Booklets now produced in-house with new system

When Simply Print's managing director, Andrew Rae, decided to reward the dedication of his employees by taking them to Drupa he did not expect the trip to result in a transformation of his bindery.

But, after paying a visit to the Horizon stand at the exhibition in Dusseldorf, Rae came away with a Stitchliner booklet production system, with two VAC-Turbo Powercollator towers, and a single clamp BQ150 perfect binder.

Both systems are automated and JDF-compatible via Horizon's I2I bindery management software.

The systems were installed at Simply Print's new 6,000 square foot premises in Loughborough last week.

The Horizon Stitchliner finishes flat four-page sections, eliminating the need to fold in to signatures and its integral three-knife trimmer eliminates pre-trimming, so time and energy savings are another feature, said Graphic Arts Systems (GAE) which supplied and installed the machines.

The Stitchliner is claimed to run at speeds of 5,500 books per hour and it has an icon-based LCD touch screen for set-up and job memory storage.

The investment in the single-clamp perfect binder is said to be enabling Simply Print to take the process in-house for the first time.

The perfect binding system offers a finished book specification range, spine milling preparation and automated self-setting, as well as a nipping clamp making it an appropriate entry-level machine.

Andrew Rae said: "We went to Drupa with the intention of looking to see what was available to replace our ageing bookletmaker but I didn't expect to buy there and then.

However, following a tour of competitors' stands we found we liked the robust build quality of the Stitchliner.

It looked a more heavy-duty machine and the fact it has a small footprint was also a plus." Another deciding factor was the easy-to-programme touch screen console, he added and he continued: "We are a general printer and specialise in work that other printers can't or don't want to do.

Having an automated machine that could be easily set up for a wide range of booklet sizes was important.

The job memory storage capability will also mean we can store more complex or repeat jobs." And he explained: "We have been outsourcing our perfect binding without any problems.

But with our clients requiring greater flexibility in delivery lead times we reviewed our processes and agreed that the purchase of the BQ150 would provide us with the tools to meet and exceed our clients' expectations.".

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