Surbiton printer Alphaset has undergone a period of change that has culminated with investment in a Horizon BQ270 single clamp perfect binder and a Foliant Vega 400A from Intelligent Finishing Systems.

Production Director Tim Sheppard explains: “Business has changed and we have re-assessed operations which means a single clamp perfect binder was more suited to our workflow than the Horizon BQ470 PUR we had. We were being asked for PUR but not in high quantities. That meant cleaning was time consuming. It soon became clear that an EVA single clamp solution would be more suited to our client’s needs.”

He continues: “We obviously know the Horizon systems well and so the BQ270 was the natural choice. It is easy to run and quick to set up. It has made us more flexible.”

The BQ270 has a cycle speed of 500cph and, as well as completing the entire set-up and fine-tuning, its intuitive icon-based colour touchscreen also accesses the on-board 200-job memory store. There is a controlled two-stage book drop to protect heavier books

Part of the change in Alphaset’s business has been an increase in general commercial work which prompted the investment in a more automated laminating solution – the Foliant Vega 400A.

“We had a smaller handfed system but our volumes were increasing. In some cases lamination was offered as part of a value added service while in others customers were requesting lamination more frequently.

He continues: “In fact it has only been in a few months and we have already laminated 17,000 sheets. It has just gone crazy. We made the right investment at the perfect time.”

Demand has been so strong that return on investment is expected in under a year: “We no longer have to put work out and that saves us on outsourcing costs. We can also turn orders round much faster. It is easy to use and you can let it run longer jobs. There are no bottlenecks in this area at all.”

Capable of 18mpm, the Foliant Vega is ideal for digital or litho short to medium run lengths. It features an intuitive colour touch screen control for easy set up and fast makereadies and low level housekeeping as there is no need for regular cleaning. It also has a compact footprint.