What does it do?
This is the latest generation of Horizon’s saddle-stitching solution, intended for high- quality booklet and brochure production. Building on the sheet-fed StitchLiner Mark III, it introduces on-demand working from pre-printed reels or it can run in-line with continuous feed inkjet web presses.
It can handle formats from 352x252mm portrait or 263x303mm landscape down to a minimum format of 120x85 mm when working in two-up production.
When was it introduced and what is the target market?
It was announced in August and deliveries in Japan started in Q3. Target users will have web-fed inkjet presses and that can run the StitchLiner V inline if they want, though many are more likely to opt for the greater flexibility of nearline, using a rewinder and unwinder.
Jason Seaber, technical sales director at Horizon’s UK distributor intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS), says “The solution is designed for efficient very high quality saddle-stitched booklet and brochure production on-demand, for many different types of work including manuals, educational publications, product brochures, comics, magazines and many more, for a very wide range of topics and applications. We believe that near-line configuration will be more popular.”
How does it work?
This is a saddle-stitching system intended to produce high-quality booklets at high speeds, with full automation when changing booklet format and thickness. It can run near-line with an unwinder and rotary cutter. Seaber says that it can alternatively run in-line with “all the leading brands of continuous feed inkjet web presses and connects via hardware and software to the unwinder and rotary cutter, which in turns connects and communicates with the inkjet web press.”
The iCE in the StitchLiner V name indicates that it has provision for Horizon’s iCE LiNK, a cloud-based workflow management system which can manage multiple finishing devices. This is available on subscription, with three levels of functionality. Seaber lists some of the benefits as “IoT, KPI analysis, preventative maintenance tools, JDF/JMF automatic workflow and job scheduling tools”.
JDF job setup data can be obtained from either an MIS or other job production controller and also from an inline CF Inkjet Web Press.
The maximum sheet width is 610mm, which is more than enough for the majority of continuous-feed inkjet web printers, unwinders and cutters with a maximum width of 560 mm. It can handle booklets up to 10mm thick, with static or variable page count and variable format trimming down to 120x85mm when producing booklets two-up.
End-of-set marks and barcodes can automatically control and separate jobs, including booklet-of-one, within a single printed reel or print run. An optional barcode verification system can automatically read every sheet and cover within each booklet for data integrity. Barcodes are generated and added when the job is imposed for the StitchLiner V.
“To maximise production, we recommend batching booklet production by paper type, format and thickness range,” says Seaber. “We can handle extreme page count change, but this will reduce the speed and overall productivity.” Each sheet, and cover, is scored individually and tightly plow-folded.
Seaber says it can produce “consistent high quality booklet production without any special skills or experience.”
The Cover Feeder, CF-50D, is optional and provides two feeding stations for covers, sheets or signatures.
Up to three CF-50D units can added. Each can insert one sheet anywhere in the booklet. A six-page cover has a single flap and an eight-page cover has two flaps. The CF-50D Cover Feeder has split feeding trays as standard to keep uneven stacks level.
What does it replace?
The iCE StitchLiner Mark V will replace the current Horizon StitchLiner 6000 digital.
Apart from the obvious changes to accept continuous-fed rolls, the StitchLiner Mark V differs from the Mark III in the adoption of the iCE LiNK technology. Seaber says that early next year an iCE-capable StitchLiner Mark IV will be launched for sheet feeding.
How easy is it to use?
Very, says Seaber. “Like all Horizon solutions it has been designed for ease of use by non-skilled or non-experienced people.”
Operator training, for a complete system with an unwinder and rotary cutter, would normally take four to five days after installation. IFS provides customised preventative service maintenance options and onsite spare parts kits to help keep the system running.
What does it cost and when is it available?
From £300,000 including one CF-50D Cover Feeder and the Barcode Verification System. Seaber says: “An unwinder and rotary cutter would be required for off-line/near-line configuration. An unwinder, web buffer, rotary cutter and printer interface kit would be required for in-line configuration with a continuous feed inkjet press.”
It will ship in the UK during 2023.
SPECIFICATIONS
Finishing type Saddle-stitch, fold and trim
Sheet sizes Portrait max: 508x356mm; landscape max: 610x267mm; min 194x140mm
Untrimmed booklet size Portrait max: 356x254mm (up to 356x305mm can be finished depending on substrate weight and condition); landscape max: 267x305mm; min: 140x97mm
Finished booklet size Portrait max: 352x252mm (up to 352x303 mm can be finished depending on substrate weight and condition); Landscape max 263x303mm, min 120x85mm
Roll paper weights 52.3 to 209gsm (uncoated); 73.3 to 209gsm (coated)
Cover sheet weights 52.3 to 350gsm (uncoated); 73.3 to 350gsm (coated)
Max fold thickness 2mm (thickness that can be folded)
Max stitch thickness 5mm (about 50 sheets of 80gsm)
Trim thickness Max 10mm
Price From £300,000 including one CF-50D Cover Feeder and Barcode Verification System
Contact IFS 020 8997 8053 www.ifsl.uk.com
ALTERNATIVES
Smart-binder SB-3 plus HS
The UK Smart-binder series from Integrated Bindery Solutions (IBIS) are high-capacity saddle binding units with feeding arrangements for inline or nearline digital presses. First introduced in 2004, they have been frequently updated, most recently in 2020. Uniquely they offer both wire stitching and ISG (individual sheet gluing) cold glue binding in the same machine.
They produce finished booklets at speeds of up to 7,000 booklets per hour with constantly varying thickness.
SB3 is the standard configuration, though it sits in the middle of the range, and there is a stretched SB-XW. SB1 is a reduced-speed entry-level nearline model without ISG gluing option, SB2 is faster to run inline with web presses, also without ISG. SB-4 adds an Ibis-modified single-clamp perfect binder inline. SB-5 includes a separate perfect binder.
Maximum output speed 7,000bph (one-up) or 14,000bph (two-up)
Maximum input sheet rate 450 sheets per minute (may contain four, eight or 12 pages)
Max web press speed Around 180–200m/min with extra buckle folder
Paper stock weight 40–160gsm
Cover stock weight 70–300gsm (above 240gsm requires testing)
Trimmed book width 120–225mm
Spine length 210–320mm (when using trimmer centre knife then minimum spine length reduces to 100mm). The stretched model SB-XW increases maximum finished size to 457x280mm
Book thickness range From a minimum of four pages to maximum 10mm
Wire stitches Up to four stitch heads producing 12mm staples, 0.4 –0.6mm diameter round wire. Optional loop stitching available
Price Depends on configuration
Contact IBIS Integrated Bindery Systems 01494 561 950 www.ibis-bindery.com
Hohner HHS-Futura 9
This is a highly configurable modular saddle-stitching system introduced in 2021, with a choice of five feeders and 20 configurations, based on a core saddle-stitching unit derived from the HSB 9.000. The digital finishing configuration can take webs from an unwinder (supplied by partner company MBO) or it takes sheets via a buckle folder.
Output speed 9,000bph
Max pre-folded sheet size 365x350mm (365mm represents spine length)
Min sheet size 105x105mm
Finished sizes From 105x75mm to 360x340mm (105mm and 360mm represent spine length for minimum and maximum sizes respectively)
Cover sizes From 130x170mm to 365x520mm
Price Depends on configuration
Contact Friedheim International 01442 206100 www.friedheim.co.uk
