Automated Book Line Helps Win New Business

New business wins and stronger links with customers have resulted from The Lion Press adding a new Horizon SPF-200A JDF automated book production line from Graphic Arts Equipment.

The bindery at the Sandy, Bedfordshire (UK) printer and its integrated Powercollating and stitch, fold and trimming line also includes an optional Horizon MKU-52 mobile knife unit to endorse fold brochures, catalogues and booklets on-line at the delivery.

It has enabled the booklet-printing firm to reduce the size of the finished products and, therefore, the postage costs.

Lion Press partner, David Earl, explained: "The mobile knife has made a huge impact.

Ninety per cent of people are having their A4 booklets reduced to A5 and we wouldn't have got that work if we couldn't do it.

We have just got a new order of 15,000 books per month after we helped the client make savings on the postage." He continued: "They didn't now how to get around the problem and we were able to solve it very quickly because we have the right equipment." The new Horizon system has also improved throughput in the finishing department, as Earl added: "We are able to finish the booklets much faster - more than double the number of items per hour - and this has saved us a considerable amount on outsourcing." The improved productivity also gave the business the confidence to invest in new press capacity, said Graphic Arts Equipment (GAE).

Earl said confidence that the additional work could be completed quickly and reliably in-house was crucial to the investment.

He added: "Customers have commented on how much faster we are getting the jobs done too.

The automated Horizon has made us more competitive." Earl and partner Julie Brown each researched the market thoroughly before deciding on GAE as a supplier.

He continued: "We looked at everything else on the market but chose the Horizon equipment because it looked the best for the job.

It is very robust and reliable." Nineteen Horizon SPF-200Ajdf systems have been installed in the UK since GAE launched the new line at the Digital Print World exhibition last year, said GAE.

The company has now installed more than 350 Horizon JDF-compatible automated cutting, folding, booklet production, saddlestitching and perfect binding systems.

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