The fi-8170's automatic document feeder supports up to 10 unembossed cards loaded at once, and feeds them continuously, meaning it doesn't stop and wait for the tray to empty before pulling the next batch. Load a stack, keep adding to the tray as it runs down, and it keeps going without a manual restart between every ten.
What "continuous" actually changes
A single-load limit of 10 would mean stopping every ten cards to reload, which turns a hundred-card batch into ten separate interruptions. Continuous feed means the tray just needs topping off before it runs dry, so a real session looks like loading the hopper, refilling it every so often, and letting the scanner run.
Both sides, one pass
Each card goes through once and comes out scanned front and back, at up to 70 pages a minute (140 images a minute counting both sides). That's the number that actually decides how long a real batch takes, not the 10-card feed count. More on the full spec sheet in the fi-8170 review, and what we've run through it so far.
Official video by Ricoh Document Scanners. The video is a demonstration, not a promise that every card type is safe to feed. YouTube loads only after you press play.
See the fi-8170 on Amazon → (paid link) How much time it saves vs scanning by hand