System and Method for Variable Perforation Profiles in a Stack of Lottery Tickets Based on Fold Pattern

A system for producing a perforation line between adjacent lottery tickets in an automated production line wherein a substrate is conveyed through a perforation station in the production line, the substrate having individual lottery ticket indicia printed thereon such that a continuous stream of adjacent lottery tickets oriented end-to-end are conveyed through the perforation station prior to being folded into a Z-fold pattern for subsequent packaging, the system comprising:

• a perforation machine at the perforation station to define a perforation line between the adjacent lottery tickets;
• a controller in communication with the perforation machine, wherein the controller is configured to:
• receive an input determining the perforation lines that correspond to fold lines in the Z-fold pattern;
• for the perforation lines corresponding to the fold lines, the controller programming the perforation machine to generate a second perforation profile that is different from a first perforation profile of non-fold perforation lines that lie between the fold lines in the Z-fold pattern;
• and
• wherein the second perforation profile is specifically tailored to produce a stronger perforation line to compensate for weakness induced in the perforation line from being folded.