Tunbridge Wells trade house Purfect Finish has replaced its 14-year Meccanotecnica Aster sewer with the latest Aster Evo model supplied by Kolbus UK.
The machine will meet a growing demand for sewn finished catalogues, brochures and reports where clients are looking for a higher quality impression than perfect binding alone can provide. A sewn section product will also open flat, which few perfect bound products can achieve.
Bernard Hickey, who remains managing director of the business founded more than 25 years ago, says: “Back in the 1980s we were probably the first bookbinder to introduce PUR binding, hence the company name.
“We still produce a lot of PUR, burst and perfect bound books but when customers are looking for top quality lay flat products they are increasingly specifying thread sewn. With the demand for shorter runs, thinner products and consistent high quality we saw the new Aster Evo as an ideal machine for our needs.”
This is the second Aster that Kolbus UK has sold in the last three months, having sold none last year. It points to a mini revival in the technique. There has been a growth in products that leave the sewing exposed, using different coloured threads for example.
The core technology has not changed a great deal, but the makeready technology and versatility of the latest machines has. The Aster Evo model can handle products from 75mmx120mm up to 320mmx420mm with a 1.5mm thickness of a signature. It will run at a maximum speed of 200 cycles a minute.
“We are starting to see an increase in demand,” says Kolbus director of sales Greg Bird. “A lot of commercial printers are spending more on higher quality materials and demand for sewn finishes is part of that.
“The machine we have supplied to Purfect Finish will improve their reliability and productivity and allow them to produce a wider range of sizes. We are seeing that sewn work is taking off.”
There is renewed interest in the quality and style of finish imparted by sewn work for top quality reports and brochures. This had led Purfect Binding to replace its existing machine with the latest Aster Evo.
