Harlow Printing Limited is the latest UK operation to invest in the next generation StitchLiner Mark III from IFS.

The company joins Route One and Healeys Print Group Ltd as the first adopters of the technology. They will enjoy enhanced operation with fully automated job set up that is 30% faster than the StitchLiner 5500.

The general commercial operation has been providing a print and print management service since 1947 to an evolving and increasing customer base that includes the NHS, public sector organisations as well as local and national businesses.

Managing director Richard Walker explains: “We continually invest in the business to ensure we are offering our customers the best possible service. At the same time, we have recently won a new contract and wanted to ensure we had the production capacity to confidently cope with this additional work.

“One of the capabilities that stood out was the StitchLiner Mark III’s ability to print landscape books and I think we can win more work on the back of that. It is also easier and faster to make ready which is ideal for the wide range of runs and size we are asked to complete. He adds: “It has been running well and we expect it to pay for itself within a couple of years.”

The newly-launched next-generation StitchLiner builds on the hugely successful innovative StitchLiner series. Complete with servo drive technology, the system runs at a maximum speed of 6,000bph and up to 12,000bph with two-up production. It is also capable of producing A4 landscape booklets at speeds of up to 5,300bph.

Equipped with a new large 12.1″ HD colour touch screen there is also a quicker and more precise knife movement and variable thickness production as standard with new Hohner 52/8S stitching heads.

It joins a raft of IFS-supplied systems at Harlow Printing Ltd including a Horizon StitchLiner 5500, two Horizon AFC-566FG folders, a Horizon SPF/FC 200A system, a Durselen PB-04N drill and two Perfecta 115TS.