Hardings Print Solutions has completed a lengthy investment spree with installation of a Horizon StitchLiner MkIV and laminator, both through IFS.
The £1.3 million investment package began with an HP Indigo 120K which arrived last year. The Feltham company now runs three Indigos along with Speedmasters. The investment, however, targeted the growing digital side of the business and the need to meet demand for fast turnarounds for customers.
CEO Steve Harding says: “We complete 50 to 60 jobs every day and we need to be able to deliver much faster. We never say no. Customers want things the next day and we needed to be able to meet this requirement.
“We installed the new Indigo press but needed the finishing capabilities to support its speed and production. We liked the StitchLiner for its quick makereadies that would match the productivity required. We didn’t look at anything else because we knew how good it was. It is fast, efficient and we are now producing a lot more done in the day. There are no more bottlenecks.”
The StitchLiner has been developed specifically for this type of fast changeover work using Horizon’s iCE Link cloud based workflow to both track job progress and to download job settings to the machine.
It has replaced an ageing Duplo iSaddle booklet maker at Hardings. There is a marked improvement in handling lighter weight papers which have proved troublesome in the past. It also enable adjustments on the fly with a further impact on productivity.
The StitchLiner has been joined in the investment package by a Foliant Taurus 530 NG 4×4 double-side laminator. Harding adds: “We already have a single-side Taurus but needed double-side capabilities. The new addition was the natural choice. The team know how to operate, so it was easy to integrate into production.”
