Faster binding helps three-fold business boost

Automation and claimed fast set-ups that provide time savings in binding runs were instrumental in Copytech Group's decision to invest in a Horizon BQ470JDF four-clamp perfect binder.

After being supplied by Graphic Arts Equipment (GAE) the investment is said to have paid off for the Peterborough (UK) Copytech as it has recorded a three-fold increase in the amount of perfect binding it now completes.

GAE said that Copytech looked at other systems from alternative suppliers but chose the Horizon model because of its superior automation, resulting in easy set-ups and fast make-readies, which are essential features in the on-demand book printing market.

Andy Cork, Copytech's managing director, said: "The set-up times are much faster so we can get through three times the work.

But the key benefit is the Horizon system's user-friendliness.

It is so simple to operate that we can have less skilled staff running it.

Staff can move more freely around the machines so there is always someone on shift who can run it." The BQ-470 JDF is a four-clamp perfect binder with a large icon-based colour touch-screen.

It is said to be able to bind books up to 65mm thick at up to 1,350 copies per hour (cph) and has an economic footprint thanks to a vertical elliptical track design.

It is fully-automated and JDF-compliant via Horizon's i2i Networkflow system.

It also has a PUR glue tank option, which interchanges with the standard EVA system.

Amongst Copytech's clients are self-publishers and local book shops, as well as the Oxford University Press and Taylor and Francis.

In partnership with software manufacturers it is said to have pioneered a method of book production that uses a minimal amount of manual intervention The web-to-print book production, for run lengths up to 1,500, has two key product lines - mono or colour books finished as softbacks or case-bound.

There is a set costing matrix for quantities from 1-25, 25-250 and 250 upwards.

For new and re-prints customers can either order online via the company's internet-to-print system, or distribute-then-print, working with the Copytech Group's joint-venture partner in the USA.

As such, according to GAE, handling the output and finishing quickly and smoothly is a challenging process.

Copytech's Cork explained: "We may need to produce runs of one, two, five or tens up to longer jobs.

We can print up to 2,000 books a day in these varying quantities so we needed something that would be flexible enough to achieve this at the quality we needed.

Also the automation gives us instant make-readies for the very short-run on-demand business, whilst the multi-clamp track will let us compete on longer runs, too.".

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