New Horizons follow ProCo’s bindery review

Print Solutions

ProCo has completed its review of post press operations investing in a Horizon CRF-362 creaser/folder and a Horizon SPF-200A bookletmaker supplied by Intelligent Finishing Systems.

These two new installations at ProCo’s Stansted site follow recent investments in a Horizon BQ-270V single clamp perfect binders at both ProCo’s Sheffield and Stansted sites. The Sheffield site was already using the Horizon StitchLiner 5500 with four VAC-1000 collators to complement its stitching capacity.

ProCo production director Graeme Parry explains the Horizon CRF-362 was needed to enable daily short run folded work for one of ProCo’s web to print solutions. He said, ‘We chose the Horizon CRF-362 for its build quality and operator friendly interface also the on-going service contracts are more reasonable. Its reliability means we can work to tighter deadlines knowing the machine won’t let us down.’

As for the SPF-200A bookletmaker with the HOF-400 digital feeder and TBC-200L top and bottom cutter he explained, ‘Our previous stitching line was struggling with the demand of short run booklet work and was beginning to cause issues meeting the demands of our clients. The SPF-200A with the three-knife trimmer means work can bypass the guillotine taking one process out which makes it much more efficient reducing any bottlenecks around the guillotines.’

With its barcode reader, the system also enables ProCo to deliver greater security measures for its customers: ‘With the addition of the barcode reader we can now confidently deal with data critical work and get full verification on each booklet that is stitched. We can then pass that data onto the client. Unlike our Sheffield site where there are three individual stitching lines, at Stansted we needed to invest in a single, reliable well built machine, which will see us through the next ten years and possibly beyond.’

The StitchLiner 5500 was previously chosen as a short to medium run system to bridge the gap between higher run quantity work and small run bookletmaker jobs. Graeme continued, ‘Within this space there were a number of options but the build quality and versatility of the Horizon StitchLiner 5500 with four VAC-1000 collators was hard to ignore. We added the two-up kit to get even better production numbers on the floor. We already had a four tower collator from Horizon so we were able to use this as a base and build up to the full system we have today.’

The BQ-270V was chosen as an entry level binder that would be flexible enough to manage variable perfect bound books from runs of one to hundreds. ‘The binder gives us this ability,’ said Graeme. ‘Set up is quick and easy and the spine depth can be altered in the run using the calliper which in turn alters the creasing on the cover. The bind is clean and strong and the equipment is extremely reliable.’