The Morgana BM4000 Series of bookletmakers can produce both A4 landscape and 297 x 297mm booklets of bookletmakers that was introduced at The Print Show 2022. These machines can produce both A4 landscape and 297 x 297mm booklets, and offer either corner or edge stapling as standard, plus the option of the unique SquareBack finish. For those PSPs looking to make their first foray into binding, the BM60 bookletmaker is a compact and entry-level bookletmaker for hand feeding, with the ability to saddle staple and fold booklets of up to 22 sheets of 80gsm paper, giving up to 88-page booklets. Moving up, the BM5050 and BM3050 can staple and fold up to 50 sheets of 80gsm, to create booklets of up to 200 pages, while the BM5035S and BM5050S are equipped with the latest stitching head from Morgana, which Hillhouse says gives the operator the ability to easily adjust the length of the stitch for thicker books without using tools. Also in terms of bookletmaking, the Morgana PowerSquare 224VF and 160VF are complete book making systems for the production of offline books of up to 224-pages and 160-pages respectively. In addition, the three core bookletmaking platforms from Morgana – BM4000 Series, BM5000 Series, and PowerSquare products – can all be fronted by the very latest in vacuum feeding technology in the form of the Morgana VFX vacuum feeder. For PUR binding, Morgana offers the DigiBook range, which offers a variety of production speeds to suit almost all print businesses, particularly those involved in short-run work. “The DigiBook is a truly innovative binding machine designed and built for today’s market requirements,” Hillhouse says, adding: “It is easy to use via a touch screen panel with icon graphics that allow the programming of all precision operations in just a few seconds, including start up and shut down.” The entry-level PUR product in the range is the DigiBook 200, which Hillhouse says is suited to both litho and digital printers that require short to medium runs of PUR perfect bound books to a professional standard and runs from a standard power supply. Further up the range, the DigiBook 300XL and DigiBook 450 offer higher capacity PUR binding. In addition, Morgana offers solutions for twin-loop wire binding, a hugely popular method for assembling a document where there is a need for a book to lay completely flat, often for pages to be written on. For such work, the DocuBind Pro VFX has the high-speed Morgana VFX vacuum feeder, which runs at up to 140 pages per minute, the StreamPunch VFX heavy duty punching and creasing module, and the eWire VFX twin-wire automatic binding solution. Relieve pressure Elsewhere and Intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS) also offers a range of print finishing kit, including binding machinery. Managing director Eric Keane says by bringing binding in-house, PSPs can reduce costs by managing all steps of the production. “Pressures on margins are increasing,” Keane says, adding: “Energy, paper, and ink prices are all rising. The challenging combination continues to impact margins and profits requiring printers to find different ways to respond to these escalating costs. By going in-house, PSPs can have greater control of their workflow and can be more responsive to fast turnaround work.” With this in mind, what should PSPs be looking for in a quality binder? Keane simply states “automation”, explaining that this can have a significant impact by helping to improve planning, increase capacity, speed up production and throughput, and eliminate errors. “Highly automated systems are often easier to use and designed for single person operation which helps them tackle another pressure the industry is facing – a skills shortage,” Keane says, adding: “Their intelligent print finishing capabilities provide companies with the flexibility of employing operators with little or no experience. They can also aid the management of a broader range of applications too. With remote reporting and diagnostics any downtime can be minimised, and maintenance planned when necessary.” Taking a look at the latest solutions from IFS, Keane highlights how Horizon, one of its core manufacturer partners, is committed to enhancing automation throughout its portfolio of systems - from its folders and three-knife trimmers to saddlestitchers and perfect binders. He says that each evolution incorporates enhancements that drive productivity and reduce production Available from IFS, the Horizon BQ-500 four clamp perfect binder is the latest evolution of Horizon’s series of four clamp binders Binding Technology January / February 2023 38 If you can’t bind in-house, you are already at the back of the queue of print providers
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