Colourfast Financial Limited, a Brentwood-based company specialising in financial printing, has installed a Horizon HT-80 three knife trimmer from IFS as it looks to improve its post-press efficiency and productivity.
The company, which has more than 100 years of experience in the sector and produces everything from Initial Public Offerings to fast turnaround business compliance documents, operates a fleet of Konica Minolta digital presses.
The Horizon HT-80 automated three knife trimmer can run at up to 1000 cycles per hour and trim blocks up to 51mm thick. It can be used off-line or in-line for fast, efficient book production and most sections can be set up automatically.
‘We have had Horizon systems for many years,’ commented managing director Darren Bacon. ‘They have grown as our business has grown. We started with a single clamp Horizon BQ-270 perfect binder following advice from a customer. We later added an Horizon HT-30 three side trimmer and second Horizon BQ-270 before expanding capacity with a Horizon BQ-470 four clamp perfect binder and an Horizon HT-70 three knife trimmer. As we are a 24 hour operation we kept one of the BQ-270s just in case we needed it but we never have. Our Horizon systems have never let us down.’
The MD continued, ‘When we first invested in Horizon we were told that the systems would never break down. I thought that was a nice line because everything breaks down eventually, but it has turned out to be completely correct.
‘Return on Investment was not the key driver for choosing the HT-80. We know that before we have earnt back on our investment with our Horizon systems so we are confident in the HT-80’s ability to do the same. More important was choosing a system with a high level of safety functions that also allowed us to ensure socially distanced operation. We have quite a small production space and with the automated Horizon HT-80 less people are required to complete the work. We also know what it would be able to do and how it would support greater efficiency and productivity.’
