also capable of up to ten crease lines on a sheet, using impact scoring technology to eliminate or minimise cracking of the stock or printed image. “All of Horizon’s high-quality creasing, collating, and folding systems are quick to set up and operate, which helps eliminate bottlenecks, aids smoother throughput, and reduces operator intervention,” Keane says, continuing: “They ensure crisp, sharp, and accurate folds and creases for the delivery of high-quality final products.” Keane adds that many Horizon machines incorporate cloud-based iCE LiNK workflow that provides access to an intuitive easy to use dashboard. It reports real-time production analysis for improved efficiency and profitability, remote update capabilities, and scheduled maintenance 40 email: editor@printmonthly.co.uk January / February 2025 - Issue 352 resulting in less downtime. As an added advantage, information is accessible via smartphone, tablet, or desktop PC. Quality Focus Concluding our round-up is Steve Humphreys, sales and marketing coordinator at Tech-ni-Fold, which has a patented range of over 400 innovative rotary creasing, micro-perforating, and cutting products. Humphreys says investment here is key if PSPs are to get the best possible results. “Having the Rolls Royce press firing out the hottest looking prints and then sending them to the back of the factory for someone to process with a bar creaser or clapped-out folder not only seems counterproductive but there’s also a distinct chance you’re going tarnish the look of the finished job, resulting in either unhappy customers or re-run jobs,” Humphreys says. “There is a lot of great kit out there but certainly in terms of creasing there is no one size fits all solution. What is great for packaging isn’t the most suitable for greetings cards, and vice versa. Always do your research for what’s out there and try to see live demos of everything if you can to really make sure you know the limits and capabilities.” While the Tech-ni-Fold portfolio is far-reaching and wide-ranging, Humphreys says its most popular creasing solution is the Tri-Creaser, the flagship product that started it all for the company. The current iteration is the Tri-Creaser Fast Fit, which is fitted on thousands of folding and creasing machines all over the world. The latest innovation from Tech-ni-Fold is the Section Score, which is still being rolled out to customers and, according to Humphreys, will be a hugely useful tool in finishing. “At drupa, we discovered a lot of printers have issues when scoring and folding section work, and the methods involved with tackling it on a folding machine are average at best, and costly to replace. We have specially developed a new tool to comfortably handle a wide variety and thickness of section work which is quickly interchangeable to go from one thickness to another and is far more cost effective to replace than current products.” The message here seems clear, ignore or skimp on finishing investment, and you risk jeopardising your entire product range. By working with specialist providers this will help you to identify the most effective solution for the type of work you are producing, allowing you to improve the final look of the printed product. There is a lot of great kit out there but certainly in terms of creasing there is no one size fits all solution CREASING, FOLDING, AND COLLATING ► Tech-ni-Fold says its Tri-Creaser Fast Fit is fitted on thousands of folding and creasing machines around the world
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