Innovation on new Horizon

Visitors to the Horizon stand at drupa have seen some impressive finishing lines for high speed roll fed finishing, with the Japanese manufacturer teaming up with Hunkeler and Tecnau to create complete solutions. Craig Paul, general manager for Currie Group which supplies Horizon in New Zealand, says, “The Currie Group team at drupa is reporting back about some impressive innovations on the Horizon stand, all of which will become available here. New Zealand and Australian printers have visited the Horizon drupa stand in numbers. ” Bernie Robinson, from Currie Group Australia, 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.†The finishing lines can accommodate different book sizes, with bar codes telling the individual unit which size to cut, with the trimmer then automatically setting itself. Paul 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, the Smart Slitter works with A3 sheets and can cut and perf either left to right, right to left or top to bottom. It can cut 21 cards out of an A3 sheet at a rate of 3,400 sheets an hour and will perf at a similar speed, according to Horizon. A barcode controls all of that with the machine setting itself. Horizon has launched the BQ-480 Variable 4 Clamp Binder; a four clamp perfect binder that Horizon says features the quickest set-up and superior quality, claiming 50 per cent faster makeready. It 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 setting are set 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 BQ480 for launch in Australia at PacPrint next year. Other innovations on the stand include the AFV-566T6F fully automated buckle folder that offers scoring navigation performed automatically through the touchscreen panel; automatic double-sheet detection; registration by vacuum belt; under 80db quiet operation; and easier sheet loading. It offers optional dynamic folding to change the fold pattern on-the-fly for variable signatures with minimal or no blank sheets On display, the HOF-400 digital sheet feeder and offset printed sheet in the VAC-600 collator use Horizon’s intelligent feed system enabling combining of the digital printed sheets with offset printed sheets picked from selected bins. The SPF-200A bookletmaking system then converts the set to a booklet.