Horizon has adopted Change The Focus as its Drupa 2016 theme to reflect the need for flexibility following digital and litho technology advances. Drupa 2016, takes place Messe Dusseldorf from May 31 to June 10 and Horizon, distributed in the UK and Ireland by Intelligent Finishing Systems, can be found in Hall 6 Stand 6D05-1.

“Digital technology has been advancing rapidly, and we are always considering what changes are necessary and which direction we should take,” comments Eijiro Hori, Horizon’s President. “We must remain flexible in order to adopt and make the changes that the market demands.  Recently we have been aware that the technology in our print market is changing even more rapidly than in the past.

“We recognize that there has always been change and change will continue to effect the world infrastructure and future innovations for generations to come. We understand that the rapid changes in technology in all areas creates challenges and opportunities for the print industry, how to make the technology work for our customers.  We as a manufacturer must also ask ourselves the same questions.  So when we say “Change the Focus” we are not only asking this of our customers, but it is a challenge to ourselves as well.”

With that ethos in mind Print 4.0 has been stated as a major trend for Drupa 2016.  Horizon has been promoting the technology for JDF Workflow for sometime and to meet customer demands it will not only be providing new advancements in equipment, but complete integrated solutions to insure an efficient imposition to improve the equipment efficiency.

Among its 24 showcased working systems – in various zones featuring perfect bind, stitch, fold, and digital applications – will be three new portfolio additions. They include the world premier of the Horizon BQ-480 variable four-clamp binder. It features the quickest set-up and delivers superior quality to meet the demand for efficient book-of-one production. With newly developed automation technology it achieves a speed of 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 side glue adjustment. All of these are set automatically according to book thickness. Specially designed to meet the requirements of PUR book binding, the Horizon BQ-480 includes a gentle elevator delivery system with only a 5mm drop.

The second is the Horizon AFV-566T6F fully automated buckle folder that features advanced automation. Building on Horizon’s already proven automated fold technology, the Horizon AFV-566T6F includes scoring navigation completed automatically through the touchscreen panel, automatic double-sheet detection to minimize waste, improved registration by vacuum belt, under 80db quiet operation and easier sheet loading. Optional dynamic folding is also possible to change the fold pattern on-the-fly for variable signatures with minimal or no blank sheets

Last but not least is the Intelligent Feed Bookletmaking system developed to meet customer demand to combine the benefits of variable data via digital printing and the capability of offset printing to reduce costs on higher volume. It loads the digital printed sheets on the HOF-400 digital sheet feeder and offset printed sheets on the VAC-600 collator. The digital printed sheet has a barcode which is read at the digital feeder, the barcode information includes the pickup information for the collator bins, which is sent to the collator through the intelligent feed system to mix the digital and offset print sheets. The set is then converted to a booklet at the SPF-200A bookletmaking system. It is ideal for high volume variable applications.

There will also be six live presentations hosted daily in cooperation with leading vendors from workflow, prepress and press segments.  They will focus on finishing from the point of job creation, to ensure efficiency through each step of production, reduce waste, and minimize touch points.

They will feature four Horizon Finishing Systems.

• Integrated Roll-to-Booklet solution featuring the Horizon StitchLiner 6000 Digital Saddlestitcher. Pre-printed rolls will be processed into finished booklets with variable sheet count.
• Smart Finishing Solution of a smaller scale, featuring short run and book-of-one production. Pre-printed rolls will be signature folded and then accumulated to create book blocks and perfect bound with the Horizon BQ-470 perfect binding system and three knife trimmed in variable format.
• A hybrid Smart Binding System which will deliver finished books in one process from continuous-feed and cut-sheet digital print or folded signatures with variable finish size, paper stock and page count. The demonstration will also feature an offset printing flow with 16 page signatures and a continuous-feed digital print flow. Two newly developed key features are demonstrated in this system. A new folding technology enables changing the fold pattern on the fly to minimize blank pages. A new book block feeding device enables feeding cut sheets into the binding system.
• Horizon SmartStacker which intelligently cuts and stacks from a B2 printed sheet. Book blocks which are processed from B2 sheets by the Horizon SmartStacker are delivered to the Smart Binding System for binding of the books. With these new solutions, various applications which require short run or book of one production such as catalogues, educational books, magazines, photo books and publications can be efficiently produced.

These systems will be demonstrated in cooperation with various vendors including Canon, FujiFilm, HP, Hunkeler, Komori, Ricoh, Screen, Tecnau and Ultimate. Collaboration with these vendors covers the total workflow including, pre-press, press and post press will be demonstrated to simulate real production capabilities.

To book a one-to-one or stand tour with an IFS team member please email sales@ifsl.uk.com