5
Fall 2014 STANDARD FINISHING SYSTEMS www.standardfinishing.com Customer Profile News Innovationdays 2015 Access Direct masters the world of finishing digital roll-fed print New finishing solutions draw high energy and interest at Graph Expo Hunkeler readies for February event in Lucerne

Think BIG, Print BIG Investments! - Access Direct · 2019. 12. 14. · L’Ecuyer says that being a trade shop is most challenging because of the variety of work brought through the

  • Upload
    others

  • View
    0

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Think BIG, Print BIG Investments! - Access Direct · 2019. 12. 14. · L’Ecuyer says that being a trade shop is most challenging because of the variety of work brought through the

5X Throughput Improvement Benefits Company’s Digital Department.

Fall 2014 STANDARD FINISHING SYSTEMS

www.standardfinishing.com

Customer Profile NewsInnovationdays 2015 Access Direct masters the worldof finishing digital roll-fed print

New finishing solutions draw highenergy and interest at Graph Expo

Hunkeler readies for Februaryevent in Lucerne

Slate Group began nearly 30years ago as a copy shop andhas long outgrown itsoriginal Copy Craft moniker.At $25 million in annualrevenues, this commercialprinting company is startingwith a fresh slate.

Slate Group offers offset,digital and display graphicsprinting as well as graphicdesign and direct mailingservices for clients locally andnationwide. “We’ve become afull-service regional solutionsprovider,” said Brad Phinny,the company’s Chief OperatingOfficer. “We realized last yearthat our bookletmaking capabilities werenot able to keep up with today’s demands.The throughput and durability of theexisting equipment was not what weneeded to sustain growth and deliverexceptional customer service, nor was thequality of output we were getting. At Print13, we started looking to refresh it.”

Slate Group has 40” and 29” offset, avariety of HP Indigo digital presses, largeformat and a full bindery across its twolocations in Lubbock and Austin, Texas. Thecompany was impressed with the StandardHorizon solutions on display at the showand worked with Standard’s local dealer,Tim Ross of Cobblestone Graphics, to seekhis advice and narrow down options.

“We then visited the Standard demo facilityin Boston,” Phinny explains. “We providedthem with a variety of differentapplications and substrates and saw thebookletmaking equipment in action.Almost as an afterthought, we spent time

Think BIG, Print BIGInvestments!

Slate Group Marks Recent Name Change with...

“The CRF-362 Creaser/Folder performs both

creasing and perfing, removing some of the

work from our traditional bindery and

enabling us to meet the tight turnaround

times today’s digital customers demand, and

we have reduced the amount of work sent

to our traditional bindery by 50%.”

Customer Snapshot

8

with their new creaser/folder unit, andafter seeing it operate, it was a no-brainerto add it to our new configuration.”

To meet its growing bindery needs and tosupport the output from its fleet of digitalpresses, Slate Group chose to acquire acompletely new bookletmaking lineconsisting ofStandardHorizon’sHOF-400 HighSpeed SheetFeeder, theCR-400 Creaser/Bleed Trimmer, the SPF-200A Bookletmaker, and the FC-200AFace Trimmer. “The installation wentsmoothly,” Phinny adds, “and once it wasup and running, we were stunned at itsperformance compared to our previousline.”

Another benefit for Slate Group was theability to do more of its finishing in itsdigital department without having to

send work to the traditional bindery, ofteninterrupting longer run work in doing so.Phinny remarks that the company’sprevious configuration could not fold coverweight stock. “We were also excited aboutthe ability of the CRF-362 Creaser/Folder todo both creasing and perfing, removingsome work from our traditional binderyand enabling us to meet the tight

turnaround times today’sdigital customers demand,and we have reduced theamount of work sent to ourtraditional bindery by 50%.With the new configuration,we were also able to eliminatethe pre-trimming of bookletson the sides. We are gettingproduct through the digitalbindery five times faster thanwe were able to before! Wewere even able to transitionone of our nighttime binderyoperators into a differentposition, definitely a part ofthe payback calculation onthis outstanding equipment.”

Phinny also explains that the company’sprevious configuration often requiredseveral passes to adequately bind work,requiring manual collation and a trip to thetraditional bindery for final stitching. Itsnew CRF-362 Creaser/Folder handles thickerstocks for scoring covers used in thebookletmaking process, and also

accommodatesa number offold patternsincluding gatefolds for avariety of other

applications.

Phinny is also pleased with the ease of useof the Standard Horizon equipment. “Youcan store up to 200 jobs, and the menusmake it very easy to use, meaning lesstraining time for operators,” he says. “Wewill be looking to Cobblestone Graphicsand Standard for more solutions in thefuture as we continue to refine ourinfrastructure.”

Slate Group CEO Brad Phinny (L) and President Marc Hayes (R), with their new booklet-maker and local dealer, Tim Ross, VP at Cobblestone Graphics Equipment Co. (C)

We are getting product throughthe digital bindery five times faster

than we were able to before!

FinishLine 11.2014

Page 2: Think BIG, Print BIG Investments! - Access Direct · 2019. 12. 14. · L’Ecuyer says that being a trade shop is most challenging because of the variety of work brought through the

Welcome I Contents

Working with our customers to determine best fit.Because every application is unique…

At the recent Graph Expo, Standard packed its booth withnearly every solution we offer and ran live demonstrations toshow our customers automation and productivity firsthand. Theresponse was overwhelming, and solidified the important placethis event still holds within our industry. This is why we are soexcited about the upcoming Hunkeler Innovationdays to be heldin Lucerne, Switzerland this February. Print professionals from allover the world will once again have the opportunity to see avast assortment of cutting-edge print solutions in action. Inturn, we will have the opportunity to hear their challenges,requirements, and successes – which is the key to advancement.

We are committed to helping our customers succeed. Our coverstory features Access Direct (located just outside “The Big

Apple”), who needed pre and post solutions that could keepup with the speed of their new inkjet presses. StandardHunkeler/Horizon responded with a complete, integratedsolution that quite simply “does exactly what they needit to do.” On the back cover, Slate Group of Lubbock,Texas has increased productivity in its digital bindery

fivefold with the addition of its new Horizon booklet-making line. At right, Lamcoil of Quebec is

profiting from the flexibility and efficiencyof their new finishing equipment – mostnotably, the quick set-up and changeover– which has allowed them to take in awider array of jobs.

In addition to offering superiorsolutions, our goal is to make surewe provide the “right” solution soyour company will flourish. Thedoors to our fully-equippeddemonstration center in Andover,MA are always open. Moreimportantly, we at Standard arealways ready to listen and learnabout your newest and mostchallenging applications so wecan be a partner in yoursuccess.

We look forward to seeing youin Lucerne!

Welcome

FinishLine 11.2014

Contents

Customer Snapshot

Customer Profile

Innovationdays 2015

Show News

Customer Snapshot

In Memoriam

2

Steven RenyPresident

3 Les Enterprises Lamcoil, Inc. of Quebec gearsup for growing role of digital print in region

6 Hunkeler readies for its next technology event,80 exhibitors to cover two halls

8 Slate Group redefines productthroughput in the bindery at fivetimes the speed

4-5 Access Direct Systems, Inc. takes customers behindthe curtain to debut new finishing investments

7 New Standard finishing solutions draw a lot ofinterest from Graph Expo attendees

Doug RenyVice President of Operations

David RenyExecutive Vice President

On the Cover Access Direct’s Team (L to R)Jesuthasan Swakeen, Production ExpediterJohn DiNozzi, Senior Vice PresidentJose Giron, Lead Mechanic

Hachiro Hori, Founder and Chairman ofHorizon International and Taiyo Seiki Co.,Ltd., passed away at the age of 93 on August 15, 2014. Mr. Hori was influential inthe development of many new finishingtechnologies and manufacturing techniquessince the founding of his company nearly 70 years ago in the ancient capital of Japan,Kyoto City. Standard greatly appreciated ourlong-standing relationship with Mr. Hori Sr.and looks forward to continuing ourpartnership under the leadership of his son,Eijiro Hori, President and CEO of HorizonInternational and Taiyo Seiki Co., Ltd.

Hachiro Hori1921 - 2014

After evaluating the full range ofsolutions firsthand, Lamcoil decided to add a Standard Horizon BQ-280PURPerfect Binder, a Standard Horizon AFC-566FG Folder (right), a StandardHorizon StitchLiner 5500 Saddlestitcher(left), and a Standard Horizon CRF-362Creaser /Folder.

Lamcoil Adds Finishing Capabilities and Attracts New Business.

Rapidly growing role of digital print drives success of Quebec company.

FinishLine 11.2014

Customer Snapshot

Founded in 1995, Les EnterprisesLamcoil, Inc. has always been a tradeshop. For many years, the business wasabout lamination, wire-o and spiralbinding. And it was a fine business, for it

allowed the company to steadily grow –moving three times over the years, fromhumble beginnings in a 1,000 square-foot place to 18,000 square feet today,running 16-hour shifts, and staffed by35 employees, according to PatrickL’Ecuyer, Lamcoil’s President.

L’Ecuyer says that the organization’s corevalues are punctuality and reliability,quality, customer satisfaction, and acompetitive price. Ninety-nine percent ofthe business is derived from local andregional print buyers and producers.

Over the years, the nature of the workhas changed. Digital printing is playing a

much bigger role in the Quebecmarketplace. L’Ecuyer recalls the earlydays of digital print, when the qualitywas questionable and the runs wereultra-short. Now, the sweet spot for

digital print runs ismeasured in thethousands, andthat’s changed theway Lamcoil works,too. For example,the company investsin better and fasterlamination equip-ment, allowing it tolaminate as many as100,000 sheets aday.

L’Ecuyer knew thathe wanted toexpand the businessin a sensible,complementary way,which led him on atrip to Andover,Massachusetts tovisit Standard

Finishing Systems’ National Demonstra-tion Center. After evaluating the fullrange of solutions firsthand, he decidedto add several pieces of digital finishingequipment to the mix: a StandardHorizon BQ-280PUR Perfect Binder, aStandard Horizon AFC-566FG Folder, aStandard Horizon StitchLiner 5500Saddlestitcher, and a Standard HorizonCRF-362 Creaser/Folder.

Investing in these brand-new post-presstechnologies not only opened up newtypes of business for the company, theywere particularly well-suited to thedynamic ways in which the business was

3

evolving. Their quality, reliability, andefficiencies were a good match –operationally, and according to whatcustomers wanted.

L’Ecuyer says that being a trade shop ismost challenging because of the variety ofwork brought through the front door.Jobs of all shapes and sizes, produced onall kinds of paper and media, and even amix of offset and digital print. What heappreciates about these StandardFinishing solutions is that they allow thebusiness to be nimble and agile, taking onan array of jobs, all the while offeringnotable efficiencies to move themthrough the workflow as quickly aspossible. Ease of use while running a jobis great, but he points out that the realprofit margin lies in being able to changeout jobs quickly, and breeze throughsetup. All of this equipment is very easyand fast to get up and running, heaffirms.

The BQ-280PUR Perfect Binder, forexample, can store up to 200 jobparameters in its memory, and itautomatically measures book thickness.The Standard Horizon CRF-362Creaser/Folder – which has been in highuse – is adept at handling a range ofprinting stocks – from light to heavy,coated or uncoated. It, too, can store upto 200 jobs, and is operated with anintuitive color touchscreen controller.

“What impressed me, when I went toStandard’s facility, was the ease of setup,”according to L’Ecuyer. “That’s what soldme. The transition and installation? So far,so good. Everything went perfectly, themachines are running every day, andwe’re getting busier and busier!”

Standard Horizon finishing solutions key to future growth and satisfied customers.

With the new BQ-280PUR Perfect Binder at Lamcoil are President PatrickL'Ecuyer (left) and Vice President Patrick Robillard (right), with their localStandard dealer, Karl Belafi Jr., Vice President, KBR Graphics (center).

Customer SnapshotWelcome I Contents

Page 3: Think BIG, Print BIG Investments! - Access Direct · 2019. 12. 14. · L’Ecuyer says that being a trade shop is most challenging because of the variety of work brought through the

FinishLine 11.2014 FinishLine 11.20144

The direct-marketing and mailing experts take customers behind the curtain to debut new finishing

investments.

Access Direct: Masters of Finishing Wizardry.Combining best-of-breed technologies from Hunkeler and Horizon.

5

The ability to handle a variety of formats is huge. We’re not

always in complete control over the media or how our

customers have handled layout. We needed to handle pretty

much everything and so far, the Standard Hunkeler/Horizon

Roll-to-Fold solution has answered that call.

Flexibility is mission critical.

Customer Profile I

The DIF-56 is significant,because it allows Access Directto use the AF-566 Folder in-line with the completefinishing system to processroll-fed print, or off-line as astandalone device forprocessing cut-sheet work.

disappoint,” DiNozzi reports.

The introduction of those particularly fast digital printersprompted some rethinking of how best to support them withpost-press equipment.

“We’d been running some legacy equipment in finishing, andprior to those printers being installed, we didn’t really see theneed to spend money on upgrading that equipment. It was allfine,” DiNozzi notes. “But once we started to see the value of thedigital inkjet, and we started to see the throughput tremendouslyincreased, we quickly realized the necessity of finding the rightfinishing equipment.”

DiNozzi went in search of turnkey solutions to manage theunwinding, cutting, and folding of the printed media. He cameupon Standard FinishingSystems’ videodemonstration of theStandard Hunkeler/HorizonRoll-to-Fold solution, andsaid, “That’s what I want!”

The solution combines best-of-breed technologies fromHunkeler and Horizon: aUW6 Unwinder, an FM6Folder Merger, a CS6-IICutter, an AF-566 Folder(with a DIF-56 transportunit), and a PSX-56 Stacker.The DIF-56 is significant,because it allows AccessDirect to use the AF-566Folder in-line with thecomplete finishing system toprocess roll-fed print, or off-line as a standalone devicefor processing cut-sheetwork.

DiNozzi says that flexibility is mission-critical: “The ability tohandle a variety of formats is huge. We’re not always incomplete control over the media, over how our customers havehandled layout. They bring in their print the way they want it,and ask that we finish it the way they want it. We needed the

ability to handle pretty much everything they throw at us, and sofar, it has answered that call of being very flexible, working athigh speeds, with quick setups and changeovers.

“We see the speeds it promised. It does exactly what we need itto do, and we were able to get a complete system from a single

supplier,” DiNozzi adds. “That’s important, because with othersystems, we’d be forced to piece together technologies from

different companies, andthat often leads to finger-pointing. So if somethingdoesn’t work, it’s alwaysthe other-guy’s issue. Whenwe met the folks atStandard Finishing Systems,we could see that theywere 100-percentcommitted to thisequipment. It arrived inearly 2014, installedprecisely the way theypromised, and now it’sproducing exactly like itdoes in the video.”

While new digital printequipment often makesnews, DiNozzi says that thisnew StandardHunkeler/Horizon Roll-to-Fold system is garneringattention, too.

“Finishing equipment is kind of like the Wizard of Oz. Don’t lookat the man behind the curtain! But behind the curtain, there’s alot going on,” DiNozzi quips. “The back-end stuff? People aren’talways interested in it, but it’s the bread-and-butter of what wedo. And though we’ve gotten a lot of attention for our inkjetpresses — customers love them — when we hosted an openhouse recently, we had a lot of people who were really interestedin this finishing equipment. When you see what it can do atthose speeds, it’s pretty miraculous! The inkjet is big; it’simpressive and does big things, but when you see paper movingat that speed and be cut and folded? It’s pretty impressive.”

full-color digital presses,” DiNozzi explains.

Today, the company serves FORTUNE 1000 organizations —spanning industries like banking and finance, publishing, andadvertising — with a full menu of direct marketing and domesticmailing services. Less than a year ago, it invested in its firstCanon ColorStream 3900, and more recently installed a secondpress. The printers have been complemented by Hunkeler Roll-to-Roll solutions, with a Hunkeler UW6 Unwinder on the front end,and a Hunkeler RW6 Rewinder on the back end.

“We had several choices of Roll-to-Roll solutions when wepurchased the ColorStreams, but after hearing accolades fromcurrent users, we went with the Hunkeler solution, and it did not

John DiNozzi’s father founded Access Direct Systems, Inc. in1969. “He was a programmer who started out compiling lists,and as that business grew, customers began to ask if he couldprint names and addresses,” recalls his son and senior vicepresident. “So he bought an impact printer, and then theequipment to affix labels to envelopes and cards.”

The business evolved to include an offset printing operation,which eventually gave way to digital printing. “We startedseeing things go digital. We spent a few years looking at thedigital market, hoping to find the right high-speedcontinuous-form equipment that gave us the quality weexpected, but we didn’t find it right out of the gate, andinstead, held our own for a number of years with cut-sheet

We see the speeds it promised. It does exactly what we need it to do,and we were able to get a complete

system from a single supplier.

The solution at Access Direct combines technologies from Hunkeler andHorizon: a UW6 Unwinder, an FM6 Folder Merger, a CS6-II Cutter, an AF-566Folder (with a DIF-56 transport unit), and a PSX-56 Stacker.

The advanced folder automation and touchscreen control allows ultra-quick set-ups in the Access Direct production facility.

The inkjet is big; it’s impressive and doesbig things, but when you see papermoving at that speed and be cut and

folded? It’s pretty impressive.

Page 4: Think BIG, Print BIG Investments! - Access Direct · 2019. 12. 14. · L’Ecuyer says that being a trade shop is most challenging because of the variety of work brought through the

it all... from data input to final end-product.

2013 was an overwhelming success. Confidence and enthusiasmwere high among all attendees and nearly every internationalmarket was represented. According to Stefan Hunkeler, President,Hunkeler AG, “Innovationdays provides a unique opportunityevery two years for company owners and managers, worldwide,to gather together, discuss, and see firsthand the entire picture

when it comes to the state ofdevelopment in modern digitalfinishing.” He added “At Hunkeler,we’re confident that the 2015event will prove to be yet anotheressential information andcommunication platform.” Plans arewell underway to present the finest

automated pre- and post-press paper handling solutions availableunder one roof for what will surely be another impressive event.Register on-line today!

Visit www.innovationdays.com for further informationand to register for 2015.

FinishLine 11.20146

It’s the eleventh Hunkeler Innovationdays to be held at theMesse Lucerne exhibition facility, in Lucerne, Switzerland.Growing interest among suppliers and visitors alike hasprompted some 80 exhibitors, including leading digitalprinting system manufacturers and well-known suppliersfrom the finishing, consumables, and IT sectors, to presenttheir latest products in two new exhibition halls.

Over 40 innovative productionsolutions will be brought to life withreal-world applications, and will berounded off and enhanced byprestigious forums – DOXNET-on-Siteand others where you can participatein an exciting series of seminars anddiscussions on a range of specialized topics.

Drawing over 5,000 visitors in 2013, Hunkeler Innovationdaysis hailed as the most focused trade fair in the industry.Leading edge technologies in digital print and finishing willbe represented, as well as practical solutions that integratewith every print production workflow. Attendees will witness

Hunkeler Readies Innovationdays 2015!“Reaching the summit together.”

NEW

Innovationdays is recognized worldwide as the number

one industry event for digital printing, paper processing,

and mailing technologies. Hunkeler’s newest feeding and

finishing solutions will be presented at Innovationdays

2015 as worldwide experts gather to see real-world

applications and share their expertise.

Innovationdays is considered bymany to be the world’s most

important “meet and greet” for thedigital print market.

Over 5,000 people expected to attend next year’s event... February 23 - 26, 2015 in Lucerne, Switzerland

NEWExhibition grows to include two halls Rail S4 train stop at exhibition entrance

Energized visitors and hands-on demonstrations lead to sales.

Standard Sees High Level ofInterest at Graph Expo.

Chicago, IL, September 28 - October 1, 2014

This year’s Graph Expo was characterizedby brisk traffic, excitement and buzzaround new technologies, and optimismabout the state of the print market.Visitors were clear in their intentions to

take hold of new opportunities andcapture more business. And, healthysales on the show floor plainly indicatedthat the industry has turned a corner.Another year confirms that Graph Exporemains one of the most importantvenues for print professionals to see andexperience all that print has to offer.

The Standard booth was no exception!We welcomed hundreds of guests intoour 4,800 square-foot space anddemonstrated over 50 live applications inthe areas of die-cutting, perfect binding,folding, saddlestitching, creasing,inspection systems, and continuous-feedprint solutions.

Among the highlights, Standard unveiledits revolutionary line of Horizon RotaryDie Cutters to the North Americanmarket. The Standard Horizon RD-4055,a 2014 MUST SEE ‘EMS Award Winner,and RD-3346 were producing sampleswhich showcased their unique ability todie-cut, crease, perforate, slit, holepunch, and round corner in one processfor digital and offset printed sheets. TheStandard Horizon CRA-36 Creaser alsomade its debut, offering superiormechanical creasing with automatedfeeding to eliminate cracking on

digitally-printed applications. In anotherfirst, Standard introduced the Horizon AF-406F Small Format Folder, designedspecifically for the insert, outsert, andpharmaceutical markets.

In the continuous-feed arena, theStandard Hunkeler DP6 DynamicPerforating Module was operating in aRoll-to-Roll configuration with theHunkeler UW6 Unwinder and RW6Rewinder, producing unique and dynamicperforating patterns on the printed roll –ideal for transpromotional andtransactional applications includingcoupons, reply cards, and checks.Standard also showed a Roll-to-Booklet/Roll-to-Stack solution designed torun in-line with continuous feed printengines, process booklets from a printedroll, or finish pre-collated cut sheetoutput. The solution was deliveringsaddlestitched books, straight stacks, andfully separated book blocks at GraphExpo to demonstrate ultimate productionflexibility in one integrated system.

Standard was pleased to partner withCanon, FUJIFILM, HP, Ricoh, Xerox, andother print manufacturers to demonstratea variety of printed roll and cut-sheetapplications across the show floor.

1

FinishLine 11.2014 7

Busy activity on the show floorwas a clear indication that theprint industry is moving forward.Standard demonstrated an arrayof feeding and finishing solutions,hosting hundreds of visitorsduring the 4-day event.

A display cabinetpresented anassortment of diecut applicationsfrom the newStandard Horizon RD-4055 and RD-3346. Pocketfolders, business cards,door hangers, stickers,greeting cards, specialtymailers, playing cards,and more!

Hunkeler Showtime Graph Expo Wrap-up

Page 5: Think BIG, Print BIG Investments! - Access Direct · 2019. 12. 14. · L’Ecuyer says that being a trade shop is most challenging because of the variety of work brought through the

5X Throughput Improvement Benefits Company’s Digital Department.

Fall 2014 STANDARD FINISHING SYSTEMS

www.standardfinishing.com

Customer Profile NewsInnovationdays 2015 Access Direct masters the worldof finishing digital roll-fed print

New finishing solutions draw highenergy and interest at Graph Expo

Hunkeler readies for Februaryevent in Lucerne

Slate Group began nearly 30years ago as a copy shop andhas long outgrown itsoriginal Copy Craft moniker.At $25 million in annualrevenues, this commercialprinting company is startingwith a fresh slate.

Slate Group offers offset,digital and display graphicsprinting as well as graphicdesign and direct mailingservices for clients locally andnationwide. “We’ve become afull-service regional solutionsprovider,” said Brad Phinny,the company’s Chief OperatingOfficer. “We realized last yearthat our bookletmaking capabilities werenot able to keep up with today’s demands.The throughput and durability of theexisting equipment was not what weneeded to sustain growth and deliverexceptional customer service, nor was thequality of output we were getting. At Print13, we started looking to refresh it.”

Slate Group has 40” and 29” offset, avariety of HP Indigo digital presses, largeformat and a full bindery across its twolocations in Lubbock and Austin, Texas. Thecompany was impressed with the StandardHorizon solutions at the show and workedwith Standard’s local dealer, Tim Ross ofCobblestone Graphic Equipment, to seekhis advice and narrow down options.

“We then visited the Standard demo facilityin Boston,” Phinny explains. “We providedthem with a variety of differentapplications and substrates and saw thebookletmaking equipment in action.Almost as an afterthought, we spent time

Think BIG, Print BIGInvestments!

Slate Group Marks Recent Name Change with...

“The CRF-362 Creaser/Folder performs both

creasing and perfing, removing some of the

work from our traditional bindery and

enabling us to meet the tight turnaround

times today’s digital customers demand, and

we have reduced the amount of work sent

to our traditional bindery by 50%.”

Customer Snapshot

8

with their new creaser/folder unit, andafter seeing it operate, it was a no-brainerto add it to our new configuration.”

To meet its growing bindery needs and tosupport the output from its fleet of digitalpresses, Slate Group chose to acquire acompletely new bookletmaking lineconsisting ofStandardHorizon’sHOF-400 HighSpeed SheetFeeder, theCR-400 Creaser/Bleed Trimmer, the SPF-200A Bookletmaker, and the FC-200AFace Trimmer. “The installation wentsmoothly,” Phinny adds, “and once it wasup and running, we were stunned at itsperformance compared to our previousline.”

Another benefit for Slate Group was theability to do more of its finishing in itsdigital department without having to

send work to the traditional bindery, ofteninterrupting longer run work in doing so.Phinny remarks that the company’sprevious configuration could not fold coverweight stock. “We were also excited aboutthe ability of the CRF-362 Creaser/Folder todo both creasing and perfing, removingsome work from our traditional binderyand enabling us to meet the tight

turnaround times today’sdigital customers demand,and we have reduced theamount of work sent to ourtraditional bindery by 50%.With the new configuration,we were also able to eliminatethe pre-trimming of bookletson the sides. We are gettingproduct through the digitalbindery five times faster thanwe were able to before! Wewere even able to transitionone of our nighttime binderyoperators into a differentposition, definitely a part ofthe payback calculation onthis outstanding equipment.”

Phinny also explains that the company’sprevious configuration often requiredseveral passes to adequately bind work,requiring manual collation and a trip to thetraditional bindery for final stitching. Itsnew CRF-362 Creaser/Folder handles thickerstocks for scoring covers used in thebookletmaking process, and also

accommodatesa number offold patternsincluding gatefolds for avariety of other

applications.

Phinny is also pleased with the ease of useof the Standard Horizon equipment. “Youcan store up to 200 jobs, and the menusmake it very easy to use, meaning lesstraining time for operators,” he says. “Wewill be looking to Cobblestone GraphicEquipment and Standard for more solutionsin the future as we continue to refine ourinfrastructure.”

Slate Group CEO Brad Phinny (L) and President Marc Hayes (R), with their new booklet-maker and local dealer, Tim Ross, President, Cobblestone Graphic Equipment. (C)

We are getting product throughthe digital bindery five times faster

than we were able to before!

FinishLine 11.2014