Manchester brochure and booklet specialist Browns Print has increased production capacity, flexibility and reduced outsourcing with an IFS supplied Horizon StitchLiner Mark III.
Investment in the new saddle-stitching system is part of £2.4m “futureproofing” strategy that included a new Heidelberg XL-75 ten-colour press – the first in the world to be fitted with a fourth-generation Cutstar sheeter – that was installed in March. Browns Print also runs a Heidelberg XL106 and Versafire and Linoprint digital presses.
“We had an older StitchLiner model and we had been running that for a few years,” states Managing Director Danny Baldwin. “It was a great machine. A fantastic piece of kit. We were running our Muller Martini stitching line at full capacity constantly and the StitchLiner was taking more and more work. We needed more capacity. We talked to the IFS team and they suggested the StitchLiner Mark III with 2-up kit would be faster and more flexible. We didn’t look at any other options on the market because we know and trust Horizon systems. They are very reliable.
“We also liked the fact it could produce landscape work. For those jobs, especially short run work, it was time consuming to finish them inhouse. We were also sending some of that work out or we would price ourselves out of the job. Now we can say yes to everything knowing that that it can be completed quickly and cost effectively in house.”
The next generation StitchLiner runs at 6,000 booklets per hour. Its fully automated set-up delivers improved production efficiency and functionality, A4 landscape capability and professional quality.
Return on investment was not a key deciding factor but Danny says: “With an increase in output of circa 25% the machine will pay for itself in no time. It is quick to set up and easy to run. Originally, we only had one operator trained on it so our bindery manager was also trained and he picked it up very quickly.”
He concludes: “It just doesn’t skip a beat. It is running full speed every hour of every day. In fact, we are looking at putting another shift on.”
