Investment in a four clamp Horizon BQ470 perfect binder from IFS has helped Airdrie Print Services expand its trade service.

The Lanarkshire business delivers B3 and SRA2 offset litho printing services with Sakurai, Ryobi and Presstek presses and digital printing services with Xerox and Konica Minolta systems. It specialises in books, ncr printing and personalised stationery. As well as trade, clients include SMEs, education, councils and bureaux.

Explains director Jim Paterson: “We have had a Horizon BQ270 for the past nine years. It was a single clamp EVA binder. We could see growing demand for books and it was time to invest in a higher production system which had to be PUR suitable for digital and litho work both colour and mono.

“At the same time our self published and trade work was increasing and so we launched a dedicated book printing website bookprintersscotland.co.uk Everything was coming together at the same time.”

The small-footprinted PUR BQ-470 four-clamp perfect binder is ideally suited to mid-range soft back book production with higher production speeds and instant make readies for runs-of-one. It can bind up to 65 mm (2.55”) thickness and offers fully automated set-up through an intuitive icon based LCD touchscreen.

Other solutions were reviewed before the investment was made in the Horizon states Paterson: “We looked at three or four other systems but we have other Horizon equipment and know they are reliable and easy to set up and run. We have always had good, local service too and that swayed it.”

Paterson concludes: “It was a necessary step up for us. It is much faster so jobs are in and out. We are more streamlined which makes production planning easier. It has been a fantastic addition, and is now attracting work UK wide.”