Automation coming from Horizon

Visitors to the Horizon stand at drupa are seeing some impressive finishing lines for high speed roll fed finishing, with the Japanese manufacturer teaming up with Hunkeler and Tecnau to create complete solutions.

Bernie Robinson managing director from Currie Group, the Australian and New Zealand distributor of Horizon says, “High speed inkjet printing needs high speed integrated finishing. Horizon’s forward thinking team has developed some tremendous solutions, which will be available to Australian high speed inkjet printers.”

The finishing lines can accommodate different book sizes, with bar codes telling the individual unit, for instance the Horizon HM1000 three knife trimmer, which size to cut, with the trimmer then automatically setting itself, there is no human activity.

Robinson says, “It can produce 1000 books an hour, all different sizes if required with no let up in the speed of the system.”

Also new from Horizon is the SmartSlitter, which works with A3 sheets and can cut and perforate either left to right, right to left or top to bottom. Robinson says, “For business card printers it works really well, it can cut 21 cards out of an A3 sheet at a rate of 3,400 sheets an hour. It will perforate at a similar speed, and again it is all controlled by a barcode with the machine setting itself.”

Among its new products Horizon launched the new BQ-480 Variable 4 Clamp Binder, a four clamp Perfect Binder that it says features the quickest set-up and superior quality. Robinson says it is 50 per cent faster to make ready, and can print runs of one, again with a bar code setting the system.

It will produce up to 800 books per hour for variable thickness book production. The binder also offers advanced automation through a movable, colour touchscreen including adjustments for roller height, nipping height, and amount of side glue.

All of these settings are done automatically according to book thickness. Specially designed to meet the requirements of PUR book binding, the BQ-480 includes a gentle elevator delivery system with a 5mm drop for gentle book handlings. Robinson is aiming to have the BQ-480 for launch in Australia at PacPrint next year.

Australian printers have been visiting the Horizon drupa stand in numbers, with Currie Group’s sales topping $1m for the second drupa in succession. Robinson says, “Horizon has its finger on the pulse and is committed it driving forward. It knows printers need precision, productivity, reliability and speed, and is delivering in every way.”

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