This program strongly supports our company motto of helping customers achieve success!

Technical & Operator Training

As an offering within our service function, Kern Inc. does provide a technical training course option for standby and self-service customers.
This program provides technical information to resident customer technicians on maintaining a Kern system including,

  • Predictive Maintenance
  • Troubleshooting
  • Error Identification and Recovery
  • Safety

 

Operator Training
Kern Inc. is pleased to offer ALL operator training free of charge with the purchase of a system and an onsite maintenance agreement. Our operator training courses are detailed and cover not only operation of a Kern system, but also provide in-depth training in the following areas:

  • Safety of the equipment
  • Error recovery
  • Software Training
  • Classroom Testing

 

Factory Training
Every technician at Kern Inc. completes a detailed and rigorous factory training on each of the systems they are to support. This factory training consists of basic and enhanced mechanical and software training, testing, and application.

Following this factory training, each technician participates in a mentoring program for up to three months with an experienced resident technical resource. This mentoring allows for each technician to use and apply the training received under direct supervision. The end result from our formal factory sessions is a completely competent and trained technician on all Kern solutions for every Kern customer.

Consulting

One of the additional services offered by Kern Inc. is the ability to provide consulting and assessments of customer production facilities.
With this service, Kern Inc. maintains a team of experts not only within the inserting portion of a production facility, but also resources to gauge effectiveness and provide efficiency recommendations from host-to-post. Each assessment is unique and can be customized to accomplish the goals required within a customer facility.