Finishing supervisor Andrew Cadwallander with the Horizon SPF-200A
Sheffield full service print specialist The Print & Design Factory has created a short run fast turnaround post production service with a Horizon SPF-200A highly automated bookletmaker with twin-tower 20 station tower collators and a Horizon PF-40L automated folder from IFS.
Established 20 years ago, the operation produces a wide array of general commercial print for local and national clients. It completes litho print on a five colour S2 Sakurai, a two-colour Heidelberg SpeedMaster 52 and digital print on a Xerox Versant 180 and Xerox C60.
The Horizon SPF-200A and Horizon PF-40L replace a MBO B26 all buckle fold unit and a Muller Martini saddlestitcher.
Craig Ikin, commercial manager, commented, ‘I was running Eastland Colour in Manchester and was asked by the management team to look at the way the combined company was operating. After reviewing the end-to-end process one of the main areas that needed updating was the booklet production. We were taking too long to complete runs and sending work out. We needed a solution that was faster and more cost effective.’
Mr Ikin continued, ‘I had used Horizon systems before and knew how well they ran and how high the quality of the work was that they produced. We also saw them in action at trade finisher Leeds Die Cutting.
‘Now one operator runs both systems as they are so easy to set up,’ Mr Ikin added. ‘For example, we took a job on yesterday for first thing Tuesday. We would have normally ended up working over the weekend but with the new equipment this was done in the day.
‘We can now confidently say yes to jobs knowing that they will be completed quickly. Scheduling work is easier too. This means we can take on more work than we would have done in the past. Both systems have also freed up a lot of floor space.’
