Horizon pushing automation at Ipex

Bernie Robinson, managing director of Australian distributor Currie group says, “Horizon is addressing the lack of skilled staff in the bindery these days, and the need to get jobs out of the door far more quickly than in the past. Innovations such as the HT80 conveyor and three knife trimmer for the BQ470 perfect binder and the BQ160 for short run bookbinding, even down to runs of one, highlight the company’s commitment to helping printers in these key areas.”

Horizon claims a world speed record with 240 meters per minute on its new B1 fully-automated folding machine: the AFC-746F, and says the perforation shafts after the buckle can be removed automatically for easier blade setting. Also on show is the entrance model table top folder PF-40 aimed at short turnaround and short run production work. Horizon’s PSX-56 is a combination of press and high-speed stacker that uses a reject tray for diverting incorrectly folded sheets or proof samples to check fold quality.

Horizon has developed two new products in cooperation with the Swiss digital and web finishing specialist Hunkeler. Horizon says the StitchLiner6000 digital high-speed inline saddle stitcher is integrated with an unwinder and rotary cutter for production of up to 6,000 high-quality booklets per hour. It offers inline cover/insert feeding and variable sheet count booklet production on a range of paper stocks at up to 180 m/min. The AF-566F digital in-line folder—featuring six parallel buckle and six optional buckle plates—is running at speeds up to 180 m/min. The advanced folder automation and touch screen control brings ultra-quick set-ups to high-speed continuous-feed print platforms, allowing VDP direct mail pieces to be produced in one pass.

Horizon also showed a range of perfect binders which feature PUR adhesive binding. The smallest model is a semi-automated single clamp entrance model, while the biggest one is a 17-clamp binding system. The single-clamp binder BQ-160 is aimed at short runs, targeting small printers, offices, photo book producers and copy shops with ultra short book production and can be equipped with the on-line cover creaser CRB-160. The creaser takes over the thickness value from the binder for the scoring positioning. The same machine is also available as stand-alone solution.

The 9-clamp-perfect-binder SB-09S is equipped with interchangeable glue tanks, EVA and PUR, and touch screen operation, reaching a production speed of up to 4000 books per hour. The new binding system CABS6000 produces up to 6000 books per hour and its perfect binder SB-17 has interchangeable glue tanks, which can be used with the gatherer MG-600, with up to 36 feeders and the three knife trimmer HT-110.

The three knife trimmer HT-80 can be used together with Horizon`s four clamp perfect binder BQ-470 for in-line production of EVA and PUR bound books. An optional thickness detector measures each book and positions the clamp plate for on-demand variable thickness book trimming.

Horizon says its new workflow system pXnet minimises downtime at makeready, reducing waste, increasing staff flexibility, allowing constant work planning and job records for cost calculation.

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