JDF Perfect Binder At Heart Of Digital Printing

With a new JDF-enabled perfect binder at the heart of its digital printing operations, Park Communications is producing up to 500 books an hour with touch-screen control and automated cover scoring.

Park Communications had to relocate as part of the London 2012 Olympic Games development in the east of the city.

The financial services printing company provides a managed service to translate, design, produce, distribute and store all a customer's literature.

It took advantage of its move to create a digital division in its new premises, where a JDF-enabled automated Horizon BQ270 single clamp perfect binder was supplied and installed by Graphic Arts Equipment (GAE).

The Horizon system is also fitted with an auto caliper that measures the spine of the booklets and automatically makes the adjustments required, reducing set-up times, said GAE.

Daniel Hopkins, Park Communication's head of pre-media and digital operations, explained: "We wanted to expand our digital services and the BQ270 was the logical step.

We needed something that could finish books of up to 400 pages in runs of, typically, around 200 copies.

We wanted a machine that was very simple to use and quick to set up that would produce an impeccable product." He added: "We have been getting great results of a very good quality.

We are creating products of large and small paginations much quicker.

The binder has also helped us centralise our production within the digital department." It is the first time the firm has opted for Horizon equipment from GAE and Hopkins said: "We had a look at other systems, including the Duplo kit but we were pretty much set on the Horizon after seeing it close up at a trade show.

We liked the build quality and the fact that there was a clear path to upgrade to the BQ470 if in the future we decided there was a need for that.".

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