The kit cost around £100,000 and was supplied by Intelligent Finishing Systems. It enables near-line production of perfect-bound books and replaced a single-clamp Duplo machine.
Pureprint production director Ian Godden said: “In our dedicated digital area, the Horizon perfect binder and trimmer are finishing work from our HP 10000 and three HP 7500s.
“The kit is more productive, more efficient, better quality and has made a massive difference. That’s not to do down the Duplo; it did us well, but this new kit is just in a different league.”
Binding speeds have shot up from 300bph to 1,000bph, while the kit can handle booklets as thin as 1mm. The new investment meant that the company no longer needed to use its large Muller Martini line for short-run digital jobs.
“This was not viable, as we had to interrupt large jobs for short-run digital ones. We have more digital production coming on-stream so greater flexibility in handling run lengths was required.”
Godden chose the 1,350bph Horizon BQ470 four-clamp binder because of its good reputation, while its user-friendliness made it quick and easy for operators to get to grips with.
He said: “We can now get work in and out of the bindery very smoothly. Previously we had to put the work in the van and send it up the road to another site to be finished. Now it is all done in one place.
“The department is very efficient because we have more options. We can do runs of one or up to 10,000.”