BCQ has celebrated its 40th anniversary with the installation of a Horizon BQ470 four-clamp perfect binder linked to an HT1000V automated three-knife trimmer.
The investment meets a client requirement for regular perfect binding at the Buckingham company. Commercial director Alan Pond says: “We had one client who we were pursuing for some considerable time but were unable to convert as we had an older perfect binder we were having to subcontract a lot of work out. Now we don’t need to as we have everything we need.”
The jobs can also be spread through the month as orders from the customer arrive rather than be batched and produced at the end of each month as has been the normal production method.
The BQ470 has replaced a couple of long in the tooth single-clamp binders, where the companied running speed was nowhere near what we needed, says Pond. “And the contract called for faster, better quality production,” he says.
The company will further tackle this next year with installation of a Heidelberg Speedmaster XL75-5 with LE-UV which will enable uncoated sheets to be turned or finished immediately.
The new binder can deliver 1,350 books an hour, each up to 65mm thick and with instant make ready via a touch screen. This also sets the trimmer which adjusts own the fly to suit the dimensions of each book.
The company has an StitchLiner 5500 from Horizon which like the BQ470 was supplied by UK dealer IFS. The two pieces of equipment have a common interface making it relatively easy to move operators as required. “One person can run the binding operation,” says Pond. “With its variable set up it can change the spine thickness and sizes of the books which makes short run book production quick and easy. And the learning curve has been that much quicker.
“We have seen the binder in operation at other locations. Indeed the company we were outsourcing to uses the same Horizon binder. But we checked out the options at Drupa and it does exactly what we need it to.”
The company is running the binder with Planatol’s Planamelt adhesive which has the simplicity of operation of a hot melt glue yet has the versatility and most of the strength of a PUR. “It means we can meet whatever the customer’s requirements are, for speed or strength,” he explains.
The binder will cope with work from either the Speedmaster litho press or Indigo digital machines.
It featured as the most recent investment in the company’s customer party for the 40th anniversary which also focused on the capabilities of the Jolly Big large format division which decorated some of the the furniture like bar, and printing some of the seating made from corrugated boards.
Alan Pond examines a book from the newly installed Horizon BQ470 four clamp binder at the Buckingham factory. The machine is linked to an HT1000 three knife trimmer and will give the company greater control over perfecting binding, especially on a key contract.
