After taking over local business Pagefast late last year, Kendal commercial printer MTP Media decided to increase production capacity for fast response short runs by enhancing its bindery capabilities.

It chose a Horizon SPF-200L bookletmaker with two Vac 1000 collators from Intelligent Finishing Systems. The new addition replaced an 18-year-old Horizon MC8 SPF-10 line.

“When we bought Pagefast we needed to invest in a solution that would handle the increased workload inhouse,” explains director Alistair Sanderson. “Runs are getting shorter and shorter and turnaround times are getting faster. So, we wanted a system that could manage these jobs more efficiently.

“We were also sending some work out, such as landscape booklets, but this was an additional cost and impacted delivery times. The new system can produce landscape books which means we can offer the service more responsively while saving time and eliminating outsourcing costs.”

The highly automated 4,500bph Horizon SPF-200L combines stitching and folding with the ability to feed A4 landscape sheets up to 640mm in length. JDF-ready, it offers instant set-ups via a large icon-based colour touchscreen for user-friendly operation. The screen can be used for on-the-run fine tune adjustments as well as the storage and recall of up to 200 jobs.

The Horizon SPF-200L will complete litho work from a Sakurai 575SDW B2 press and digital print from a Ricoh Pro C7100X.

“We know Horizon and felt it was the right solution for us,” Sanderson adds. “It has been very good so far. It has allowed us to expand our versatility and take on more jobs confident that we can deliver. On the jobs we no longer send out we save around 20% to 25% so we estimate it will pay for itself in 18 months to two years.”